flowers

Six On Saturday: Moody hues

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My gardening week has been one of great inactivity. When I had the time it rained, when I needed to be elsewhere the sun shone. It was warm sun which was a positive. My SOS walk around the garden was an equal mixture of good and bad. Here we go with six for this week.

One

The front garden magnolia is in flower. It was pruned, rather beautifully, last September. Not by me, by someone who knew what they were doing. I applaud his vision. The flowers have survived two torrential downpours. Today they enjoy a little sunshine.

Two

In the back garden the unpruned clematis montana ‘Apple Blossom’ is in full spate – as are many of the local brooks. Beautiful flowers and scent to enjoy.

Three

There has been much publicity this week which aims to encourage us gardeners to develop an understanding of slugs. I try my best, I really do. Do I accept that it is me who has to adapt? I certainly can’t persuade the munchers to leave my thalia daffs alone! I have not even seen these in flower. Decision made, I won’t be planting any more of these. What can I find to take their place I wonder.

Four

Also subject to the slime attack are these snake’s head fritillaries. At least I have had a moment to enjoy them!

Five

The simple and delightful white anemone blanda. Quite joyful in the sun.

Six

In the week fellow SOSer Graham, shared a photo of tulip ‘World Friendship’. Here are mine, at least a week behind but with so much promise that my moody hues are lifting.

Last weekend I did start the weeding, this weekend I begin the annual task of pulling out tree seedlings. Those I didn’t fully pull out last year have a more established stem which helps me despatch them more efficiently. While I do these hum drum tasks I will be close enough to the action to see the exciting new growth coming through. The Spring equinox approaches and all will be well! Jim ruminates and hosts our merry band as usual. Many thanks Jim and happy gardening to you all.

Six On Saturday: Old friends

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There’s a window now for some editing of the garden. One or two things need dividing. Plants that were divided in autumn and potted on now need to be dropped into spaces and perennial old friends are re-appearing to welcome the newcomers into the borders. The usual suspects have self-seeded. Here they are primroses, verbena bonariensis, alchemillia mollis and euphorbia mellifera. This is all very encouraging, and encouraging me out in the garden again. Here’s six old friends for this week.

One

A few weeks back the clematis ‘Étoile Violette’ was cut back and as usual I took some cuttings from the new growth that had already come through. Usually these go into the greenhouse were the overwintering slugs or snails lock lasers on them and munch them to the ground. Finally, I have learnt my lesson and this year the cuttings were brought into the house and were nurtured on a windowsill. They have taken and I will be taking extra care of them until they are strong enough to go out into the big bad garden environment.

Two

Last Autumn a seedling of tellima grandiflora was teased out of the edge of the lawn and potted on. This is already looking ready to go out into the wide open spaces and, hoping I don’t jinx things, I would say these are slug resistant.

Three

The hylotelephium are putting out beautiful rosettes of new growth, this one is in the border and I have a small division taken in the autumn that is nearly ready to be planted on. I’m waiting for the roots to develop a little more.

Four

One of my regular old friends is the magenta phlox that came with the garden. The new growth is strong and it’s time to take down the old stems. I have divisions of white phlox in pots that need a home. There’s some colour scheme thought to be done.

Five

This is a relatively new friend, helleborus argutifolius or Corsican hellebore. I’m hoping they stay around as I really like them. I am thinking of dropping the white phlox in amongst them.

Six

The flowers on the rosemary are opening up and I have seen one or two bees in the garden on warmer days. These flowers will be a welcome attraction for them.

The lawn is having its first cut of the year today, blades on high. That always sharpens up the garden and will further encourage me to finish the cut back and tackle the weeds – bittercress and woodland geum are my top targets. For more gardening news I happily send you round to Jim’s place and I wish you all a pleasurable time in your garden spaces.

Six On Saturday: Garden happenings

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I’m not getting excited about Spring just yet. Meteorological Spring it may be but I’m going with astronomical Spring, when the sun moves up from the South, crosses the equator and shines some light on the North. And boy do we need it. I have potatoes chitting but I am waiting a few more weeks before the red onions go in, the soil is wet and cold. Yet, in spite of the continual rain, the garden creeps forward. Here’s six from the garden this week.

One

From the front garden, the best ever display of buds on the mahonia. I really must to pay attention to it when the buds open up.

Two

Last week Rosie Amber, fellow sixer, alerted me to the fact that forsythia was opening up and so too here.

Three

Bowed down by endless rain but having a go, a few cowslips have managed to not succumb to slugs.

Four

Also escaping for the moment are these white primulas, I like these and would love to see more of them.

Five

The area of the garden that was devastated by honey fungus will be interesting this year. Before I realised I had a honey fungus problem I replaced a large dying choisya with a viburnum plicatum f. tomentosum Mariesii. I hold my breath and wait to see if the fungus will insinuate itself around the viburnum. Such a shame if it does but for the moment these green leaves and early signs of flowers are treasured.

Six

Back to the front garden to finish on, the magnolia is in bud. I really hope the weather has turned a little drier by the time these buds open.

I have sown rocket seeds and taken the dahlias out of storage and potted them up. There are only a few tubers and they are quite small. Once again I state that I am not that mad about dahlias so this is my last throw of the dice with them. No more will be bought – I promise. Happy gardening and if it rains there is always Jim’s place to visit. A SOS haven.

Six On Saturday: February ends with a frost

/ n20gardener / 22 Comments

Cutting back in the borders continues when the weather allows and the heavy rain of this week did not allow for anything. This morning there was a crisp frost which the sun is now sending on its way. The perennials are pushing their way through and it will be interesting to see what has survived, at the moment I am a little nervous for the gaura lindheimeri. Maybe I should be growing these from seed as annuals. One to think about. Here’s six from this morning’s frosty survey of the garden.

One

The bronze foliage of last year’s epimedium leaves looking glossy after the frost. The green leaves of the new growth are coming through so the time is fast approaching for a cut back of the old growth before the flowers arrive.

Two

The first flowers on the clematis armandii have opened, the stems along the wall are packed with buds which will soon provide a wonderful display.

Three

There are no concerns for this penstemon, moved to this position last year and clearly flourishing. It seems hard to believe that all this growth will be cut back in April. I checked the RHS advice and see that they recommend a half way cut in the autumn, something I might consider for next year.

Four

The viburnum tree is underplanted with primulas and anemones which brighten up this corner of the garden. There is new growth on the aquilegias too.

Five

Tulips are popping up everywhere which presents a challenge when cutting back some of the perennials in the borders. These in pots, are protected by the wire cage from the squirrels who like to bury acorns here. There are three layers of tulips in the pot, the first time I have tried this method. It will be interesting to see how it turns out.

Six

I was too late too capture a frosted gem but here’s a euphorbia wulfenii to end on, gently warming up in some sunshine.

The seed potatoes should have arrived at my local allotment shop this weekend. I’ve been collecting egg boxes to chit them in so I’m raring to go. Sunday morning looks like being dry and I hope to be out in the garden doing one or two jobs but the borders are so wet that I will be limited to working from the paths. The grass could do with a cut but it is unlikely to be dry enough for that task. Jim poses an interesting question this week – how do we double or even triple up our growing spaces? Stop by Garden Ruminations for all the answers. Happy gardening SOSers.

Six On Saturday: Wilful nature

/ n20gardener / 18 Comments

I’ve been reading some Thomas Hardy of late and I was very much in sympathy with his portrayal of nature always throwing something unexpected at us poor humans. His wilful nature was solely the weather, mine is the weather, although rain is not so unexpected these days, weeds and slugs. It’s a gardener’s lot I suppose and as such acceptance must be learnt. Here’s my six for this week.

One

Now is the time for tête-à-tête daffodils, much loved here by me and the slugs. No sooner do they flower then out come the munchers. I am in despair!

Two

Crocuses – tommasinianus I think and possibly ‘Ruby Giant’. Did I make a note? Not that I can find and will they too be eaten, probably.

Three

The viburnum is flowering giving me some encouragement.

Four

A few weeks back I confessed that the bellis daisies bought as winter bedding had not been planted out. That job has been done now and bless them, the daisies have responded well to being released into a more generous growing space and have thrived after a few balmy days.

Five

Way back when we arrived at this house, coming up to eight years ago, I planted out symmetrically four euphorbia wulfenii. Each year one of them took a turn to die off. Only one of the original four survived but generously it seeds itself everywhere. I now have self seeded versions in six other corners of the garden. This one is doing superbly well in the path edge. What can I say?

Six

And sometimes you just have to laugh at yourself and nature’s designs on the garden. For a few weeks now I have been admiring, from the kitchen window, new growth in the pot of mint on the terrace. I’ve been out and about in the garden a few times lately but only today did I stop by the pot and look more closely. Yes, I have a flourishing crop of bittercress that is now flowering. I will have to be out there asap to rid myself of those beauties!

Nature is sending more rain this weekend but temperatures are rising and there have been some good gardening days so jobs must be done. I’m down to my last few grasses to cut back and ever the optimist I am dropping pot grown tête-à-têtes in to gaps in the borders. Raspberry canes have been cut back and blackcurrants pruned. My seed potatoes are not available until end of February but I do have sort out my seeds for the year. Jim, our host, shares his garden ruminations and hosts the links to other SOS posts. Enjoy the chat and the gardening!

Six On Saturday: Scraping the barrel

/ n20gardener / 23 Comments

I feel as though the garden is at its lowest, there is so little to show this week. Yet there is the sense of a turning point. New shoots are emerging and although patience is required before the results appear there is something happening out there. Those winter gardening jobs need to be progressed. Two storms came through this week and it seems that this is winter weather we must get used. Here’s six that survived the winds.

One

The snowdrops have emerged only to eaten by something – pigeons, slugs and snails? And so it begins again.

Two

Encouraging signs elsewhere improved the moment. Camassia shoots are coming through, but this only reminds me that I will have to step carefully when taking down the collapsing rose arch. I know I should have done it weeks ago!

Three

We had a very large tree taken down about a year ago and having had so many storms since I am very glad we did remove it. I have seen two trees in local front gardens that have collapsed in the high winds. One landing on a car and one just missing. Half the trunk of our tree was ground out and euphorbia robbiae seemed a good option for a dry inhospitable place. It’s doing well, of course.

Four

The primroses seem to have been in flower for several months now, happily supplying food to the chomping hordes!

Five

The cold weather has taken its toll on the lemon tree once again. Storm Jocelyn whipped of the protective fleece revealing a very sad picture. The lemon tree recovered from last winter and probably will do again but its not going to be a great addition to the garden and I think I can find something more suitable to conditions. Time to say farewell.

Six

The sarcococca confusa that was planted to replace three lost pittosporums have made a good deal of flowers in its first winter. There is a way to go before they fill the spaces but a start has been made.

I feel I have been a little harsh. There’s plenty of promise and plenty of work to be done. I can see Sunday will be a busy day – sunny intervals and a gently breeze sounds quite inviting. Happy gardening to you all and as always there is the invitation to Jim’s for his garden view and all the SOS links. 

Six On Saturday: Gardening, life and dahlias

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Sometimes life gets in the way of gardening. Of late, small things have derailed my good intentions and the weather has poured cold water on any free-time plans. Gardening life has also thrown in a nasty with the discovery of honey fungus. This insidious fungus has been creeping through the borders unknown and unchecked for some time. For two or three years now I have been wondering why the established choisya and two skimmias have paled and ailed. Hot summers and cold wet winters offered possible causes for their gradual demise but this Autumn the honey fungus put out some mushrooms on an old tree stump and all became clear. The fungus is now probably wrapping itself round the rhododendron roots and if that one succumbs there will be a large gap in the garden to fill. In the meantime removal of the tree stump and cultivation of the ground is the advice. The rhizomes don’t survive once the infected source is removed. I hope I am in time to save the rhododendron. Here’s six from the garden this week.

One

Let’s get straight to the dahlias. I do not have a good relationship with them. The slugs come between us and I curse both pest and plant. But I lifted the three remaining dahlias with the intention of trying them in pots next year. The ground was wet and I left the tubers in the shed to dry out before wrapping them up for the winter. Needless to say they were forgotten, they did not dry out and of course have rotted. I have salvaged what I hope will be salvageable and will ensure these are dry before wrapping them in newspaper for the winter.

Two

It’s that time of year when I roll out two old favourites. I always think of fellow SOSer Off the Edge when I include this one. It is not her favourite plant – cotoneaster horizantalis. But it puts on a good show, provides food for the birds and I have grown to enjoy it.

Three

The leaves have fallen and revealed the fruits on the persimmon tree once again. There were so many fallen fruits this year but still there are plenty to go round. I am expecting the parakeets to arrive soon.

Four

I have yet to plant out the winter bedding and with the first frozen bird bath of the winter I know I must get my skates on. The pellies are putting out the odd flower and the bacopa goes on and on. But I will sort these pots out this weekend.

Five

With the threat of cold nights I did make wrapping the agapanthus a priority. These are the evergreen versions. I invested in some good quality fleece a couple of years back and I have managed to get another year out of it. A successful purchase. The lemon tree, which has no greenhouse to go now, has also been wrapped. It was 0.3 degrees last night. I live in hope!

Six

The roses have been putting out new flowers every week only to have them balled up by the rain. Somehow these two from the climber ‘Tess of the D’Urbervilles’ have escaped and give a good deep red focal point on the collapsing rose arch. Here the light does not show the colour but I went for the drama of the silhouette!

It’s cold but dry and my gardening list is long: pots to sort out, tulips to be planted and still some cutting back of perennials to be completed. The leaves are piling up but I did manage to empty out last year’s leaf mould cage ready to start again for this winter. The season moves on and I have a few weeks more gardening to do before I can ease up. I hope everyone else is finding enough time to enjoy their green spaces. Today’s blue skies are cheering and it is about the right time for some winter cold!

Don’t forget to stop by at Garden Ruminations, where Jim host of this meme gently guides us through each week.

Six on Saturday: Thank goodness

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Storm Ciaran passed us by for which I am very grateful. There has, of course, been an almost continuous downpouring of rain but we did not catch the full force of the winds and I send heartfelt sympathy to those who were affected. Here the garden is sodden and the barest minimum of gardening has taken place. This has amounted to the odd dash out to push in a few more muscari armeniacum and allium ‘Purple Sensation’ into any space that looks promising. I have an empty border waiting patiently for some attention and I hope that Sunday might see a let up in the rain. I am very behind but here are six things from the garden this week.

One

Bulbs are very much on my mind at the moment. When the order arrived I had one of those ‘what was I thinking moments’. Where on earth am I going to find room for 60 tulips? It took a few days but then I remembered the plan is to plant up two large pots. I have time before these have to go in. The combination is ‘Finola’ a pink double, ‘Graceland’ a pinky white triumph, ‘Queen of Night’ the well known dark single and ‘Mount Tacoma’, which sounds very interesting : pinky green to start opening out to creamy white. I can’t wait.

Two

Now these are very late. They really should have gone in weeks ago. I’ll plant them as soon as I can and hope they don’t object.

Three

I’m also very late with these. I don’t buy yellow daffodils but every year my local garden centre offers a loyalty bonus of a free bag of daffodil bulbs. I usually pass them on to a friend but this year I am going to plant these up in pots … one day, when it stops raining.

Four

Picking up on the theme of filling in the gaps left by winter losses I have finally chosen the replacement for the pittosporum tobira ‘Nanum’. I was holding out for some low growing hebes but these are not much hardier that the pittosporum so I suddenly took a diversion at the aforementioned garden centre to their display of sarcococca and chose three s. hookeriana var. humilis, a dwarf variety that should eventually fill the space and reach a height of 60cm. Just about right I think and hardy.

Five

On another diversion, this time in the garden, I spotted the heuchera ‘Grape Timeless’, at least I think that’s the variety. It is soldiering on unmoved by the conditions. I have a plan to divide it but each year I chicken out for fear of losing it. I’ll leave it alone and look out for some new plants to join for next year.

Six

The leaves are beginning to turn and in the front garden the cotoneaster is looking quite glorious in the rain.

I can see the night-time temperatures dropping in the week ahead so I will have to bring the fleece out and wrap the tender agapanthuses and the lemon tree. The lemon tree has put on a tremendous amount of growth this year and it is all looking fresh and tender. Just the thing for a cold winter! I hope it pulls through again. Perhaps it will get used to spending its winters outside. My pathetic attempts to grow dahlias will continue in as much as I will lift the three I bought this year and try again with them next year but I have made a vow that I will be keeping: no more money to be spent on new ones!

Jim hosts Six On Saturday with his usual aplomb so stop by and meet up with the rest of the gang. I hope everyone suffering with the wet conditions gets a dry spell to sort things out. Happy gardening.

Six On Saturday: Don’t give up!

/ n20gardener / 22 Comments

I nearly gave up this week. The rain was so heavy this morning I didn’t think I would have the chance to take any photos and I only had one saved for this week. But there was a brief respite which gave the opportunity to take five more photos. I didn’t dither over what to choose as the next deluge threatened. Here they are.

One

The last of the apples were picked in the week and are being stored in boxes. The apples are wonderfully juicy.

Two

Trees. At this time of the year with the sun low in the sky it is quite late in the day before the garden brightens up. The trees make the garden shady but as the leaves turn they do put on a good show.

Three

About three weeks ago I took some root cuttings of the Japanese anemones and two of them have taken, Now I have the challenge of keeping them going over Winter.

Four

I suddenly realised that I do have some colour from flowers in the garden. The hesperantha, bowed down the rain but looking good.

Five

I have been waiting for a dry day to collect the seeds of the agapanthus. I’m still waiting.

Six

I think it was Hey Jude who warned that my epimedium in a planter might run riot. It has. It’s crowding out the ferns and a move will have to take place. When the rain stops!

It wasn’t so difficult after all. I doubt there will be any gardening this weekend, the soil is saturated and more rain is forecast. But all that I have to do can wait. My first batch of bulbs arrives next week and I have two new plants to fill in a few gaps. There’s something to look forward to. Check in with Jim, who reminds us that The Propagator founded this meme and that Jim is celebrating one year of taking on the hosting role. Congratulations and thank you Jim!

Six On Saturday: Hanging on to Summer

/ n20gardener / 23 Comments

It’s a long weekend in the UK, the last weekend of August, the last weekend of Summer. What a thought! Here the roses are pushing out their second wave of flowers and look fantastic. I have neglected to share photos of the veg plot produce but it’s safe to say the courgettes are producing well. The cucumbers are still going and the Charlotte new potatoes were delicious. Last week I was muttering that the birds do not eat enough slugs. I looked into this and it seems that pigeons are vegetarians and that I need a crowd of blackbirds or starlings in the garden. Unfortunately I think the magpies keep them away. But magpies, I believe, are carnivorous. However, they seem to be attracted more to the grubs in the lawn. Oh well. Here’s six from the garden this week.

One

We have been picking blackberries for a few weeks now and I have to say the taste has not been great this year. Perhaps too much rain and not enough sun.

Two

I don’t think I’ve ever posted this one before. Potentilla ‘Abbotswood’. I have a note that it was planted in 2019. It is in an inhospitable place in the front garden and has been slow to fill out. This year it is just beginning to beef up.

Three

Now these roses often get a look in. ‘Natasha Richardson’. They smell wonderful and are so generous with their flowering. Just perfect.

Four

The eurybia divaricata is in flower. It copes well with shade, so much so that I planted some self-seeders out in the shady dry corner of the front garden and they have survived the situation.

Five

I have roses to deadhead: Madame Isaac Pereire is a lovely colour with a wonderful scent but is in need of some tidying up today.

Six

Hurrah, another scented leaf pellie is in flower. Perhaps Summer can be extended for a few more weeks.

Just time for a quick update on the path project in the veg beds. A good discussion was had, the paths will be a mixture of Indian sandstone and clay pavers. In the newly paved area, there will be six beds of approx 1.2m x 2.8m. Which should be plenty for me. Now I have to be patient for my turn to come up for the work to start.

Don’t forget to stop by Jim’s garden for more Six On Saturday chat. Happy gardening everyone.