Six on Saturday (23 March 2019)

Ahh. Stillness. After a few weeks of unsettled, blustery weather, we’ve had 5 days of calm. It’s been rather nice. Alas, it was still a bit blowy last Sunday when I did some more seed sowing. Packets of Antirrhinum, dwarf Sweet Peas, Cornflowers and Corncockle were chased across the lawn. Marigold seeds, collected from last year’s flowers, were carefully emptied from a brown paper envelope into the palm of my hand and promptly took flight. And a pot of dahlia seeds had to be resown after they were knocked over, alas not by the elements, but by my size twelve feet. Oh to have a potting shed.

Of all the seeds I’ve ever sown, I don’t think any have germinated quite so quickly as my first SoS.

1. Last Saturday I mentioned I’d sown a free packet of Morning Glory ‘Split Second Double’ that I’d got with the Garden News magazine. They were soaked overnight in tepid water and plonked in a pot, covered with a plastic bread bag and put on a windowsill. Five days later, one of them had begun to poke through the surface of the compost. Now, around 13 days after they were sown, they’re ready to be potted on.

2. The garden has always been a bit lacking when it comes to Spring colour. So last Autumn I purchased packs of daffs, narcissus and crocus. I’m glad I did as the existing daffodils in the garden (Little Witch) have been a big failure this year – lots of leafy growth but only one flower, which was soon flattened in the gales. The new bulbs have all done well. These fragrant Narcissus tazetta minnow are the latest of the new batch to flower…

… along with these tiny Narcissus tazetta canaliculatus.

3. While the wind has flattened most of the bluey-purple and pink hyacinths in the garden, the yellow variety appear to be made of tougher stuff!

4. Possibly my favourite of all the Spring flowers next; Chionodoxa. Planted a few years ago, they’re slowly beginning to spread in the border near the tiny wildlife pond. Last year they were a favourite with the slimy plant assassins of the night. This year they seem to be faring much better.

5. These cream double primroses were given to me over 10 years ago by a friend from work. They’ve been split many times and given to friends and family. They appear to glow in the evening light. I didn’t notice until I was zooming in that there’s a bug of some sort lurking amongst the petals of the larger flower.

6. And finally… Flower buds on the banksiea rose (Rosa banksiea ‘Luea’). I originally planted this against a West facing fence but it didn’t really do much and refused to flower. It was moved last Autumn to the South facing fence after I got shot of the not-in-the-slightest-bit-scented ‘highly fragrant’ Jasminum humile ‘Revolutum’ (which is now living happily at my mother-in-law’s). Judging from the new growth and the flower buds it appears to like the new sunnier position. Very exciting!

And they were my Six on Saturday. For more Sixes on Saturday, from all around the world, take a look at the site of the chap who started it all over at https://thepropagatorblog.wordpress.com.