Not everything in the garden was a complete disaster. Some things had managed to survive despite the neglect they've had to undergo, like these little campanula which were growing out of a crack in the path ...
and these roses, struggling desperately to emerge from a bed overgrown with grass and weeds.
Some of the shrubs were thriving, like this fuchsia by the front gate ...
and the hydrangea in the back garden. I've never tested the soil in the garden but it must be acidic. Hydrangeas always do well, and in the past we've had a lot of success with azaleas too. This particular plant must be about thirty years old by now, as is the fuchsia.
I love fuschias and planted this one about ten years ago in a raised bed by the back door. It was doing very well at one point, but now seems to have been crowded out by some self seeded Golden Rod.
This hebe comes from a cutting I put in about four years ago to fill an empty bed. Since then it seems to have exploded. It was past its best by the time I got home, but was still a big draw for butterflies. Needless to say I never had my camera with me at the right time ...
The crab apple bush had a good crop of fruit this year ...
and the weigela and the hibiscus were still surviving. The weigela flowers earlier in the summer, so I missed most of the flowers. The hibiscus was a bit sad - there were plenty of buds, but they were falling before they opened. Unfortunately I didn't have the means or the time to find out why or do anything about it. The tree looked perfectly healthy , so I'm hoping it was just something about this year's weather conditions. I'll check before I go back next time.
