flowers

Six On Saturday: April flowers

/ n20gardener / 5 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: 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: Time to trowel up

/ n20gardener / 13 Comments

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

/ n20gardener / 18 Comments

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

/ n20gardener / 12 Comments

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: Gardening, not gardening

/ n20gardener / 14 Comments

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.

Six On Saturday: Thoughts from a dry garden

/ n20gardener / 10 Comments

Another month without any significant rain. I am on the last of the stored water from a brief downpour a few weeks back. The stored water goes to watering pots and the veg patch. I pinched out all the tomatoes at two trusses in an attempt to get those that had formed to plump up on stingy water rations. I usually get a second crop of dwarf beans but I see no flowers forming. The self-seeded rocket is managing without water but in the flower garden things are going over fast. I’m watering those plants new to the garden last year. I resisted buying new for this summer for which I give myself a pat on the back. Here’s six things that are coping with the dry conditions.

One

I give myself another pat on the back for staking and pinching out the one dahlia I have in the garden. It’s a cactus variety grown from seed a few years back. It’s not been watered which I think has limited the flowers but here’s one that has done well.

Two

The hollyhocks are just about managing in the drought, here’s a pink one that has spread itself about, even over the fence to my neighbour’s garden.

Three

These dazzling geranium psilostemon were cut back to the ground about three weeks ago and have re-flowered superbly.

Four

The ‘Hawkshead’ fuchsia is just opening out. It seems to be settling in well after looking half dead in February.

Five

The penstemons were also cut back after the first flowering and have also rewarded the attention with a second flush of flowers. I think this one is ‘Garnet’ which doesn’t appear on my plant list. An oversight I think.

Six

The white veronicastrum is just beginning to go over but has done well without additional watering.

There’s still no hose pipe ban here but I aim to manage without using mains water for as long as I can. I’m happy it’s going to be dry again this weekend as we have family here and we can sit outside and survey the parched garden. Frozen fruit is defrosting for another summer pudding, there are not quite enough raspberries from our garden so extra has been bought in. Here’s hoping your gardens are doing well and that there is time to enjoy them. Jim’s garden looks impressively colourful and he has posted a link to a video of it as visitors to his open days experience it. Worth taking a look I think.