Month: July 2025

Six On Saturday: Mainly from seed

/ n20gardener / 13 Comments

It’s been a busy week here and so today was the first good walk round the garden since last Saturday. Funnily enough the same weeds are still there and in spite of a downpour that filled the water butts the garden is still showing signs of drought. Most of the stored water goes to watering the veg patch which is in great need of it. Here’s my six for this week.

One

Last week I was enjoying hydrangea paniculata from other SOS gardens and wondering why my weren’t in flower. Here they are. They were probably in flower last week, I just hadn’t looked in that corner. This variety is ‘Limelight’, it grows in quite a shady place.

Two

I have been editing out the self-seeders of alchemilla mollis, good old VB, and g. psilostemon but I’ll always keep any antirrhinum. Could this one be ‘Chantilly Lace’? These have popped up in three different places since they were sown about three years ago.

Three

Hollyhocks also self seed happily, this one has placed itself in the middle of the rose ‘Scepter’d Isle’. Nature knows best.

Four

Also started from a packet of seeds some time ago. These rudbeckia come back into the garden via the compost bin. They had a quiet spell last year but once the seedlings appeared on the veg patch they were re-located into the flower garden.

Five

Cosmos of course, from this year’s sowing. Last year’s attempts went to the snails and slugs. The dry weather has some advantages.

Six

Cucumbers are having a good time too. I usually grow ‘Burpless’. This year I added in some ‘Marketmore’ They are doing very well and I may switch my allegiance.

It’s dry again this weekend. Good news for my daughter’s garden as they are tackling the ivy clad collapsing fencing today. New fence panels, posts and concrete have been delivered and work is underway. I might venture over next week to see the results. Wishing you all productive gardening this weekend and don’t forget to stop by Garden Ruminations for all the news from Jim and other SOSers.

Six On Saturday: Magic water

/ n20gardener / 11 Comments

I have been fearful of going into the garden of late. Wilting courgettes and parched tomatoes greeted my every appearance. The flower garden drooped and the lawn is brown and crispy. Today we finally have a good downpour of rain which will hopefully last for most of the day. Stored water is replenished and the good soak will help the garden revive. Here’s six from the garden this week.

One

The agapanthus are getting into full swing. These are ‘Midnight Blue’, a slightly darker version. I think they are a little darker than the camera captures them here.

Two

In comparison, I have several clumps of an unknown variety. These came from the old garden nine years ago now and have been faithfully appearing every year since. I’m hoping there’s no agapanthus gall midge to worry about for a few more years.

Three

The hollyhocks are a good example of a plant that is growing shorter and with smaller flowers this year. Perhaps the magic water will give them a surge of growth.

Four

On the other hand the leucanthemum superbum are having a riotous time. They have probably grown taller than any year since they were grown from seed some eight years ago. Much loved by hoverflies and apart from the need for vigilant staking they are trouble free.

Five

These white phlox also came from the old garden and have been moved around this garden a few times. They have done particularly well in this sunnier spot and have not suffered as much from the drought as my magenta phlox.

Six

The hibiscus ‘Red Heart’ was planted a couple of years back to replace a box that had succumbed to blight and caterpillars. The box was a blob that I inherited. This is a far more interesting plant to fill the space.

Oh dear, there seems to be a lull in the downpour. I hope there is more to come. I do have beans and raspberries to pick so a little break in the rain can be welcomed. The first courgettes are coming through and the potatoes continue to supply in reasonable quantity. It’s a quieter weekend for me so I plan to read more SOS posts and catch up with the gardening world from Jim’s Garden Ruminations website. Happy gardening to you all.

Six On Saturday: Broken promises

/ n20gardener / 17 Comments

The powers that be will say they were forecasts not promises. Whatever they were they did not materialise and the garden remains in desperate need of rain. I haven’t watered the potatoes, hoping that there was enough rain in the early growing stage to get me through to a crop. It’s not been too bad, smaller in size but the good taste compensates. The flower garden is truly suffering and as today’s promised rain faded away I took to watering the collapsing plants. Getting up close makes it clear how the self-seeders are showing their thuggish nature. There is some work to be done. I’m on a promise for a thunderstorm tomorrow. In the meantime here’s six from the garden this week.

One

The first three are annuals sown to fill the space left by the fig tree. The roots of the fig may be shallow but they are tenacious and it was all I could do to carve out some planting holes for the seedlings. The first is a pink poppy, from seed supplied by fellow SOSer Fred. They are about six inches high – lack of water I’m sure.

Two

The French marigold ‘Carmen’ seems to coping a little better with the conditions and fills the corner quite well..

Three

Cornflowers. I shared half with my daughter and now I’m wishing I’d kept them all! I’m sure they are looking good in her garden too, which I’ve not visited for a few weeks now.

Four

Here’s an unknown clematis. This was struggling early on and so I tried to give this a weekly watering can full. It’s showing positive results. It needed to re-establish after being messed about by the removal of a rose arch and rose.

Five

The drum stick alliums benefit from getting the water I empty out from the bottom of the water butt. It seems to have helped and the bees truly appreciate them.

Six

Apples. How will they fare I wonder. I’ve picked up the last of the June drop, I hope. Will the sunshine make for tastier apples? I must be patient.

I’ll make the most of today’s cooler temperatures to cut back geraniums and clear the strawberry patch of all the over ripe fruit. There’s plenty of rose bay willow herb to be pulled up as I go. I have the agapanthus to look forward to, they are just about to open up. It must be July. Jim’s garden awaits the curious, always something different as well as links to other SOS gardens. I hope that those who need rain do get some soon and those that have too much do not suffer. Happy gardening.