#ivy

Six On Saturday: These ever shorter days

/ n20gardener / 18 Comments

I’m feeling the gloom of a dull December. The garden is so wet that nothing can be done. Mild weather continues but with it comes the rain and so the lawn is still squelchy and the borders cannot be cleared of weeds. Finding six things is always interesting at this time of year but there were some pleasant surprises.

One

There was a brief respite from the rain and the ivy to decorate the house was quickly collected and brought inside. It’s used to hang elegantly around pictures and to wrap around the stairs. There’s plenty to choose from!

Two

The ferns are dying back, at this stage they provide a rusty brown contrast to the remaining greens in the garden. I inherited these but I think they are dryopteris filix mas.

Three

This is possibly my new favourite rose, so I share it with you again. It still looks spindly and I am hoping that this summer will see it really settle in. In the meantime it does put out the most beautifully coloured flowers. ‘Lady of Shallot’.

Four

I lost a euphorbia mellifera over the last winter but miraculously another one self seeded. It’s looking so full of optimism at the moment. Harsh weather may change that.

Five

There is another new flower bud on the climbing rose that I moved this year. This is ‘Tess of the D’Urbervilles’.

Six

Appropriately for this time of year the helleborus argutifolius is opening up its flower buds. Also known as the holly leaved hellebore it makes a good companion to the ivy.

I’m still confessing to not having planted tulip bulbs. Perhaps next week. I’ll be here for a last SOS before Christmas. Until then, join us over at Jim’s place for the weekly get together and have a good time enjoying some green spaces in this dull December. Better still, take a look at the SOSs from the Southern Hemisphere!

Six On Saturday: On the move

/ n20gardener / 14 Comments

I’ve been directing my attention elsewhere for the last two weeks but Six On Saturday persuaded me outside again where I found that the garden was rising up! We have a week of cold weather forecast after months of storms and rain. I am looking forward to change. Here’s the six things I spotted this week.

One

I was very taken with some helleborus argutifolius or holly-leaved hellebore that I saw in a garden some time last year and three were promptly added this garden. Hardy to H5 and preferring some shade they seemed the perfect choice. It’s year one and they are flowering. That’s a tick, now they have to survive black spot and the honey fungus that also likes this corner. 

Two

A walk round the garden always reveals jobs to done, here the ivy covering a low wall has reached the lawn. I’m grateful for the coverage of a pretty shabby wall but it is time to get the shears out.

Three

More hellebores are putting out buds, ‘Pretty Ellen’ red. These are in quite a sheltered spot between the shed and a water butt, often overlooked but at this time of the year they do shout out for some attention. 

Four

I’m sure all this rain is not ideal for euphorbia wulfenii but so far they are battling on. There are several self-seeders and the more established ones are putting out new growth.

Five

I don’t cut back the grasses until February but I noticed that the melica is already putting up new growth. I’ll leave it for a few more weeks and will probably regret that decision. In the meantime over Christmas I snipped few stems of miscanthus sinensis ‘Silberfeder’ and calamagrostis ‘Karl Foerster’ to add to some gold sprayed allium heads, hylotelephiums, a stem of veronicastrum ‘Fascination’ and a few fake red berries. The decorations will come down this weekend but these can stay a while longer.

Six

Wow, you may be thinking but rest assured this is not my garden. A walk in a local country park showed the extent of storm damage elsewhere. So many trees down and the ground saturated. After having lost a greenhouse last year I was very relieved that we have had no damage, so far, this winter. I do hope no one else has suffered with damage or flooding. 

That’s the first six of the year delivered, Jim will have the links to more and of course his own choices for the week. Maybe this is the year to take part, Jim has the guidelines for joining in. Happy gardening until next week. And Happy New Year to you all.

Six On Saturday: End of term!

/ n20gardener / 16 Comments

It may be difficult to find six things worth sharing in the garden over the winter months but taking a stroll around each weekend does reveal some interesting things. The weather has kept me out of the garden for most of the week but today as I peered and poked around I discovered that the darling squirrels have been rooting around in the pots. I’ve back filled their holes and hope that no damage has been done to the plants. This is my last SOS for the Christmas and New Year period so I will send you all very best wishes for the holiday season. Here’s the six things I did find.

One

I’ve borrowed this one from my neighbour. The red berries being too seasonal to be resisted. My phone sometimes obliges with a plant identification but nothing was on offer this time. I have no idea, it is a small tree if that helps.

Two

I usually bring in plenty of ivy and other foliage to make a garland for the stairs but this year I have gone very minimalist and used allium seedheads sprayed gold and combined them with some other bits and pieces and a string of snowy pine cone lights. There’ll be less to clear up come the New Year!

Three

Other foliage sometimes includes sage and rosemary. These always look good in the garden at this time of year and they will feature in the Christmas cooking.

Four

The plant identifier did have a suggestion for this one and told me it was cyclamen persicum, the florist’s cyclamen. I thought I’d planted c.hedifolium here. Is it easy to tell the difference? I thought c. persicum was not hardy and these have been in the ground for several winters. All thoughts welcome.

Five

The ivy in the garden is bearing berries now and these are great for adding interest to wreaths and garlands but this year I have left them for the birds.

Six

Lastly some cheery red from the stems of cornus alba ‘Sibirica’. I planted this in 2021 and it is making slow but steady progress. I am slightly worried for it though as it is planted in the border that has (had?) honey fungus. So far it doesn’t seem to have been affected although the RHS indicates that it may be susceptible. I wish it well.

Don’t forget to check in with Jim for more SOS posts. Jim is going all the way through with two more posts before the year end, I feel like a school truant! See you all in 2024!

Six On Saturday: Last of the year

/ n20gardener / 9 Comments

Mildness abounds except a local bout of fuming that took place yesterday afternoon. The Christmas tree proved reluctant to take its proper place in the tree stand and it was only after some hard work with the loppers and a saw that we were able to reach a satisfactory conclusion. The tree is about a foot shorter now but it is standing upright. Mildness restored, although the week ahead looks chillier. This is the last six from me for two weeks as Christmas and the New Year roll in.

One

The tree is bought from a local nursery and I couldn’t leave without a quick look round at their stock. I have not been imaginative with the winter planting for the containers so these bellis found their way to the cash desk in some attempt to liven up the pots.

Two

Hellebore and snowdrop season approaches and I was also tempted by, thanks to a SOS from Hortus Bailey, a small pot of ‘Christmas Carol’. Little by little the collection grows.

Three

I have seen so many tweets of cotoneaster this year. It seems to have been a great year for the leaf colour and the berries have stayed around for longer. This is a horizontalis, and over the years I have come to appreciate its contribution to the winter front garden.

Four

Pruning the roses continues and sometimes includes the cutting back of flowering stems. This is a miniature version of ‘Darcey Bussell’.

Five

As I now have several branches of Christmas tree going spare, I will be foraging in the garden again. This time I will be putting together some kind of garland for the bannisters. I have some kitsch fir cone lights and a slightly tatty length of fake berries. I’m hoping wonders can be created with the addition of ivy from the fences. If in doubt add more!

Six

I hope this rather unappealing collection of leaves holds much promise. The last veg standing on the veg plot is always the parsnips. Next week I shall be digging them up in the hope that there is enough for our Christmas lunch. If I’m lucky there may even be some left for a curried parsnip soup.

Wishing you all Happy Christmas, Happy Holidays and above all a Healthy New Year. Thanks to The Propagator for creating this meme and thanks to everyone who takes part and shares their love of gardening. See you all again in 2022.

Six On Saturday: Something old, something borrowed, something blue

/ n20gardener / 8 Comments

The bulbs are popping up all over the place.  A ring of tete a tete around the persimmon tree, thalia in the front garden, and signs that the tulips planted a few years ago are still willing to have a go. Today the sun is shining and once again that promise of spring is in the air. Here’s my six for the first week of February.

One

Something borrowed and something blue in the same photo.  The blue is the wonderfully uplifting sky.  The borrowed is the winter flowering honeysuckle from my neighbour’s garden.  The scent from it wafted over last weekend as I relocated a blackcurrant bush.  Yes, I have finally done my first bit of real gardening for the year.  The heady perfume was an unexpected and very welcome treat.

Two

Something new are these alliums.  This year I am trying out allium nigrum.  After a few years of growing Mount Everest I decided to add these into the mix.  The Mount Everest have a habit of disappearing for me.  Possibly due to the heavy clay soil.  I’ll see if these fare any better.

Three

Something old.  The north border has a wall that runs along its length.  At the bottom end it is about 30cms high climbing upwards to the top end where it is about a metre high.  It’s a higgledy-piggledy mixture of  all sorts and not very attractive.  At the bottom end I am persuading the ivy to entwine around itself along the wall rather than out into the very tempting lawn.  Or back into the borders.  Ivy twining patrol is a regular task but I am gradually achieving my aim.

Four

Further along the wall the moss is doing a grand job of covering the stones.

Five

I’ve not starting sowing seeds this year but the autumn sowing of ammi visnaga is coming along nicely.  I have a plan to under-plant the wild black berries with these.  Isn’t it wonderful how brilliant these ideas look in the imagination.   We’ll see.

Six

For February I have to include snowdrops.  Many gardens will be holding snowdrop days this month.  The NGS offers a list of gardens open for snowdrops and I hope to find one near me that I can visit.

Yes, gradually the gardening sap is rising, a gentle limbering up is called for and new inspiration propels me onward.  More inspiration will be found at Mr P’s site.  Links, comments and general good gardening cheer for all.

Six on Saturday: December delights

/ n20gardener / 10 Comments

I had two incentives to get out in the garden today. Finding six gardening delights and collecting the greenery for decorating the house. I had a window of dryness this morning in what has otherwise been a very wet few days so armed with secateurs and the trusty phone camera out I went. The lawn is squelching and the borders are sodden. I hope the tulips can cope.

One

A wheelbarrow of wet ivy that has to dry out in a couple of hours so that I can start creating the annual stair banister decoration.  This is a combination of fake berries, ivy, lights and what ever else comes to hand.  Collecting the ivy involved pushing in around the blackcurrant canes which released their wonderful scent.  That made my morning!

Two

In a dark corner at the back of the garden I spotted that the ‘Pretty Ellen’ hellebores are in bud and looking full of promise.

Three

The background to these hellebores is a covering of euonymus fortunei ‘Emerald Gaiety’.  These are supposed to have pink tinged leaves in the winter but I’ve yet to spot them.  I’m not complaining though as the white tinged leaves were singing out from the gloom today.

Four 

More signs of things to come as the viburnums are coming into bud.  These are all very old shrubs, full of beetle holes but soldiering on nonetheless.  I’ve been snipping away at them for three years now, removing the dead branches and cutting back the shrubs around them, and I think I detect signs of stronger new growth and more flower buds.

Five

The first primrose has been out a few weeks now and really deserves a mention for reminding me that the cycle continues come rain or shine.

Six 

Winning a place this week for its longevity is this astrantia major, with new buds that are making into flower.  Testament to the general mildness of the winter so far.

This will be my last SOS for a couple of weeks.  I wish everyone a very peaceful and happy Christmas and I look forward to catching up with all the news in the New Year.  Many thanks Mr P for hosting this meme, keeping all the links in order and generally being an all round good gardening friend! Did you have any idea of what you were creating?