six on saturday

Six On Saturday: Back to the gardening fold

/ n20gardener / 17 Comments

Having had a sprained ankle, a family function and other distractions going on for the last few weeks I feel I am finally gardening again. The season has shifted and there is plenty of garden-keeping to be done. I have ordered a few bulbs: I am pursuing my Spring idea to have pots of small but interesting narcissus to enjoy and I needed some Maureen tulips to infill a gap. Here’s my six from this morning’s walk.

One

The apples have been picked. We have six sack fulls to take off for juicing. Quite a haul, given the great number of windfalls we have had this year. I checked with our Juicers and they confirmed that apples with codling moth damage can be juiced. I’m sure we’ve always had some damage but this year it seemed to have affected more apples.

Two

I did find a new person to prune the apples and the plum but as yet he hasn’t been able to visit. The plum tree is far too large now and I am wondering how late in the season the necessary pruning can be done. We’ve been picking plums for several weeks but it might be time to call it quits.

Three

The rain has energised the garden, the grass is growing again and many plants are looking happier. Here the Corsican hellebores and a fatsia that have really developed a backbone again.

Four

The verbena bonariensis seeds prolifically, often leaning over the path or other plants. Here it seems to have found the perfect spot. It has remained upright and is looking especially good in the Autumn light.

Five

I’m sowing Autumn seeds. The echinacea ‘White Swan’ came good but I am on my second sowing of Orlaya and Gaura. Let’s hope they get going this time.

Six

I’ve also been shopping for my troublesome border. The hydrangeas went in earlier this year and are a dwarf variety called ‘Little White’ which should reach 60cms and I’m just about to fill in the gaps with hakonechloa macra.

Here’s hoping I’m back in the groove again! The walk round revealed plenty of slug damage to my new delphiniums and much that needs dead-heading. I’ve yet to pull up the tomato plants but that’s just about due. In a taste test on the cucumbers ‘Burpless’ were a clear winner over ‘Marketmore’. Plans for next year are being made. Wishing you all a happy Autumn in your gardening spaces. Jim’s Garden Ruminations is full of Autumn inspiration.

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: Careless gardening 2.0

/ n20gardener / 18 Comments

Life has a habit of getting in the way of gardening sometimes and so it has been the case this year. The drought has made matter worse as more time is needed for watering duties. I thought I was on top of the apple trees, thinning them out and religiously picking up the brown rot apples. But it was not so. Here’s my six from the garden this week.

One

The apples are much smaller this year but the number is plentiful and even though I had been thinning them I was clearly being too kind. This bough broke and the quantity of apples was immense. On today’s tour of the garden another broken branch was spotted. I have to get tougher.

Two

I’m growing marmande tomatoes this year and they are just ripening. There is always one tomato that does this. Fasciation I think. Does anyone else find this?

Three

The miscanthus ‘Silberfeder’ gets a photo to itself this week. After three years it has formed a sizeable clump and is providing a good distraction from the fence behind.

Four

The grapes on the vine are actually ripening this year. There is some splitting but not as much as in previous years. They have had no additional watering. The vine is grown to shade a pergola so any edible fruits that we do get will be a bonus.

Five

The scented leaf pelargonium ‘Capitatum’ was left outside last winter as the greenhouse was being replaced. As you can see, it survived and is doing very well.

Six

These are the apples from the fallen bough. Quite a lot as you can see and plenty of very small ones that I should have picked off. Live and learn.

Garden Ruminations is the place to go for all the SOS links and for Jim’s wise words. After another week of hot temperatures here I am looking forward to next week which will at least be cooler even if, once again, no rain is forecast.

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.

Six On Saturday: Changing times

/ n20gardener / 21 Comments

We are into August and I feel the Summer shifting towards the next season. I was quick off the mark with cutting back the geranium psilostemon and they have rewarded me with a new flurry of flowers. My goal for the coming week is to deal with the alchemilla mollis and the hebes. The first tomatoes have ripened which always makes me think of Autumn. I should be looking at bulb catalogues and sorting out an order of special daffodils for the pots but I haven’t quite settled to that yet. Here’s six things from my garden this week.

One

I am still waiting to see if my pots of thalictrum seedlings are purple or white. Here’s the white one that’s flowering in the garden. Thalictrum delavayi ‘Album’. It should grow to over a metre but it stays stubbornly at about 30 cms. Right plant, wrong place?

Two

And this is thalictrum delavayi in its purple form. This one has self-seeded generously and once settled it does grow tall. Here it is mixed with veronicastrum virginicum ‘Album’, miscanthus ‘Silberfeder’ and magenta phlox.

Three

I moved the pennisetum villosum to a sunnier spot last year and it does seem happier. It has been on the verge of disappearing from several years now. Let’s hope it can cling on through another winter.

Four

The Japanese anemone ‘September Charm’ are always the first in flower. This year they have been hit hard by the drought. Crispy stems and leaves, drooping flower buds looked terminal but there was a shower of rain and they perked up.

Five

The solidago golden rod was in the garden when I arrived. I thought I had driven it out but it reappeared last year and here it is again. It’s a tall version and does an excellent job of hiding the fence so it stays.

Six

Montbretia or crocosmia. I have always called them crocosmia but I think these are probably montbretia, which seems to be the name for the more invasive form. Inherited again and I did spend a great deal of time trying to dig them out as they never flowered. This year I have flowers. Who knows why?

I visited my daughter’s garden to see how things were. Taking down the old shed and fences proved easy but putting up the new fence was not a success. The ground was too hard to excavate deep enough post holes and various quantities of brick were found along the fence line suggesting that in amongst the undergrowth there might be a retaining wall. Work stopped and they are calling in the specialists. Fortunately they were able to secure the fence line. The garden is now piled high with the undergrowth that was cleared, a miscellany of items left in the old shed and splinters of wood. Bindweed is rampant and the lawn is brown. It’s not the green sanctuary that was envisaged and spirits were low. The green bin was refilled for another collection and a rose was planted. There is a glimmer of hope rising again.

I’m still longing for promised thunderstorms and downpours that mysteriously bypass the garden. I have plans for new planting which I am strongly resisting until September. Deadheading is the order of the day. That’s tomorrow’s work. Happy gardening to you all and if you have time stop by and see what Garden Ruminations has on offer.

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: The garden survives

/ n20gardener / 22 Comments

I’m back in the garden after a week on the Suffolk coast. The North Sea breezes kept things a little cooler there. Here it was hot and it is going to be hot over the weekend. My collection of things in pots growing on survived, the tomatoes were drooping a little but all in all a week’s neglect did not cause too much suffering. Here’s six from today’s cloudy garden.

One

It’s hydrangea time here. This striking blue one is a fascination to me. I inherited it as a white, possibly pinkish colour but over the years it has become very much blue, with the occasional purple head. The cloud has dimmed its colour a little.

Two

Also inherited, this one has been moved around the garden three or four times. It lives in a large pot now and is possibly getting a little too big for it. Maybe next year another move will be on the cards.

Three

The clematis ‘Etoile Violette’ opened up more while I was away. It scrambles away quite happily and needs very little attention. That’s what we like.

Four

Next door is a trachelospermum jasminoides or star jasmine. It scrambles too, but at a slower rate. Planted out in 2018, it has finally filled the allocated space, but even now there is still room to spread further.

Five

I’d almost forgotten what this is, I sowed seed last year and they just languished. I kept faith and overwintered three small stems which materialised into just one stem healthy enough to plant out this year. It’s antirrhinum majus ‘Chantilly Velvet. Quite lovely, more of them would be even better.

Six

My mad crazy hebe. This has also been moved around a few times and is now in it’s permanent home. It is fizzing out in all directions and is much loved by the bees. It’s about 6 feet tall and I sense that it could go higher. I dead head once the flowers fade but then it is left alone.

I was picking strawberries before I left and had a good crop. On my return the strawberry patch smelt gorgeous, mainly due to the number of over-ripe strawberries. But others were just about okay. Red currants and black currants were also picked but most of the summer fruiting raspberries were also over ripe. Sometimes the garden just gets away from me. I’ll be watering and dead heading roses this weekend. All the fruit will be used to make a summer pudding for a family lunch on Sunday. Wishing you all happy and productive gardening wherever you are. Jim, in Cornwall, hosts the SOS band as usual at Garden Ruminations.

Six On Saturday: Plants that do it by themselves

/ n20gardener / 12 Comments

There was much anticipation here on Friday. Thunderstorms and rain were forecast. Nothing significant materialised. I will have to water the potatoes today and check on the newly planted tomatoes and courgettes. A friend who is well ahead of me has her first courgette already. There may be no rain but some plants just get on with things. Here’s six from the garden this week.

One

Peony, I did bring peonies from the old garden but they didn’t seem to take. Then after eight years this one appeared. It’s in the wrong place surrounded by roses and veronicastrum but I’m not going to move it in case it takes to not flowering again.

Two

This is the garden path. Almost impassable with the sprawl of plants escaping from the borders. It’s full of bees humming through the flowers so at this time of year I take the long way round across the lawn.

Three

Self-seeders are the theme in the garden this week. These calendulas are plentiful at the veg end of the garden.

Four

This year they have been joined by self-seeded nigella love-in-a-mist. I’ve left it to edge a narrow strip where I have sown carrots.

Five

More self-seeding, mallows have come through from the compost heap which I tend to use for earthing up potatoes. I’ve let them stay at the end of one of the veg beds.

Six

My final self-seeder is alchemilla mollis. This is also happy overwintering as seed in the compost heap or self seeding in the borders.

Wishing you all well in your gardens. It’s dead-heading roses and weeding for me. Jim’s garden is open for viewing literally and digitally. Garden Ruminations is the place to be, even if I am envious of his rain.

Six On Saturday: Busy times

/ n20gardener / 14 Comments

It feels as though the garden is hurtling through it’s highlights this year. The white camassias, newly planted over the winter, were here one week and gone the next. I’ve managed to plant out strong seedlings of cosmos, cornflower, marigolds and poppies in the new new flowerbed but the phlox seedlings had barely any root system on them and have flopped and twisted. I should have added ‘not labelling’ plants to my list of careless gardening last week. These are a collection of self-seeders and candidates for relocation that I accumulated over the winter. Yes, it’s a Japanese anemone but is it the white or pink one? Thalictrum, yes but which variety? Geranium psilostemon or ‘Brookside’. Time will tell and spaces will be found. Here’s six for this week.

One

It has been a little wet this week, which has been a good thing. Here’s the rose ‘Souvenir du Docteur Jamain’ after a shower. It struggled as a climber on a shady fence. Now it is wrapped around a wigwam of canes in a sunnier spot and this year has finally agreed to get on with growing well. I should have invested in a fancy obelisk for it. I apologise.

Two

The common astrantia major with its lovely pink tinges. Does self-seed and I welcome it.

Three

I said I would come back to phlomis once it was in flower. Here it is. We call it the Martian plant because it is a little weird. There is some blue geranium ‘Brookside’ coming through between the phlomis and the red rose which sort of eases the colour clash.

Four

The penstemons are in flower now, I remember buying this white one last year from a pity bench. It’s done well. I can’t remember the name and it is not on my fallible plant list.

Five

Another generous self-seeder. Lychnis coronaria. Silver leaf and magenta flowers.

Six

I’ll finish on a rose – ‘Natasha Richardson’, seems to be a healthy rose that just flowers and flowers. Scented too.

I managed to plant out some of the tomatoes last weekend but there’s more to do. I’m moving perennials from a holding bed into the new flowerbed and then the tomatoes and cucumbers will have a home. Thunderstorms and rain are forecast for today and I only have the morning free tomorrow. Time rushes on. I hope you find enough time for a moment or two in the garden this weekend. I’m sure Jim will as he has NGS open days coming up. All the SOS links can be found on Jim’s Garden Ruminations.