flowers

Six On Saturday: Welcome rain

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I know correlation is not causation but I did order some new garden chairs last week and I planted out the summer pots. The rain has fallen every day since. It was much needed and I am celebrating full water barrels again. I was even able to plant out a few annuals but then I lost my hand fork in the borders. I don’t think you can be a gardener without losing hand tools, or secateurs, or balls of twine every once in a while. I’ve retraced my steps many times but I’ve not found it yet. Here’s six from the garden this week.

One

Here’s one I took earlier. The rambling rose ‘Wedding Day’. It runs along the fence at the rear side of the garden and gives a glorious display of small yellowish flowers that fade to white. It’s a sight to behold.

Two

A few years back the slugs demolished my large established clumps of delphiniums. I hoped they would miraculously reappear but there’s no sign of them. I’ve started again from seed and here’s the first to flower. So far no slug damage but then this is the perfect weather for the little darlings.

Three

Onto the rainy photos, this one is geranium psilostemon. It is overly generous with its seedlings and I dig them out ruthlessly but still I have plenty. The deep magenta with the black centre is very striking.

Four

Here you can see them appearing amongst the phlomis. The phlomis was planted to give good ground cover. It does but psilostemon finds a way.

Five

I failed miserably to spread out the clematis stems this year but they find their own way to wriggle through the roses. Here’s clematis ‘Madame Julia Correvon’.

Six

I like these white nigellas. They are self-seeded from last years ‘Persian Jewels’ sowing. I don’t remember any white ones from last year. Interesting how the petals are different to the blue one.

The weather will prevent gardening today, I will just mourn the lost hand fork and hope that it will re-appear in the coming weeks. I think I will be spending a great deal of Sunday dead-heading roses which have all gone over in the last week. I hope you manage to have a happy gardening weekend. If you have time, do stop by Garden Ruminations where Jim hosts the Six On Saturday meme.

Six On Saturday: Hot, dry but wonderful

/ n20gardener / 11 Comments

It has been so hot here. The garden is drying out and there have been emails from the water company asking for water saving to be a priority. There are annuals in trays that should be going out in to the garden but the ground is either like concrete or dust. Oh, woe is a gardener. But here are six good things.

One

The roses seem to be having a great time though. This is the view down the path with Sceptr’d Isle’ in the foreground and Blush Noisette behind. I didn’t get round to fully pruning ‘Blush Noisette’ back to the wall and was feeling bad about it. Now I am enjoying it’s exuberance and promising that I will do the job next year.

Two

This is the climbing rose ‘James Galway’, also having a great year and if I’m honest also needing a better prune next year.

Three

I’m delighted to say that the peonies are back again for their second year. They came with me in the move about ten years and promptly failed to appear again. But last year they re-appeared. They are of course in completely the wrong place as other things have been planted around them.

Four

This is geranium ‘Johnson’s Blue’, a firm favourite not least because it came as a division from an aunt’s garden many, many years ago. I’m planning some more divisions to spread them even further around the garden.

Five

Astrantia ‘Roma’, which also seems to cope well with the heat and dryness. There’s one lone aquilegia in amongst the crowd.

Six

The ‘Love-in-a mist’ has had a great year for self-seeding. This crowd has blown in to the veg plot. There were so many of them that I let them be, it’s a narrow plot that I sometimes use for carrots – I’m giving them a miss this year.

I’ve nearly caught up with the gardening jobs. A second sowing of courgettes has germinated speedily so all looks well there. I’m looking forward to cooler weather and perhaps some much needed rain next week. Dwarf beans, tomatoes and cucumbers are planted out and now must be kept watered. It’s time to enjoy a new month in the garden. Jim at Garden Ruminations has his open days coming up soon so stop by and see how things are progressing.

Six On Saturday: Roses all the way

/ n20gardener / 11 Comments

It’s six roses from me this week. Here they are:

One

Gertrude Jekyll. This was one of the first roses planted in the garden about 10 years ago. It never really seemed to get going, to fill out fully and give generous flowers but this year all that has changed. It’s looking great.

Two

Souvenir du Dr Jarmain, a climber. How I have put this one through it’s paces! First on a northish facing fence where it struggled. Then moved to a rose arch that collapsed within a year or two. Then taken off the arch and wrapped round a wigwam of bamboo canes. This year I decided that I couldn’t give it the space to climb in its current position and as I didn’t want to move it again I pruned it as a shrub rose. It has more flowers than it has ever had. I hope it’s happy enough to live a long and settled life.

Three

Scepter’d Isle. No problems here, a reliable performer ever year. A joy.

Four

Darcy Bussell. A beautiful colour but prone to black spot. I had three planted together for impact but maybe that encouraged the black spot. One was dug up, spent a year heeled in on the veggie beds and this year it went over to my daughter’s garden where after a severe prune it seems to be flourishing.

Five

Madame Isaac Pereire. I had two of these at opposite ends of the border but one gave up last year. Perhaps it suffered in the drought. It has a gorgeous fragrance. This is a French bourbon rose, a change from my usual English roses.

Six

Jacqueline du Pré. I usually show this one when it’s fully open, the circle of stamens in this single rose are quite perfect. But then so is the unfurling bud. Such a delicious colour too.

I’m still in the ‘so much to do phase’, still struggling with seeds – this time the courgettes have failed to germinate! Really? How can that be? I’m stumped. The cucumber seedlings have been wonderful at least. I’ll be cutting back tulips, and I still have some camassias to do. I have been spot watering anything that is drooping. The showers we had still didn’t result in full barrels and as this is a hot weekend I will almost certainly be resorting to the hose. Mustn’t complain, it is so lovely to see some sun and feel the warmth. Enjoy your gardening this weekend and do stop by Jim’s Garden Ruminations and Fred in France for a banana or two!

Six On Saturday: Rough winds

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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: 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

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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.