Late summer border(or, maybe, early autumn)

Looking lovely - packed full of plants - :o)

That does look lovely and hopefully will do for a little bit longer.

Yes, let's hope no frosts for a few weeks yet as still lots of dahlia and aster buds to open!

A busy border...the kind I like to see.
Well done, Paul!
When do dahlias, in general, stop flowering?

Not till the frosts .

Gotcha. Thanks Paul!
I'll lift, dry, then store them in my defunct airing cupboard, ready to replant, next spring, in more suitable positions.
To be honest, when I planted them, I thought they would be slender plants, like glads. Lol.
Live, garden & learn, eh?

Lovely colourful border Paul.

Yes, most Dahlias need plenty room Mouldy.You can chance leaving them in ....many do but they could rot(they would here in my heavy clay soil) if lifting, wait till leaves blackened by frost.
Thanks JK...should still be a bit of color till frosts!

Useful advice, Paul.
I'll bear it in mind! Cheers, mate.

Mouldy - I foolishly left six lovely Dahlias in the ground a couple of years ago ... each and every one of them turned to mush! Just the labels as a reminder ... :o(

That's clay for you!!

Can the clay composition not be altered with, say, sand & grit?
No, daft question, as they'd probably sink, I guess & compost would make it more claggy, once rain starts falling.
Or am I wrong with that, too? Lol.

No, compost is a good thing for clay soil Mouldy.it makes the individual particles bigger , opening the soil up.I have dug lots in over the years but I can't make enough compost, quick enough and I need it also for my veg patch. grit and sand help as well but not as much, in my opinion, as compost!

Lol!
So, I was wrong on ALL counts!
Isn't gardening fun?! ;-)
Oh, how stupid I am...I forgot basic physics!
Negative & positive charges, inoganic & organic matter.
Back to the books for Mouldy! Lol.

Any course organic material will improve the soil!

I can't believe I forgot the basics of soil composition, though, Paul.
I had it by rote from my days in forestry.
Once top of the class.
I'd better put the dunce's cap on & stand in the corner of the garden! Lol.

You know more than u let on Mr Mouldy!!

I enjoyed three months of schooling, before they let us loose to plant up trees, Paul.
I was the eldest student & relished the challenge.
That was back in '93.
What I can't understand is how I forgot some of the simplest stuff.
I might, no-actually I WILL, dig out my old course work & do a bit of reading up over the winter.
Some of it will probably be applicable to gardening.
Thick, that's what I am! Lol.

I don't believe a word of it(the 'thick ' bit, I mean) I do wish I'd studied some forum of horticulture but reall didn't know I wanted to until it was too late!!