flowers

Six On Saturday: Old favourites and a newcomer

/ n20gardener / 16 Comments

The garden is grappling with the conditions but is definitely beginning to put on a show. There has been no rain here for about three weeks and I’m out of stored water. I don’t think I’ve ever watered the garden using mains water this early in the year. The roses are opening but flowers seem smaller. The slugs are definitely out and about but they do not seem to be wreaking the same damage as last year. Here’s my six for this week.

One

First, I have a question. Do I have English bluebells in the garden? I spotted these as I was pulling out swathes of those annoying ones. I stopped just in time. Should they stay or should they go?

Two

These are pretty standard in most gardens at this time of year, purple alliums and in this case ‘Purple Sensation’. I like them for their strong colour.

Three

I also have the white allium ‘Mount Everest’. I have several clumps of them that seem to take it in turns to flower. Last year the slugs/snails stripped all the green of the stems. This year, so far so good.

Four

The climbing rose ‘Tess of the D’Urbervilles that was moved a couple of years back. It seems to have settled in and although it could do with a few more leaves in certain places it is flowering well.

Five

The variegated weigela is a reliable shrub that has been in the garden since the very beginning so about eight years now. The pink flowers work well with the leaf colouring. I do also have a hankering for my neighbour’s dark red one. I get a small glimpse of it over the fence. Borrowed gardening.

Six

The dicentra spectabilis has been in the garden for about three years now and is really becoming established. I love it’s whiteness in the surrounding greenery. There’s a white rose nearby that is just in flower and they do look good together.

There’s more bluebell pulling to be done and the in/out with the seedlings. Weeds galore but there are more and more flowers every day so there’s plenty to enjoy. I had a chuckle in the week as I started to organise the Alhambra photos, the yellow climber that I couldn’t put a name to is so obviously a rose, probably a multiflora one. I am ashamed to call myself a gardener! I blame the thornless stems. I hope you get to enjoy your garden space over the coming week. Jim, as usual, hosts the merry SOS band at his site Garden Ruminations.

Six On Saturday: Garden treasures from Spain

/ n20gardener / 17 Comments

I was away from SOS last week as I was travelling in Spain and yes the power outage did have some impact but fortunately the visit to the Alhambra in Granada was not affected. I came back to find my garden had exploded in to action. All those planting spaces that were so clear in March have now been elbowed out by new growth and I now wonder where I will squeeze in the seedlings currently in the greenhouse. I’m sharing from the Alhambra this week. It provoked some thoughts, in many ways it seemed so English to me. Box hedging, roses, irises, wisteria, pansies, alyssum, all so familiar but the use of water, the architecture and the air so heady with the scent of citrus flowers made it all so very different. Tightly clipped myrtle was used in many places where a crisp medium high hedge was required. It worked well. Here’s my six.

One

White wisteria creating a shaded walk at the start of the gardens of the Generalife.

Two

Further on, blue wisteria mixing with a yellow climber that I didn’t identify! Too early for mimosa I think.

Three

There where so many places where water played in the sunlight, I have to share two here.

Four

Here, both sides of a central water feature with a multitude of colourful plants.

Five

In contrast to the more formal planting contained inside edging there were also some loose meadow style borders.

Six

Finally, oranges. They were everywhere, lining the streets of Granada, in cloisters of monasteries and all around the Alhambra site. Wonderful.

I realise I haven’t shown the use of standard roses and the various underplanting ideas or anything from the Los Jardines del Partal with it’s beautiful reflecting ponds. There’s just too much!

In my garden the roses are just beginning to pop. The alliums are out and the later tulips are going well. My plan for the weekend is tidying up the stems of the tulips that have finished and sowing some French beans and courgette seeds. Nothing too energetic here but there will probably be some bindweed digging in my daughter’s garden, it is of course loving the warmth. Jim, our host will be ruminating in a most informative manner and there are the other SOS links to enjoy. Have a great gardening weekend.

Six On Saturday: More delights

/ n20gardener / 23 Comments

It’s a holiday weekend here and I have managed to keep two extra days for gardening! In reality this means two days of weeding, mostly. I can sometimes understand the non-gardener’s take on things. I do also have some seedlings and divisions to pot on. It’s not all bad. Here’s six good things from the garden this week.

One

The first camassias are out. They opened up last weekend which seems rather early but they are coinciding nicely with the euphorbia.

Two

There are more tulips to enjoy, these are at the shadier end of the garden and are a mixture of ‘Shirley’, ‘Barcelona’ and ‘Queen of Night’.

Three

The iberis is in full flow, cascading down a wall and there are one or two ‘Thalia’ narcissus in the background.

Four

I have my first asparagus spear, several of the later ones have been nibbled by the darling ones.

Five

The forget-me-nots have flooded the veg plot this year. I’ll have to been pretty quick to pull those up before they go to seed but for the moment they are a cheerful sight.

Six

I have one lone tulip ‘Cairo’ of about twenty I planted a couple of years back. It’s a lovely colour and I am tempted to add some more. I just have to accept that they don’t always stick around.

So it’s weeding and watering the pots for me. We had one good shower but that’s all and only light showers are forecast. I had a rest from my daughter’s gardening – avoiding the dismantling of the tree house but I did see that a mystery tree there is now in leaf and flower and is clearly a laburnum. Not one of my favourites but as I keep saying, it’s not my garden!

I’ll will be stopping by Jim’s garden this weekend to see what’s going on there and with the other SOS gardens. Wishing everyone a happy time in their gardening spaces.

Six On Saturday: Lift off

/ n20gardener / 17 Comments

Some sunshine has really helped things along and all those empty spaces are beginning to disappear. I do now need a little bit of rain and the forecast of light showers will probably not suffice. But let’s enjoy what is shining through.

One

Plum blossom. Not much more to say really except that here I must give a shout out to Tony Tomeo who suggested Purple Leafed Plum for the tree in my daughter’s garden. He is right, it’s in blossom now and the bees are absolutely loving it. Our tree produces edible plums, my daughter’s is more ornamental.

Two

The first iris has unfurled. I divided these last year and the replanted sections are doing well here, but less well further up the garden. It’s a mystery as to why, but that’s gardening for you.

Three

These are pretty little flowers but there’s more leaf than flower. Ipheion uniflorum, or spring starflower. They can stay but I’m not overwhelmed!

Four

This is a favourite tulip of mine, Shirley. I planted a lovely mix of them with three other tulip varieties when I first moved to this garden, they have almost all disappeared now but an odd one pops up here and there.

Five

Apple blossom. Suddenly the garden looks bountiful again.

Six

The tree house from my daughter’s garden. It gets it’s marching orders next week. A substantial building, I’m sure it will be fun to dismantle. That’s one job I’m not volunteering for. This week it was decided that the Broom in front of the Purple Leafed Plum would have to go – even before it had flowered. Its removal did give the tree centre stage and it does look so much better.

On the seed growing front, it’s the usual mixture of success and non-starters. I keep my fingers crossed that some of the tardier seeds will catch up. The currants have been netted which is a big tick for a job done. Of course there’s weeding to do and tree seedlings to be battled against but all in all there’s a wave of positivity. Tune in to Jim’s Garden Ruminations to share in his garden and those of the other SOSers that post their links for us all to enjoy. Happy gardening to all.

Six On Saturday: First tulips

/ n20gardener / 10 Comments

Top amongst the exciting signs of new life are the first of the tulips. They are my favourite bulb plant, I forgive them for not always coming back, having a particular fondness for those that do. There are other encouraging signs: the dead looking ‘Hawksmoor’ fuchsia has the very first new leaves opening along the dead stems. More seeds have been sown and I have made a start of cutting back the hydrangeas. Here’s my six for the week.

One

Always the first tulip to open in this garden. The cheerful yellow of ‘World Friendship’ This one has been around for three or four years.

Two

In the east facing corner, this is…now which one is it. I think ‘Negrita’ but if not then it’s ‘Ronaldo’. I think Ronaldo is deeper in colour and later to flower.

Three

These are ‘Purissima’. they go completely mad in the sunshine, opening up to show off a yellow inside. They are planted to flower along with the hellebores and fritillaries. They have managed to coincide well this year.

Four

At a lower level, the muscari have opened up and after a couple of years in the garden are filling out well.

Five

I have to include this erythronium ‘White Beauty’ before it has fully opened. Mainly because it is so perfect but also because by next week the slugs may well have found it.

Six

I’ve include a photo from my daughter’s garden this week. The tree, so far unidentified, has some very close neighbours. Immediately in front is a broom and intertwined between the two is some other unknown shrub. Time will tell. The trailing wire in the background is electricity for a tree house! It’s time is nearly up.

Another afternoon was spent in my daughter’s garden, the feared bamboo-spread into the lawn seems to be a false alarm. But the culprit is a very wide leaved, fast growing grass. I’ve no idea what it is. That was strimmed again. Elsewhere bindweed was found and there is nothing like an afternoon spent digging out bindweed to wake up the gardening muscles. Fortunately there is not much in the borders to get in the way of the digging. Next week I must include a photo of the tree house before it is dismantled! There’s plenty going on in SOS host Jim’s garden, stop by and take a look. Happy gardening everyone.

Six On Saturday: Miniature tulips and daffodils

/ n20gardener / 16 Comments

I had a few days away this week in Sussex where the primroses and daffodils were plentiful. Also in flower were the magnolias and leucojums. But I was smitten by several displays of delightful low growing tulips and daffodils. I’m forsaking my garden this week to share these dainty delights instead.

One

The first is the tulip ‘Hilde’, here in a mixed display.

Two

Next, in a pot of its own tulip turkistanica.

Three

Onto the narcissi. This one is ‘Snipe’, quite a familiar one, but not I think to be confused with ‘Jack Snipe’ which seems altogether different.

Four

This is one of the hoop narcissi, ‘White Petticoat’.

Five

Here’s a mixed display with ‘Toto’ at the front and the yellow on the left is narcissus cordubensis, not one I’m familiar with at all but it is truly delightful.

Six

Lastly, ‘April Tears’ which is the narcissus to the right of the pot in photo five.

I’ve made a shopping list and I will be planting out the purchases out in pots to be stylishly dotted around for next Spring’s display. I’m a itching with impatience!

I hope you’ve enjoyed the deviation from the rules. I’ll be back to my garden next week. In the meantime, visit the other SOS gardens via the links at Jim’s Garden Ruminations. Happy gardening.

Six On Saturday: Things to come

/ n20gardener / 19 Comments

It’s been a cold week but night time temperatures look to be on the rise for next week. I may try to sow a few seeds. I’ve been cutting back the brown stuff, admiring the ability of weeds to keep on coming at me and the patch on the lawn for a new flower bed has had the turf stripped. It is very dense with the old fig tree roots but I’m hoping a few annuals will find a home there. There’s much on the way in the garden but not much in flower, but six must be offered each week and here they are.

One

There’s always a cry to sow a few early carrots and over the years I have tried: buying early varieties, warming up the soil by covering it with cloches, waiting until the weeds start growing before sowing but it never comes to anything. Last year I didn’t sow until the end of May. This year I have been tempted to sow a few seeds in a deep pot in the unheated greenhouse. I have germination so I am intrigued to see how they will progress. I will update regularly.

Two

So very nearly, almost there. The first flowers on the clematis armandii ‘Apple Blossom’ have been spotted. This is mine but it sprawls wonderfully over to my neighbour’s side where it is much appreciated. I think it does better there!

Three

I have climbing hydrangeas growing up a fence on the North side of the garden. A few weeks ago the soil here was frozen but the hydrangea buds are now opening. They have taken a few years to establish but I think it is looking good for this year.

Four

An East facing corner of the garden is home to tulips, aquilegia, phlox, geums and hardy geraniums. They are all putting on good growth and although it will be a while before the flower explosion takes place it is very encouraging to see everything reappear.

Five

I’ve been to the garden centre for compost and of course their tempting displays of spring bulbs in pots called to me. I bought a trio of pots of snakeshead fritillaries to plant along side the hellebores. I couldn’t bring myself to plant them out last weekend as there was evidence of slugs and snails. That hasn’t changed but the plants are a little taller now and the flowers have formed. It’s time to be brave.

Six

Lastly, three pots of hydrangea macrophylla ‘Little White’ that I’ve had since Autumn. These are destined for the North facing border. It’s a dwarf variety that grows to approx 60cms. They are replacing the pittosporum that were lost over the winter of 2023. This whole border needs an edit so they’ll be in their pots for a few weeks more.

The compost heap was filling up with the March cut back material and so some turning was required. Gently does it as the toads over-winter there and I was pleased to spot one very fat one. There were plenty of worms too. No doubt there will also be a crop of interesting seeds which will reveal themselves once the finished compost in the last bin is used. There were no visits to the Daughter’s New Garden this week. I don’t think I’ll be back there until April by which there could be much more in evidence. Hopefully it will include a new lawnmower! Recommendations for small lithium battery lawn mowers gratefully received.

Wishing you a happy gardening week and hoping that a visit to Jim’s Garden can be fitted in as well.

Six On Saturday: Gardens are getting going

/ n20gardener / 23 Comments

I was unexpectedly absent from last week’s SOS gathering. The non-gardener became fixated on problem solving and it was a problem that needed to be solved. It was. The non-gardener has also been helping out at our daughter’s new garden. Which is much appreciated by everyone. In the meantime what has been happening in this garden? Here’s six from the garden this week.

One

First the problem that had to be fixed. The new water butt had filled up very nicely but it was not willing to let go of its contents. A blockage in the tap was suggested with the helpful advice to stick a skewer up it and wiggle it around. Of course this was not the solution. The non-gardener decided that the butt had to be emptied. In the absence of a long enough extension lead to enable use of the pump a syphon was set up and the water drained off into watering cans and onwards to a water storage tank. As you can imagine this took some time and last week’s SOS faded out of sight. Once the butt was emptied it became clear that the hole for the exit point to the tap had not been drilled. We have now drilled it ourselves and there is an offer of some form of compensation coming from the supplier.

Two

Even though there has been a welcome increase in sunshine hours and warmth the garden hasn’t moved on much in two weeks. These ‘Tête-à-tête’ daffodils in the border have opened up though, and the slimy ones are out in force to feast on the flowers. Groundhog day, I think.

Three

The winter pots filled with violas have continued to be cheerful, this pot has done incredibly well.

Four

New growth is appearing and it is always lovely see the new leaves of aquilegia.

Five

I was also struck by the freshness of the leaves on hardy geraniums which are filling out nicely

Six

The primroses are having a great time self-seeding around the garden and I am very happy to see them here in a very shallow soil topped with gravel that runs along side a raised bed. I have sprinkled seeds of many an annual here but the primroses arrived under their own steam. The best way!

I am thinking that this weekly post may become a tale of two gardens. We have now made three visits to The New Garden. Brambles and ivy still abound, what a job that is. This week the non-gardener strimmed the lawn and I managed to plant some hardy geraniums in a small part of the border that had been reclaimed. One of the dead climbers has sprung into life but there isn’t a suitable place to plant it yet. The New Garden is in need of some proper garden clearance, watch this space and I will include a picture. In this garden I have been racing to complete the rose pruning and I have actually sown a few seeds. Coriander inside on a window sill which has germinated and in the new greenhouse, a small tray of half hardy annual phlox seeds that came free with a well known magazine!

I have some replies and some reading to catch up with and some weeding to do. The forecast is good and I will be grateful for my relatively sane and sensible life! Jim’s blog must be visited and good wishes are sent to all gardeners wherever they are.

Six On Saturday: Crocus time

/ n20gardener / 20 Comments

There’s a certain energy beginning to build. Goldfinches have started to come to the bird feeder and this morning a Great Tit was singing it’s heart out in the nearby hornbeam tree. A little warmth towards the end of the week encouraged a few more spring flowers. It’s all very inspiring. Here’s six from the garden this week.

One

I have a habit of buying a bag of bulbs from market stalls. The bulbs are always named varieties and I fully intend to remember which ones I have planted where. Last year I bought a bag of Jeanne d’Arc crocuses and planted them here. Perhaps I didn’t, perhaps I planted them somewhere else, perhaps they were not Jeanne d’Arc at all. But this is what has grown. Lovely but clearly not Jeanne d’Arc.

Two

I’m pretty sure these are Ruby Giant, a tommasinianus variety. Quite happy with these.

Three

I love these dark purple ones. I have no idea what they are!

Four

That little bit of extra warmth persuaded the ‘Tête-à-tête’ daffodils in pots to open. These are going to be dropped into the borders when I see where the gaps are.

Five

I love the white primroses that sometimes pop up in the garden. This delight has been battered by life but still looks lovely.

Six

Lastly an evergreen filler from the front garden. The silver edge to leaves looked particularly wonderful today. Its a brachyglottis, could it be Silver Wave?

I’ve had my first gardening visit to my daughter’s new garden. Priority number one was to start on the brambles that are invading it from a neighbouring garden. Of course, a thankless task. But a start had to be made. I discovered four pots of climbing plants that looked newly bought. I think the previous owner’s health took a turn for the worse and a new project couldn’t be completed. Sadly I think they are all dead. But maybe they are just dormant. I will update as the seasons progress. Jim as ever, hosts the SOS meme at Garden Ruminations and all the other SOSers gather there for a weekly catch-up. Stop by, join in, all welcome.

Six On Saturday: At the Winter solstice

/ n20gardener / 18 Comments

The turning point has arrived. I’m ready to welcome in the ever-lengthening days and the garden is with me. There are new buds on the magnolia, the climbing hydrangea and there are flower buds forming on the mahonia. It is the time to celebrate seed heads and berries and the garden here does offer up some goodies – just a few. Here’s my six for this week.

One

I have been meaning to share the cotoneaster horizontalis for some weeks now and as you can see I should have done it sooner. The positive thing is that the birds have been enjoying the berries.

Two

Of course there must be holly at Christmas time. No berries here!

Three

For seed heads, I can offer the lovely whorls of the phlomis.

Four

And here the remains of the flower heads on the hibiscus syriacus ‘Red Heart’.

Five

The flowers on the viburnum are just beginning to open.

Six

Lastly, the lime green flowers of some hellebores. These are meant to be ‘Pretty Ellen’ but I have very strong doubts.

This is my last post until the New Year. I wish everyone peace and joy, a good gardening year to come and I look forward to catching up with you all in 2025. Many thanks to Jim at Garden Ruminations for continuing to host our SOS gatherings.