At this time of the year the garden here becomes shadier. The sun slips lower in the sky and neighbouring trees cast their shadows. Like the garden I am sliding towards my winter dormancy. But before I curl up there are a few more sixes to be posted. Recently I have muttered to myself, ‘Call yourself a gardener?’
The first was on the tragic occasion of admiring the emerging flower stem of a nerine and seconds later stepping on it. The second on dead heading a rose still in flower, which was swiftly followed by chopping back branches on the tomato plants and finding a perfectly formed truss of green tomatoes among them. But these things happen, don’t they?
My first six is also a disappointment
This week I dug up the last of my sarpo mira potatoes. This is the total haul from two plants. Barely enough to mash and I was certainly crushed.
Two
The tale of woe continued. Into the greenhouse I went to pick some tomatoes. I noticed that the romano peppers needed tying in again. But as I brought the stems together to tie them in they snapped. But these things happen, don’t they? This photo was taken after a good many of the peppers had been used for the evening meal.
The sun was shining on these tragic events and the birds were singing so even as I chastised myself for not staking, not tying in, not watering, not being more careful, and not being out in the garden more I couldn’t avoid seeing some positives and here they are.
Three
This bright cheerful zinnia, grown from a tiny seed, continues to shine.
Four
The astrantia major are flowering again.
Five
Autumn is coming and softer colours take their place in the garden. I call these ice plants but I’m going to venture to suggest the Latin name of Hylotelephium spectabile. Yes or No?
Six
Miracles happen. Last week I featured the bulbs of Colchicum speciosum ‘Album’, which had just arrived. I planted them the very same day, idly thinking that I would have to wait a year before the flowered. That would give me time to spread out the lamb’s ear plants that I wanted to surround them. This week I found this amazing sight.
So I add to my crimes, ignorance. I had no idea the bulbs would flower this year. What a blissful ignorance it was. Without it I would not have been half so thrilled and excited as I was when I saw this flower and I didn’t step on it!
Gardeners come with different skill levels and it is great fun to be part of The Propagator’s Six On Saturday crowd, where we are all sharing, learning and always enjoying gardening. I really recommend you stop by and take a look.
n20gardener 
I think #5 is a sedum. Looks like Autumn Joy. I am delighted to know that I am not the only one who occasionally steps on precious plants.
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Autumn Joy seems to be the favourite and everyone seems much happier with Sedum than the hylo…. And it is unanimous that stepping on plants is a regular feature of gardening! So good to hear that 🙂
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I agree about Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’. I step on things quite a lot, so you are not alone!
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It’s been good to hear that I am not alone. Deep down I know that it’s just one of things but I was feeling rather clumsy at the time!
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The plants I’ve crushed into the ground…
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It has been good to hear that we do all do it. I’m feeling better!
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agreed… It’s a sedum (#5). You’re less lucky with vegetable than with flowers…maybe add some manure to your next year potatoes?
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I’ve been thinking about the veg patch. The previous owner was a veg grower and I think I assumed he kept up manuring but maybe in recent years he hadn’t – age. I did use a mulch and manure mix but I think more manure is needed. I have focused more on the flower side of the garden, as I cleared weeds I planted and now that it coming under control it is time to focus on the veg patch. I did give up trying to water everything so I’m not too surprised, I just have to move on and plan for next year.
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Not easy to focus on everything … you have to make choices. Otherwise a simple compost of decomposed leaves may be sufficient for vegetables if you don’t have manure.
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Is that the new Latin name for sedum? When I Google it, the images look like sedum to me, but also call it Ice Plant. As to your mishaps, doesn’t every gardener deadhead a full bloom, clip a tomato bunch, step on their favourite plant & get surprised by stuff coming up? I think the kicking ourselves is part of it, too. But that zinnia . . . wowser. Really. What a photo. I’ve got astrantia envy. Mine only bloomed once this year.
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Sedums are remarkably variable. Most have fleshy succulent leaves, like jelly bean plant and burrow’s tail. The sedum here happens to have broad and flat leaves that do not seem to be related, but they are.
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Another comment talked about it all being part of learning to forgive ourselves, and that is so true. Another one on the plus side for the benefits of gardening. I don’t know why I’ve got so many second bloomers this year but I’m not complaining!!
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Weird – that reply was meant for Lora – must have clicked the wrong box! But happy to share another thought with you!
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I’ve just realised how many of us have confessed our crimes here. Hope you’re not uncover for the plant version of neighbourhood watch. I can see myself being set upon by my woe-begotten chasmanthe aethiopica & moth-eaten kale, all brandishing whips made of nettle & bramble, chanting my many transgressions while gulls fly over, dropping odiferous bombs on my head! Stuff of nightmares.
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lol! It’s a good job those plants don’t gang up on us – or maybe they do in their own subtle ways!
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Another comment talked about it all being part of learning to forgive ourselves, and that is so true. Another one on the plus side for the benefits of gardening. I don’t know why I’ve got so many second bloomers this year but I’m not complaining!!
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Oops! Do you think you ought to put a small perimeter fence around the colchicum? Only teasing. I feel like I have killed more plants than I’ve grown this year, one way or another. It’s good practice in forgiving ourselves. The potatoes would be enough to make a potato and cheese omelette, with a few tomatoes or whatever you have thrown in too… that’s one of my favourites.
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I love your idea of potato and cheese omelette – one of my favourites, I was thinking of leek and potato soup but i’m now going for the omelette. You now I did think i should fence of the colchicum, I’m going to admire from a distance!
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It’s apparently not a Sedum anymore itmis a Hypotelhium…..that Zinnia is stunning…
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I hope you are not considering changing your name hylo…dahliasandhayfever just would not work!
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Don’t tell any of my clients, but I am forever stepping on/accidently snapping things! Love the colchicum and the sedum, oops hylo something or other.
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So good to hear that everyone has these days! I know it happens but I did seem to be having a terrible time. The colchicum was a wonder to me and made my day!
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No one needs to know about such mishaps. The potatoes look fine. We all have ‘off’ years, in which production is minimal. Many of us pick our pepper while still green. I would not have known that your was supposed to ripen first if you had not said so. We are supposed to enjoy gardening. That is more important than worrying about common mistakes and accidents.
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I was definitely having a moment! You are right enjoyment is the important thing and I did get over my accidents!
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Delightful post. These things happen, don’t they? 😊
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Its been good hear that things certainly do happen to all us!
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it makes me feel much better knowing that other gardeners do these things as well. I managed to cut down a whole early flowering Clematis just before it flowered this spring. The plants usually forgive us though. The Colchicum is beautiful. I’ve not tried growing them. Yet.
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It is good to hear other gardener’s ‘crimes’ you reminded me that I also snapped the lead stem of a new clematis armandii whilst trying to wrap it round the trellis. I convinced myself that it will now send out more side shoots! You are right, plants often forgive!
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Lovely photos and don’t worry, you’re not alone. I stepped on a newish plant today, I forgot to replant some foxgloves that I’d dug up and set to one side to get at a small tree I wanted to move, and actually managed to snap the small tree at the base when trying to jiggle it to see if I’d dug around the roots enough. The tree is no more. I killed a tree.
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I’ve just read through the comments for this post and we are in good company! I felt sorry for myself at the time but the the sun and the birds and all the other things that were growing well are much more important.
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My sarpo mira have been terrible this year,similar to yours. Very few spuds. A grave disappointment. I don’t think i watered mine enough .
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