Six On Saturday: Tulips, daffodils and anemone blanda

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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

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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!

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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

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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.

Six On Saturday: Time to trowel up

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It may be hard to find six things in the garden at this time of the year but as I walked round this morning it was clear that the weeds are having a lovely time. They shine out as splashes of green in amongst the soggy brown mess of collapsed perennials. I spotted a forest of euphorbia seedlings that need dealing with and I must start thinking about potatoes and veg seeds. Last weekend was a family weekend as will be most of this one. Those roses are still waiting their prune. I’ll have to start soon, when the rain stops. Here’s my six for the week.

One

Off the edge, a fellow SOSer, reminded me that there are cyclamens out there. Mine are in the front garden and this photo was taken last Sunday at about 4pm. The leaves are quite striking, the flowers less so – I think the snails have been munching.

Two

The snow drops have just produced their first buds. Little spots of white that I can just detect from the kitchen window.

Three

I wasn’t such a fan of the slightly metallic foliage of this heuchera but it did look rather good today,

Four

I have to add another of the hybridised hellebores, these self seed quite happily and I have been known to move them around, even though they apparently don’t like to be disturbed.

Five

New buds are forming on the Rhododendron ponticum, I thought it was on its last legs last year as it struggled through drought but it hangs on.

Six

This euphorbia characias subsp. Wulfenii could be the parent of the seedlings in a nearby border, but the new leaf growth on the seedlings looks slightly different. I’ll pot up some of the seedlings and see what develops.

That’s my six for the week, I hope you can find some things to enjoy in your gardening spaces. Jim at Garden Ruminations shares his treasures and the links to other posts so do drop by, Happy gardening.

Six On Saturday: Released

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The garden has been frozen for about a week but the lying frost has gone now and warm temperatures are heading this way – for a few days. Storm Goretti howled around for a while but thankfully did not do us any damage. The lowest temperature recorded in the greenhouse was -4.5 degrees centigrade. The garden tour this morning revealed plenty of new shoots, jobs to be done and plants going over. Here’s the six for this week.

One

The hellebores really do some heavy lifting at this time of year. I have some that readily self seed but these ‘Pretty Ellen Red’ just stay in their place and do their thing. I have not yet cut back any leaves, a job that is weighing on my conscience.

Two

The flowers on the viburnum have just begun to open. I lost one old shrub this year and this one had a very severe chop back. It was more of a tree than a shrub. Here’s hoping it will grow back well and into a good shape.

Three

The ornamental grasses have done well but are beginning to look scruffy. Cutting them back will be a job for the end of January, but here’s a miscanthus that still looks good.

Four

Losses to box blight and caterpillar damage has left me with one sole survivor, this sarcococca confusa which is generously showing its flowers and berries. I hope it can hold out against attack again.

Five

I have four ‘Wisely’ roses that I allowed to grow up tall and wide. They need a thorough prune each year to thin out the stems. This year I am thinking that it is time to reduce the height as well. I could be some time.

Six

The wooden compost heap bins were installed about six years ago and are rotting away. This has been on the ‘to do’ list for about six months. Perhaps going public with it will encourage me to order the replacement slats and posts and get started.

Things are stirring in the garden, which means that although it’s all a bit lean at the moment there are good things on the horizon. Our host Jim at Garden Ruminations continues to turn up new gems, including updates on Beaver the hedgehog so do stop by and have a look.

Six On Saturday: Full moon on the rise

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Today is the first full moon of the year, a supermoon. This one is known as the wolf moon. The clear skies that are keeping my garden frost bound will no doubt ensure a good view of it tonight. There is something magical about seeing a supermoon, bizarrely they make me think of the garden and all that is to come. There are plenty of jobs to be done here but this is not the weather for them. Here are six things I found on my frosty walk round.

One

As I result of not posting over the last few months I do have one or two unshown plants that are just hanging on. Here’s the very last of the hesperantha.

Two

The Corsican hellebores have been in flower for a few weeks and look as though they are standing up to the frost well.

Three

I was quite excited to think that at least I would have the hellebores at the end of the garden to show. But on turning the corner I was met with a very sad sight. Frost here has encouraged them all to hang their heads even lower.

Four

The plan in this section of the garden was to give the space over to two oak leafed hydrangeas and fill in around them with hellebores, tulips and camassias. It’s a work in progress and hydrangeas are quite slow growing. The leaf is quite lovely though.

Five

There are one or two primroses having a go at brightening up odd corners of the garden.

Six

Lastly the berries of iris foetidissima do shine out from under the hedges. All generously donated by the birds. These appear wherever there is a good resting perch.

Not too bad for the first week of the New Year. Goodness knows what there will be next week. My list of jobs to do includes pruning roses and blackcurrants. I can leave them until the temperatures rise a little. I can see new shoots coming through for the miniature daffodils. As always the garden continues. Jim at Garden Ruminations provides our rallying point for SOS so do drop by and take a look around the other gardens.

Six On Saturday: End of year

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I’ve not post for sometime now as my Mum had a period of poor health. She’s doing better now and is adjusting to her less mobile life. I’m hoping to be able to resume regular posting in the New Year. For this end of year post I’m picking up from my last post and sharing a few things from the last few months.

One

Our bumper crop of apples delivered over 70 bottles of juice this year. We got through several bottles for Christmas breakfasts this week. Delicious.

Two

Salvia Blackcurrant Sage (Salvia microphylla) did well this year. I was brave enough to cut it back hard after winter and it did keep it from becoming too leggy.

Three

Back in October I managed to plant some bulbs. I had ordered a collection of miniature daffodils to grow in pots. The selection included Snipe, White Petticoat, Toto and a few tulips: Hilde and Turkestanica.

Four

The new rowan tree has done well. It was watered weekly over the dry summer and although the height is around 1.5 metres the glorious display of leaves gives a good sign of things to come.


Five

This was the persimmon tree in November. It seemed to ripen a few weeks earlier this year. The black blob in the branches is a crow. We usually see flocks of parakeets feasting on the fruit but the crows took a fancy to them this year and seemed to scare off the parakeets.

Six

Ending on a seasonal note the ivy from the garden was used to decorate the stairs, intertwined with fake berries, red ribbons and fir cone lights.

I hope you all enjoyed celebrations or quiet times to reflect. I have spend so little time in the garden of late but I’m hoping to have more time in the New Year. It’s suitably cold now but I’m sure there’s a few jobs that need to be done. I hope to be reporting more regularly once again. Peace, love and garden joy to you all.

Many thanks to Jim at Garden Ruminations for keeping this all going. Stop by for his six and the links to other gardening posts.

Six On Saturday: Back to the gardening fold

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Having had a sprained ankle, a family function and other distractions going on for the last few weeks I feel I am finally gardening again. The season has shifted and there is plenty of garden-keeping to be done. I have ordered a few bulbs: I am pursuing my Spring idea to have pots of small but interesting narcissus to enjoy and I needed some Maureen tulips to infill a gap. Here’s my six from this morning’s walk.

One

The apples have been picked. We have six sack fulls to take off for juicing. Quite a haul, given the great number of windfalls we have had this year. I checked with our Juicers and they confirmed that apples with codling moth damage can be juiced. I’m sure we’ve always had some damage but this year it seemed to have affected more apples.

Two

I did find a new person to prune the apples and the plum but as yet he hasn’t been able to visit. The plum tree is far too large now and I am wondering how late in the season the necessary pruning can be done. We’ve been picking plums for several weeks but it might be time to call it quits.

Three

The rain has energised the garden, the grass is growing again and many plants are looking happier. Here the Corsican hellebores and a fatsia that have really developed a backbone again.

Four

The verbena bonariensis seeds prolifically, often leaning over the path or other plants. Here it seems to have found the perfect spot. It has remained upright and is looking especially good in the Autumn light.

Five

I’m sowing Autumn seeds. The echinacea ‘White Swan’ came good but I am on my second sowing of Orlaya and Gaura. Let’s hope they get going this time.

Six

I’ve also been shopping for my troublesome border. The hydrangeas went in earlier this year and are a dwarf variety called ‘Little White’ which should reach 60cms and I’m just about to fill in the gaps with hakonechloa macra.

Here’s hoping I’m back in the groove again! The walk round revealed plenty of slug damage to my new delphiniums and much that needs dead-heading. I’ve yet to pull up the tomato plants but that’s just about due. In a taste test on the cucumbers ‘Burpless’ were a clear winner over ‘Marketmore’. Plans for next year are being made. Wishing you all a happy Autumn in your gardening spaces. Jim’s Garden Ruminations is full of Autumn inspiration.

Six On Saturday: Gardening, not gardening

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I was absent without leave last Saturday as I had twisted my ankle in the week and I was definitely not in a gardening frame of mind. The ankle is improving, there has been some rain and the days are not so hot so all in all things are looking better. Here’s six things from the garden I hobbled round today.

One

The tomatoes have been ripening at a steady pace. I have not watered them quite so much as in previous years and they seem not to have minded. Maybe there’s a lesson to be learned there.

Two

I remember writing a few weeks back that new flowers on the dwarf beans were few and far between. But look: second pickings did materialise and there are more to come.

Three

On the flower front, the roses also seem to have coped with less water. This one is the climber ‘James Galway’.

Four

I sowed seeds of delphiniums earlier in the year and have seven plants on the go, this one has even put up a flower spike.

Five

In the flower border a bought-in delphinium has also just come into flower. A good strong blue, can I remember the name – no.

Six

The annuals that I sowed for the old fig tree site have also coped with the dry conditions and this week’s rain has encouraged them even more.

The garden is littered with fallen apples. Most are infected with codling moth caterpillars. The wise trees seem to know which ones to shed first. I’ve a whole host of pruning and removal jobs to done which I have handed over to a tree surgeon. I shall sit back and enjoy the garden while fretting about the weeds. Situation normal perhaps! Here’s the link for Jim’s Garden Ruminations were the SOS merry band gather each week to share gardening news. Happy Gardening everyone.