The orchard garden was originally planted with four rectangular flower beds surrounding the avenue of Crab apple trees, with four larger almost square wild flower and spring bulb meadows (parched yellow below). Last year those meadows put on a fantastic display of flax. Now, a year on all these areas have all evolved.
In autumn, the geranium rozanne is now the dominant display around the crab apples, but the stipa gigantea grass has also done well. The roses in one of the beds is still abundant, but the other bed gets much less sun and the roses there are not flowering any more.
Meanwhile one species has taken over the four large meadows almost entirely in the autumn. I think it is fleabane/horseweed (erigeron) and it has filled all four meadows. Normally, its a fight there against the thistle, but this year they have lost out! Lets see what emerges next spring.