Six On Saturday: Rough winds

/ n20gardener / 6 Comments

We have had a week of cold winds and insignificant showers here. The levels in the barrels have hardly risen. But new things are appearing in the garden. Two fox cubs are becoming regular visitors, I’m hoping they don’t start digging . I’ve noticed one or two broken stems, presumably from their playful jaunts in the borders. Grrhhh. Here’s six (well five and a borrow) from the garden this week.

One

The stately iris ‘White City’. A beautifully tall bearded iris that deserves a better place in the garden. At the moment it is being crowded out by roses. I must find a better space for it this year.

Two

A frothy display of tiarella. I believe this one is ‘Emerald Ellie’. It has a semi-shaded spot and has been there for many years. I neglect it, I have promised to water it this week. If it doesn’t rain. Properly rain.

Three

The ‘Mount Everest’ alliums are appearing again. As happens every year the ends of the leaves fade and shrivel. Is it the cold winds?

Four

A climbing rose, that I moved about two years ago. It is settling in quite well with more flowers this year. It’s ‘Tess of the D’Urbervilles’.

Five

My ailing rhododendron. It has been ailing since I moved to the garden. The top half is almost dead but the bottom half soldiers on. I’ve decided to cut back the top half but I read that I should delay this until next February/March. It will be a major job as the rhododendron is very large, it has perhaps been in the garden for a hundred years.

Six

This is not my garden. I didn’t make it to posting last week as we were out and about in London. This week we visited the David Hockney exhibition of his ipad panorama of a year in Normandy. Here’s a photo from the garden at The Serpentine Gallery where a Hockney mural has also been installed. The planting looking superb, well watered I would say.

Where are the weeks going? Still much to do but the garden races on. There’s a hope that the temperatures will lift a little next week but I need more rain before then. I’m watering last year’s new tree every week and some other newly moved plants. Jim our host welcomes all to visit Garden Ruminations but can I also recommend a visit to Off the Edge for a personal tribute to an early SOS friend John Kingdon who has sadly passed away.

Six On Saturday: So far behind

/ n20gardener / 9 Comments

The London Marathon was run in under 2 hours last weekend. Meanwhile I am trailing way behind in my gardening jobs. I still have seed heads to cut back on the phlomis even as new flower stems arrive. My tomatoes did not germinate, not one. I have resorted to buying in for the first time in years. Clematis needs tying in but in all honesty it has done its own thing and found other plants to wrap itself around. I’m sharing here so that I don’t become too much of gardening bore at home! But onwards to six stars in the garden this week.

One

The roses are raring to go, here’s ‘Wisley’. I gave this a thorough cut back this year and it is full of buds.

Two

The weigela also surged into flower, this was among the first additions to the garden almost 10 years ago and it really is an easy one to grow.

Three

I shared this last week mixed in with the camassias but it deserves a spot of its own, I think I referred it to as possibly ‘Totally Tangerine’ but I’m sure it’s ‘Scarlet Tempest’.

Four

I bought three of these Polygonatum x hybridum in 2023 and foolishly planted them near some Japanese anemones. The anemones had been well behaved for several years but have got into their stride this year and so the poor polygonatum is being crowded out, so much so that I can only find one at the moment. Perhaps the snails have got to the other two.

Five

The alliums have opened up, but smaller than usual. It could be the lack of rain, there are promises of some this weekend. I’d be happy if it comes overnight so that I can garden during the day.

Six

This is ‘Natasha Richardson’ in amongst the libertia. I wonder who will win the battle for space.

I’ve time this morning to weed the raspberry beds. I’ve had erratic germination in flower seeds but there are a few trays of seedlings to come out of the greenhouse. I’ll convince myself that gardening is not a race and will take the time to enjoy the moment. Jim at Garden Ruminations hosts the Six On Saturday meme, so I hope you can find a moment to enjoy his garden and the others of those who share on this weekly meet-up. Happy gardening.

Six On Saturday: April flowers

/ n20gardener / 6 Comments

I didn’t get to visit many SOS gardens last week as I finally had a weekend to spend in the garden here. My time was spent weeding, weeding, weeding. Top thug was wood avens, followed by bittercress and whatever that weed with the very thin stems and tiny blue flowers is! Of course there’s bindweed and ground elder and, well I could go on but there are six more joyful things to share this week.

One

Such a simple plant but I really enjoy its colour, geranium phaeum. As I write this I seem to remember buying the white version of this plant, where is it now? Gone, as so many others have, to the mysterious lost plant farm.

Two

Viburnum plicatum f. tomentosum Mariesii, in its third year in the garden so still quite low growing but with a good number of flowers on show this year.

Three

I was tempted by this dwarf weigela a year or so ago, it fills a spot but it’s not very stunning. Maybe it needs more attention. It’s not as vibrant pink as this in real life.

Four

The first rose has opened. ‘Madame Alfred Carrière’. A certain on-line supplier lists it as flowering from July. Pretty early then! It grows over an arch and needs to taken in hand every now and then. But lovely all the same.

Five

Libertia grandiflora. I added four of these to the garden after seeing them at the Olympic Park in London. Of course that’s a vast space and I saw them in their early years. I certainly hadn’t anticipated how much they would bulk up. A couple of years ago mine were dug up and re-distributed around the garden. They are evergreen and give some winter structure and at this time of year the lovely flowers held on long stems are very attractive.

Six

Tellima grandiflora. Should I have kept these for next week? They are almost at peak fringe cup status. I can’t resist them, perfect for shady spots. As these have self-seeded they are gradually appearing in sunnier spaces too. Not a problem – at the moment.

April flowers indeed but no sign of April showers. Two of my large water butts sprung leaks last year and so my water storage capacity is well down and I’m almost out. Never happy eh? I’m also not happy with the fox who has taken to snuggling up in the centre of some of my phlox and shasta daisy new growth. Broken stems was the result. But the weather is beautiful and there’s much to appreciate. There’s more to enjoy at Garden Ruminations where Jim is getting ready for his first open day.

Six On Saturday: Filling out nicely

/ n20gardener / 15 Comments

The garden is plumping up nicely. A little rain would help it on its way and I can’t believe I am saying that after the deluges of the first part of the year. Dry as it is the slugs are out and have nibbled the first of my asparagus spears. I spotted a thrush running across the lawn this week, I hope the food supply is suitable. Here’s six things from my garden this week.

One

The apple blossom has been out for a few weeks now, but this week it really was shouting ‘look at me’. Looks like another good crop to come.

Two

Another shouter: Euphorbia palustris. I gave this one a go when I kept losing e.wulfenii to the wet weather. It’s a yellow zinger and perhaps a little too brash for my taste but it seems to love it in this spot.

Three

The camassias have opened up. Here they are combined with a geum. I’m pretty sure it’s ‘Totally Tangerine’.

Four

I planted a sambucus nigra ‘Black Lace’ about three years ago and it’s making good progress. It works well with the ‘Negrita’ and ‘Ronaldo’ tulips nearby.

Five

The Hart’s tongue ferns cling on stubbornly in a really dry part of the garden – for which I am very grateful. Here are this year’s emerging fronds.

Six

The iberis is another plant that has been in flower for a few weeks now but this week it looked particularly profuse. A simple doer that falls nicely over the wall.

It was a glorious start to the day but clouds have moved in. I’ve got plenty of weeding to do and some watering of pots. I hope the weather is enticing you out to enjoy your garden spaces. Jim at Garden Ruminations will be hosting as usual for which I send much appreciated thanks.

Six On Saturday: A song on my mind

/ n20gardener / 16 Comments

I’m not sure of the rules re trademarks but I am sure if I say that there’s a Paul Simon song that talks of ‘the nice bright colours’and ‘the greens of summers’ you will know where I’m coming from. Here we had a few of those sunny days and it cheered us all up. The garden has plenty of green and more and more other colours. Here’s six that I found this week.

One

The germanica irises opened this week. They went through a rough patch for about two years, overcrowding perhaps but they didn’t seem that crowded. I dug them up, didn’t manage to replant all of them in one go, left a pile to languish in the shed and eventually threw those out. These are the survivors and they seem happier.

Two

The early ‘Negrita’ tulips have been joined by ‘Spring Green’ and one or two ‘Ronaldo’ These have lasted extremely well, in their third or fourth year I think. I hope that doesn’t jinx it.

Three

I managed to get the second early potatoes in the ground this week. They are in the patch behind this row of miscellaneous tulips that also come back every year.

Four

This is a woodland anemone, a lovely plant that is entirely neglected from year to year. I think I say this every year but I’ll say it again – I must add more of them.

Five

These are some of the first tulips I planted in the garden about nine years ago. Have they all lasted all that time? I’m not sure, I know I have added to them over time. The combination is ‘Queen of Night’, ‘Shirley’, and ‘Barcelona’.

Six

Here’s the oddity of the week. I ordered 40 ‘Maureen’ tulips to fill a gap in my otherwise splendid row of these white gems. This is the first of the new batch to open and it is clearly not white. I think about 3 others will also open up orange. Not what was planned. I will post again when the real ‘Maureens’ have opened, it could be quite a contrast.

I broke a fork last week at my daughter’s garden. I seem to have lost a trowel – in the compost bin perhaps? It’s clearly time for a visit to the garden centre just when all the new stock is arriving. What a challenge. I’ve plenty of gardening jobs to do: finishing off cutting back the hydrangeas, weeding the raspberry plot, spreading out the leaf mould and sowing a few more seeds. April is a busy time but it’s good to be reconnecting with all that is growing. Happy gardening to you all. No post from our genial host Jim this week but his Garden Ruminations site will still host all the links.

Six On Saturday: Bits and pieces

/ n20gardener / 14 Comments

There is no doubt that the garden is moving along. This week’s cold winds, sleety snow and showers may have deterred me but things keep popping up in the garden. Here’s six things I found this week.

One

A miracle! I planted probably fifty of these a couple of years back and they have come to nought, except possibly they are fighting back. I have this one and potentially one or two more that might flower this year. Pheasant’s eye narcissus or Narcissus poeticus var. recurvus to be correct.

Two

A random tulip, one of a group that came free with an order of other tulips. Incredibly resilient, it has been re-flowering for about five years now.

Three

The white anemone blanda, a favourite of mine.

Four

Blown in on the wind? These violets have colonised the base of the vine. I’m very happy to see them in the garden.

Five

More of the fritillaries, this time in combination with a euphorbia and some ipheion or starflower.

Six

This really was blown in on the wind, from my neighbour’s garden. It almost dies but then rallies again. You can’t beat a free plant!

My gardening job this weekend is to finish off the rebuilding of the compost heap. It was a false economy to hope to reuse some of the old slats. They had warped and would not fit into the nice new posts. More had to be ordered and have just arrived. I have plenty of other jobs to do: more twiggy brown stuff to cut back and the dead heading of the tête-à-tête daffodils which are rapidly going over. The first mow took place last week and is waiting patiently to be moved to a compost bin. The clocks go forward this weekend. It must be Spring and Jim’s camellias still look good – take a look at Garden Ruminations. Happy gardening to you all.

Six On Saturday: Tulips, daffodils and anemone blanda

/ n20gardener / 18 Comments

Spring is truly getting underway. It’s the second day of astronomical Spring, which I prefer to use as the start of Spring gardening. More colour is creeping into the garden and I’m gradually working my way round cutting back the brown stems left over Winter. It’s all feeling good. Here’s six things from my walk around the garden today.

One

Anemone blanda mixing in with the primroses – the very essence of Spring.

Two

The first tulips to open here are always ‘Purissima’. These are planted in amongst the hellebores are have returned well over several years.

Three

These are closely followed by ‘World Friendship’.

Four

Then in an east facing spot, ‘Negrita’.

Five

Next to these are daffodil ‘Thalis’ much loved by me and the snails. I’ll share them now while I still have them.

Six

Lastly, back to the tulips. These are in a pot: tulipa cretica Hilde – the cretian tulip. Pink on the outside but opening up to creamy pink with yellow stamens. Very lovely. Should I move them into the border for next year or will they get lost. I’m pondering this question for all my pots of bulbs this year,

It’s time to feed the roses and with dry weather forecast until Tuesday I am hoping I can get it all done by then. I’ve sowed a few seeds, am I too early is the constant question. Tomato seeds are next on my list. I’m also trying to fit in a first cut of the lawn before the rain comes again. Monday is the day the compost bins are reconstructed so I have held off until there is a strong bin ready to take the grass cuttings. Here’s the link for Jim at Garden Ruminations if you want to see what other SOSers are up to. It’s a genial band of gardening folk. Jim is now a TV star with an appearance on Gardeners’ World last night. I hope to be watching it this afternoon.

Six On Saturday: Delightful daffodils

/ n20gardener / 13 Comments

Confession: I had to get the winter hat out again. The winds have been cold but at least the weather has been a little drier. Here’s a quick look at the garden this week.

One

The narcissi in pots have opened up in the last few weeks. Here’s ‘White Petticoat’, a hoop variety.

Two

This one is ‘Toto’ according to my order and the label.

Three

This one is ‘Snipe’. Spot the difference. I’m sure there must be some but it’s hard to tell them apart. Perhaps Toto has a narrower corona.

Four

The short lived euphorbia oblongata lives on for another year, possibly eight years now.

Five

I had to include these tulips in bud, showing to much promise of things to come.

Six

This last one is a bit of a cheat. Brunnera ‘Jack Frost’, a cheat because it’s in my garden at the moment but will be heading off to my daughter’s garden along with a few other things that tempted me when I went to buy my compost. It’s that time of year.

No gardening for me today but I hope to be out there tomorrow, cutting back the stems of perennials and pulling a few weeds no doubt. I’ve got the potatoes chitting and my over-wintered perennials seedlings from last year have really picked up in the last few weeks. There a good feeling developing. Thank goodness for that. Don’t forget to check up on Jim’s news and see the other SOS blogs. Happy gardening.

Six On Saturday: Popping!

/ n20gardener / 18 Comments

I’ve put away my winter gloves and hats. The weather can be variable even so but the sun has been seen a few times in the last week. Spring flowers are emerging and encouraging me to garden more. Here’s six from the garden this week.

One

The first flower of Leucojum aestivum ‘Gravetye’ popped out during the week and today from the kitchen window I saw that more had opened.

Two

The first flower of ipheion, the spring starflower, also opened and was then drenched by rain.

Three

Another first, the blue scillas that I bought last year have survived the slug attack that followed their planting out. Well at least this little clump survived. Such a beautiful blue colour.

Four

Just opening up, the various clumps of muscari that are dotted along one border. These have been in for a few years now and are beginning to spread which is fine by me.

Five

The very first of the fritillaries, very low down at the moment, it will probably be eaten by slugs by the end of the weekend.

Six

I had to snap of photo of the clematis armandii on a blue sky day. It’s the ‘Apple Blossom’ variety. This is definitely a sign that Spring is here.

I’d love to be mowing the grass soon but I need help reinstalling my collapsed compost bins and don’t want to add the grass to the heaps before they are moved. Help is arriving in the next couple of weeks. In the meantime I am visiting my daughter’s garden for the first time this year. I suspect it will too wet to do much but we are stopping off at the garden centre with a long shopping list. That should be fun. I hope you get to have fun in your gardening spaces. Jim has a great display as usual and all the links to other SOS posts from around the world.

Six On Saturday: Sunshine and showers

/ n20gardener / 23 Comments

There’s still plenty of rain around but increasingly the sun has shown its face. A welcome entrance indeed. Here’s a quick look at my garden this week.

One

This one is a regular feature at this time of the year. It has been some years since I first planted a ring of ‘tête-à-tête’ around the persimmon tree and over time they have bulked at well. This is the best year yet.

Two

Back in Autumn last year I planted up six pots of various narcissi and tulips. The first has just opened up. It’s a pot of the most delicious miniature daffodils – n.cordubensis. The photo is not doing them justice but it’s raining again so no second chances!

Three

I’ve been overlooking the lovely dark red hellebore ‘Pretty Ellen’. She fills up a small corner to the side of the shed and really deserves a more prime position but at this time of the year as visits to the shed increase it is an added bonus to discover them again.

Four

The bergenia have been flowering for a few weeks, they are entirely neglected for most of the year and still do well in their shady spot.

Five

The euphorbia characias subsp. wulfenii, are hitting their stride, the lime green flowers shine out well in the gloom. I’m currently not having much need of their famed drought tolerance.

Six

Crocus tommasinianus ‘Ruby Giant’ is one I was planning to share last week. I’ve always wondered why it’s Red Giant when it is clearly purple.

I gave up my post last week as my Hemmingway Rewritten theme was not displaying accurately in the edit mode. Apparently it will look alright at the front end when I post. Here’s hoping. All looks well at Garden Ruminations so do stop in to Jim’s place and see all the other SOS posts. Here I will be hoping for some drying out time.