plants

Six On Saturday: So far behind

/ n20gardener / 9 Comments

The London Marathon was run in under 2 hours last weekend. Meanwhile I am trailing way behind in my gardening jobs. I still have seed heads to cut back on the phlomis even as new flower stems arrive. My tomatoes did not germinate, not one. I have resorted to buying in for the first time in years. Clematis needs tying in but in all honesty it has done its own thing and found other plants to wrap itself around. I’m sharing here so that I don’t become too much of gardening bore at home! But onwards to six stars in the garden this week.

One

The roses are raring to go, here’s ‘Wisley’. I gave this a thorough cut back this year and it is full of buds.

Two

The weigela also surged into flower, this was among the first additions to the garden almost 10 years ago and it really is an easy one to grow.

Three

I shared this last week mixed in with the camassias but it deserves a spot of its own, I think I referred it to as possibly ‘Totally Tangerine’ but I’m sure it’s ‘Scarlet Tempest’.

Four

I bought three of these Polygonatum x hybridum in 2023 and foolishly planted them near some Japanese anemones. The anemones had been well behaved for several years but have got into their stride this year and so the poor polygonatum is being crowded out, so much so that I can only find one at the moment. Perhaps the snails have got to the other two.

Five

The alliums have opened up, but smaller than usual. It could be the lack of rain, there are promises of some this weekend. I’d be happy if it comes overnight so that I can garden during the day.

Six

This is ‘Natasha Richardson’ in amongst the libertia. I wonder who will win the battle for space.

I’ve time this morning to weed the raspberry beds. I’ve had erratic germination in flower seeds but there are a few trays of seedlings to come out of the greenhouse. I’ll convince myself that gardening is not a race and will take the time to enjoy the moment. Jim at Garden Ruminations hosts the Six On Saturday meme, so I hope you can find a moment to enjoy his garden and the others of those who share on this weekly meet-up. Happy gardening.

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: Sunshine and showers

/ n20gardener / 23 Comments

There’s still plenty of rain around but increasingly the sun has shown its face. A welcome entrance indeed. Here’s a quick look at my garden this week.

One

This one is a regular feature at this time of the year. It has been some years since I first planted a ring of ‘tête-à-tête’ around the persimmon tree and over time they have bulked at well. This is the best year yet.

Two

Back in Autumn last year I planted up six pots of various narcissi and tulips. The first has just opened up. It’s a pot of the most delicious miniature daffodils – n.cordubensis. The photo is not doing them justice but it’s raining again so no second chances!

Three

I’ve been overlooking the lovely dark red hellebore ‘Pretty Ellen’. She fills up a small corner to the side of the shed and really deserves a more prime position but at this time of the year as visits to the shed increase it is an added bonus to discover them again.

Four

The bergenia have been flowering for a few weeks, they are entirely neglected for most of the year and still do well in their shady spot.

Five

The euphorbia characias subsp. wulfenii, are hitting their stride, the lime green flowers shine out well in the gloom. I’m currently not having much need of their famed drought tolerance.

Six

Crocus tommasinianus ‘Ruby Giant’ is one I was planning to share last week. I’ve always wondered why it’s Red Giant when it is clearly purple.

I gave up my post last week as my Hemmingway Rewritten theme was not displaying accurately in the edit mode. Apparently it will look alright at the front end when I post. Here’s hoping. All looks well at Garden Ruminations so do stop in to Jim’s place and see all the other SOS posts. Here I will be hoping for some drying out time.

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: Broken promises

/ n20gardener / 17 Comments

The powers that be will say they were forecasts not promises. Whatever they were they did not materialise and the garden remains in desperate need of rain. I haven’t watered the potatoes, hoping that there was enough rain in the early growing stage to get me through to a crop. It’s not been too bad, smaller in size but the good taste compensates. The flower garden is truly suffering and as today’s promised rain faded away I took to watering the collapsing plants. Getting up close makes it clear how the self-seeders are showing their thuggish nature. There is some work to be done. I’m on a promise for a thunderstorm tomorrow. In the meantime here’s six from the garden this week.

One

The first three are annuals sown to fill the space left by the fig tree. The roots of the fig may be shallow but they are tenacious and it was all I could do to carve out some planting holes for the seedlings. The first is a pink poppy, from seed supplied by fellow SOSer Fred. They are about six inches high – lack of water I’m sure.

Two

The French marigold ‘Carmen’ seems to coping a little better with the conditions and fills the corner quite well..

Three

Cornflowers. I shared half with my daughter and now I’m wishing I’d kept them all! I’m sure they are looking good in her garden too, which I’ve not visited for a few weeks now.

Four

Here’s an unknown clematis. This was struggling early on and so I tried to give this a weekly watering can full. It’s showing positive results. It needed to re-establish after being messed about by the removal of a rose arch and rose.

Five

The drum stick alliums benefit from getting the water I empty out from the bottom of the water butt. It seems to have helped and the bees truly appreciate them.

Six

Apples. How will they fare I wonder. I’ve picked up the last of the June drop, I hope. Will the sunshine make for tastier apples? I must be patient.

I’ll make the most of today’s cooler temperatures to cut back geraniums and clear the strawberry patch of all the over ripe fruit. There’s plenty of rose bay willow herb to be pulled up as I go. I have the agapanthus to look forward to, they are just about to open up. It must be July. Jim’s garden awaits the curious, always something different as well as links to other SOS gardens. I hope that those who need rain do get some soon and those that have too much do not suffer. Happy gardening.

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: 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: February scraps

/ n20gardener / 25 Comments

My great plans for last weekend were foiled by a heavy frost on Sunday so any garden work was limited to what could be done from the path. This led me to cutting out last year’s blackberry stems. It was a good job done. The weather improved a little for Monday which was installation day for the new greenhouse. All went smoothly and for the first time in years I have a leak free greenhouse. It’s yet another grim day here today and finding six delights is a challenge so here’s my scrappy six.

One

The new greenhouse of course. It’s first inhabitants are two pots of scented leaf pellies and a couple of trays of overwinter seedlings and some tiarella cuttings – or were they divisions?

Two

A little while back I reported that one of last summer’s Romanesco plants had decided to grow. This week it has been reduced to shreds. I don’t think it is going to make it to the dinner table. My first instinct was to blame the slugs but now I think it is probably the wood pigeons.

Three

My planting prowess has failed me once again. Here I seem to have replanted iris divisions on top of Thalia bulbs. This will be interesting.

Four

Last week I was bemoaning my lack of crocuses to The Quilting Gardener. This week I have spotted a few.

Five

The Siberian dogwood looked amazingly red today so although it is still a young plant it gets a look in.

Six

Lastly the viburnum flowers are opening up a little more.

There’s no frost forecast for tomorrow so I plan to start the cut back of the grasses. I’ve also marked out part of the lawn to become a flower bed. If I can fit it in I will lift the turf, all part of preparation for the planting of the recently purchased rowan tree.

I know Jim will have more to share so do drop by Garden Ruminations to his garden and all the other sixers. Happy gardening.

Six On Saturday: Confusion in the garden

/ n20gardener / 14 Comments

Happy New Year to all. Here it is a very frosty morning, the second in a row. Proper Winter weather but the garden up to this point seemed a little confused. Here’s six things I found in the garden this week.

One

I pulled out the ‘Romanesco’ cauliflowers in October as they had come to naught. This one, for some reason long forgotten, was left in the ground. I know they grow well in cool temperatures and clearly the mild winter was working well for it. I’m not sure how it will cope over the next few months but maybe I’ll be harvesting it in April!

Two

This salvia ‘Amistad’ had overwintered through last year and came into leaf very late in the season. I was very surprised to see it flower at the end of December.

Three

I have a flower bud on the libertia grandiflora. This is supposed to do its thing in May/June/July.

Four

The primroses are popping up everywhere. I’m quite used to these being in flower from early November.

Five

I’m showing the seed heads of the phlomis again because, at last, I have been able to capture them frosted. If I’d been up earlier it might have been more impressive.

Six

For the final show and tell, I have the new buds on the hellebore ‘Pretty Ellen’ red. These I grow around the corner of the shed and it does look like I have lost some during the dismantling and re-building process. Perhaps they will struggle through a little later.

I did manage to garden a little after Christmas and can finally announce that I have planted up tulips. Not all, only some. I managed two pots worth in a three layer lasagne. I only have a few left to plant. These are ones that previously lined on of the veg beds. I’m planning to move them to line another veg bed. Why, I ask, did I lift them in the first place? The garden is well and truly in Winter mode and it is easy to see how much pruning the roses need. I completed two bushes and have about ten shrub roses and three climbers to do. The climbers have really gotten away from me and I shall have to be very firm with myself to get them back in control. Happy gardening or garden planning to everyone. The days are getting longer and that itch will soon have to be scratched!

Don’t forget that Jim shares his SOS and the links to other posts on his site Garden Ruminations.

Six On Saturday: Storm preparations

/ n20gardener / 12 Comments

It’s been a busy week here with the shed base frame work being completed on Monday. It was too cold to lay a concrete base for the greenhouse so the project continues into next week. We had snow that didn’t linger on Tuesday. On Wednesday the new shed arrived and the move back in began. But many things were too wet and that continues to be the case. Today Storm Bert arrives and I was out making safe the greenhouse contents and moving the pots in sheltered positions. Here’s a sad looking six from the garden this week.

One

Let’s start with the new shed with four windows which do give a little more light. The skip came in very handy and plenty of stuff was got rid off. I held on to most of my collection of bricks and old roof tiles, pleading that they always came in handy.

Two

And today they were put to good use, weighing down the builder’s bags that hold the collection of plastic pots, netting and seed trays that came out of the greenhouse.

Three

The water butts have all been emptied of their contents now and are huddled together in a corner. I’d hate to see these rolling across the garden.

Four

I still haven’t had time to take the scented leaf pelargoniums inside so they have been huddled together against the winds. Next week is mild so they will good for another week outside.

Five

The pellies are still pushing out the odd flower here and there.

Six

And still looking quite green, these ferns are in the shelter of the larger rhododendron. Dryopteris filix-mas possibly. I inherited them so I’m really not sure.

I have abject apologies to send to our lovely group of SOS bloggers I have not been able to do much reading over the last two weeks. I’m hoping life settles down a little and I will be able to get up to speed again. Jim hosts the SOS group so drop in and have a good ready anytime. In the meantime I wish you all a safe weekend from any storm and happy gardening if you can get out there!