Six on Saturday (31 October 2020)

Remember that list of gardening chores from last week’s Six on Saturday? Well, I actually accomplished a few of them. I know, I know. I was surprised too. But more on that later. Last Saturday was a complete washout (and today isn’t looking very promising either) but I did manage to make a plant purchase before the heavens opened and that leads me to my first SoS…

1. This is a fragrant perennial Viola that was spotted whilst passing the stall of ‘The Plant Man’ in town. The flowers are larger than your usual Viola; almost Pansy-like. The label says it’s ‘Rebecca’ but after a bit of internetting I reckon it’s ‘Etain.’ I’m going to attempt to take some cuttings.

Viola ‘Etain’

2. The Harlow Carr standard rose is having an enthusiastic final flush of flowers. It was planted near the patio last November, the perfect spot at the time. But this summer I added an arch and all of a sudden the rose looked out of place. I was originally planning on moving it next month, once it had finished flowering, but when Sunday dawned surprisingly bright and dryish I decided to relocate the rose there and then.

A photo of Rosa ‘Harlow Carr’ taken just before it was moved

I soon regretted my decision as the spot I’d decided to move the rose to (near the garden bench) turned out to have a great big lump of cement and rubble lurking a mere 4 inches below the soil. The pickaxe was deployed and, after a fair bit of muttering, a hole was dug. The rose was extracted relatively easily but removing the blasted stake that had caused me so much grief last year resulted in more muttering. Fingers crossed ‘Harlow Carr’ survives the move.

The new Bay tree (with the relocated Rose in the distance)

3. Another reason for moving the rose earlier than planned was the arrival of a standard Bay tree. I’m hoping this won’t turn out to be a foolish purchase as supposedly they’re not fully hardy below -5°C. However, I’ve read they’re tougher when planted in the ground and I have some fleece on standby should temperatures plummet. In theory the evergreen will provide a bit of patio privacy once it fills out. I’d originally planned to get a self-fertile holly but a free supply of bay leaves for soup and stews proved too tempting.

4. On Sunday afternoon I decided to tackle the Jasmine. I started by the swing seat and got as far as the bird box which had been lost amongst the foliage of the rampant climber. I’m never sure how much I can chop off on the neighbour’s side of the fence; I must read up on Jasmine pruning etiquette.

Chopping back the Jasmine

I gave up when I got to the section where the Jasmine merges with a thorny climbing rose and the Pyracantha. Alas, I don’t think I’ll be completing the job this weekend.

Yet-to-be-chopped-back Jasmine

5. Two varieties of Rudbeckia were sown from seed in the spring. This one is ‘Daisies Mixed.’ The other one, ‘Cherry Brandy,’ has only just started to develop flower buds and I’m not very hopeful they’ll open. We shall see.

6. And finally… Another Viola which will provide some floral cheer during the winter.

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. Right, I’m off to brave the wind and the rain to retrieve a couple of empty pots that have been blown down the garden. Stay safe.