Six on Saturday (1 April 2023)

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Enough of the wet and wind already! The photos for this Six on Saturday were mainly taken early Thursday evening during a brief respite from the rain. Plant supports/sparrow perches were then hastily deployed in readiness for the strong winds that were expected on Friday. As I write this (Friday evening, soon after eating a melted cheese on savoury hot cross bun toasted in the oven) things seem to have calmed down a little and thankfully most plants are still standing. Despite the gloom, the sweet peas that were sown a few weekends ago have begun to come up. I must sow some more seeds soon. And then there’s the front garden to tidy, the new fence to paint, the swing seat to uncover and possibly oil, and the overwintered dahlia tubers to inspect and re-pot. Hopefully the lighter evenings will provide more of an opportunity to get things done… if the weather improves. Anyway, let’s get on with it.

1. We start with Tulips, possibly ‘Apricona,’ which have returned for a second spring.

2. Continuing the Tulip theme is Tulipa sylvestris, the wild native tulip. This has returned for a third spring and has become a favourite with it’s curving stems and vibrant yellow flowers. These are poised, ready to open. I planted another bag of them back in November.

3. Growing in front of the Tulipa sylvestris are the Grape Hyacinths. I have some mixed varieties out in the front garden, one of which is pretty hideous, but the traditional variety are my personal faves.

4. Next up, Loropetalum chinense ‘Black Pearl.’ I suspect this will be featuring again in a week or so. These flowers are lurking around the side of the half standard shrub of dubious hardiness. It has made it through its first winter (down to -6 and wrapped with fleece when I remembered). I can’t get close enough to these to check whether they’re fragrant or not. It’s the dark ‘dry’ leaves though that I like the most. It’s made me think I need to add some more dark foliage somewhere.

5. Hang on a minute. I already have. Two Ranunculus ficaria ‘Brazen Hussey’ were acquired back in the spring of 2022 after seeing it featured in one of the Propagator’s Six on Saturdays. I moved this one several weeks ago when I was redoing the path. Where the second plant is I have no idea. I hope it turns up.

6. And finally… Narcissi. Working clockwise from the top left… ‘Part of that free Narcissi mix from J. Parker’s,’ ‘Charming Lady’ (which has returned for a second year and is described by Sarah Raven as having a “delicious stephanotis perfume”… one must assume she was stood next to an actual Stephanotis plant at the time as it has zero fragrance as far as I can tell), diminutive ‘Minnow’ and ‘Jetfire’ which has now developed its whooshy petals.

They were my Six on Saturday, a meme originally started by The Propagator. For more Sixes on Saturday, from all around the world, head over to the blog of the current Six on Saturday host, Jim.

Published by One Man And His Garden Trowel

Part time garden potterer and blogger about part time garden pottering

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33 thoughts on “Six on Saturday (1 April 2023)”

  1. Shall we just rewind a moment “soon after eating a melted cheese on savoury hot cross bun toasted in the oven”, what the bloomin’ Nora is going on? I think this might be your April Fool, savoury hot cross bun? Never heard the like! Back to business, lovely photos as usual. You were lucky/extremely skilled to get the loropetalum through that dreadful weather. I do love a muscari and I am strangely drawn to the apricot tulip, not usually a colour I go for. I shall now go away and ponder cheese on hot cross buns …….

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    1. Okay, I see I’m going to have to copy and paste a response to the savoury cross bun thing as it crops up in a lot of comments! It’s a genuine thing. M&S do a cheese hot cross bun (a few years before that they did an even tastier chilli one). It’s rather stodgy and dense cold so I slice them in half, butter the cut sides, place a few slices of cheese on each, sprinkle some dried mixed herbs and vegetarian Worcester sauce on top and place in a pre-heated oven for about 10-12 minutes (bit extravagant with energy bills at the moment but there we are). The baking bit seems to make them even tastier than grilling them. I’ve not tried doing the same thing with a sweet hot cross bun, although M&S do an apple one and I’ve read that people sometimes have cheese with apple pie so it might work… possibly.

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  2. No flowers to my loropetalum which, you remember, spent this winter without fleece compared to yours. So next year I’ll do like you.
    We both presented daffodils and yours are really not bad too! Last thing, the horizontal yellow tulip above muscaris gives a very successful photo

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    1. M&S do a cheese hot cross bun (a few years before that they did an even tastier chilli one). It’s rather stodgy and dense cold so I slice them in half, butter the cut sides, place a few slices of cheese on each, sprinkle some dried mixed herbs and vegetarian Worcester sauce on top and place in a pre-heated oven for about 10-12 minutes (bit extravagant with energy bills at the moment but there we are). The baking bit seems to make them even tastier than grilling them. I’ve not tried doing the same thing with a sweet hot cross bun, although M&S do an apple one and I’ve read that people sometimes have cheese with apple pie so it might work… possibly.

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      1. Gosh – I have never seen all these fancy hot cross buns! The savoury ones do sound as if they need to be warmed up though. Gone are the days when you could only buy hot cross buns on Good Friday,,… 🙂

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  4. I do love that very, plain, very simple tulip – it looks like a tulip should. So many of the fabulous varieties are so exuberant these days, it’s lovely to come across one like ‘Apricona’ which is simply beautiful.
    But “melted cheese on a savoury hot cross bun toasted in the oven”? As noted above – it’s the 1st April today – but you might be for real. I must tell my husband about this because it’s the sort of thing he’d probably love! 😀
    Your loropetalum chinense ‘Black Pearl’ is looking fabulous.

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    2. Here’s a copied and paste response to the savoury cross bun thing as it crops up in a lot of comments! It’s a genuine thing. M&S do a cheese hot cross bun (a few years before that they did an even tastier chilli one). It’s rather stodgy and dense cold so I slice them in half, butter the cut sides, place a few slices of cheese on each, sprinkle some dried mixed herbs and vegetarian Worcester sauce on top and place in a pre-heated oven for about 10-12 minutes (bit extravagant with energy bills at the moment but there we are). The baking bit seems to make them even tastier than grilling them. I’ve not tried doing the same thing with a sweet hot cross bun, although M&S do an apple one and I’ve read that people sometimes have cheese with apple pie so it might work… possibly.

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  6. Great photos! Love the Tulip Sylvestris, I did not know you had native tulips, it is very elegant. I would love to see the hideous hyacinth! All these bulb pictures are putting me in the mood to buy more spring bulbs!

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  7. I agree with ‘off the edge’ the savoury hot cross bun got me!!! Unless you consider adding cheese the savoury part. So it was you who bought all the Sylestris and left none for me. As to flaunting that magnificent Loropetalum, since you have shown yours, I shall show mine next week, and you will see that you are the undoubted winner!

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    1. The Loropetalum is a bit of an expensive gamble (although as it was a Christmas present it didn’t cost me anything). I’m not sure how it will do long term.

      Here’s a copied and paste response to the savoury cross bun thing as it crops up in a lot of comments! It’s a genuine thing. M&S do a cheese hot cross bun (a few years before that they did an even tastier chilli one). It’s rather stodgy and dense cold so I slice them in half, butter the cut sides, place a few slices of cheese on each, sprinkle some dried mixed herbs and vegetarian Worcester sauce on top and place in a pre-heated oven for about 10-12 minutes (bit extravagant with energy bills at the moment but there we are). The baking bit seems to make them even tastier than grilling them. I’ve not tried doing the same thing with a sweet hot cross bun, although M&S do an apple one and I’ve read that people sometimes have cheese with apple pie so it might work… possibly.

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      1. Thanks for those ideas, being an avid home baker there are some ideas there. I could make some cheese, chilli and herb buns…yes reheating in the oven is a treat for most buns.

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  8. Cheese on hot cross buns sounds yummy, must try it! Love all your bulbs, such a lovely colourful time of year! I used to have Tulip sylvestris but eventually they disappeared, must try again and put them in better drained soil.

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    1. It’s alliums like Purple Sensation and some of the Narcissi (like Minnow) that tend to dwindle and vanish here.

      Here’s a copied and paste response to the savoury cross bun thing as it crops up in a lot of comments! M&S do a cheese hot cross bun (a few years before that they did an even tastier chilli one). It’s rather stodgy and dense cold so I slice them in half, butter the cut sides, place a few slices of cheese on each, sprinkle some dried mixed herbs and vegetarian Worcester sauce on top and place in a pre-heated oven for about 10-12 minutes (bit extravagant with energy bills at the moment but there we are). The baking bit seems to make them even tastier than grilling them. I’ve not tried doing the same thing with a sweet hot cross bun, although M&S do an apple one and I’ve read that people sometimes have cheese with apple pie so it might work… possibly.

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  9. I think you have stunned us all with the hot cross bun! I cannot envisage a savoury one, I mean what about the fruit? If it’s an April Fool’s joke then you have definitely won. You’ll be telling us about the spaghetti tree next…

    Your Loropetalum is a beauty, I have a Weigela in similar colours, I hope it flowers this year as it can sometimes be a bit reluctant. And my poor T.sylvestris have suffered badly from Mathis arriving yesterday, pretty much over and Persian Pearl never stood a chance!

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    1. I hadn’t realised we’d had a named storm until reading today’s SoSs.

      Here’s a copied and paste response to the savoury cross bun thing as it crops up in a lot of comments! It’s a genuine thing. M&S do a cheese hot cross bun (a few years before that they did an even tastier chilli one). It’s rather stodgy and dense cold so I slice them in half, butter the cut sides, place a few slices of cheese on each, sprinkle some dried mixed herbs and vegetarian Worcester sauce on top and place in a pre-heated oven for about 10-12 minutes (bit extravagant with energy bills at the moment but there we are). The baking bit seems to make them even tastier than grilling them. I’ve not tried doing the same thing with a sweet hot cross bun, although M&S do an apple one and I’ve read that people sometimes have cheese with apple pie so it might work… possibly.

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  10. I generally love Ficaria – even the weedy ones – and the dark foliage makes it extra enticing. And Tulipa sylvestis is so charming, I have seen a few on SOS over the years and must remedy the fact that I have none.

    If only they sold savoury hot cross buns in Belgium!

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  11. It never occurred to me that it could be an April fool (gullible?) I just started salivating instead.
    Thanks for the info on them. I’m assuming no dried fruit, but I’m kind of hoping there is some for the chutney like taste. I will hunt some down. Who new with all the other lovely things in your post it would be your supper that got the most comments 🤣
    I am pleased to hear that Tulip Sylvestris is coming back year on year as I fancy trying some in the orchard.

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  12. You can always count on those grape hyacinths to show up. There was a patch in our complex’s parking area, I pulled up a bunch to plant in my yard, and still they’ve come up this spring in the parking and my yard. I’ve read that the blossoms can be used to dye eggs and I have tried that. But I guess you need quite a lot to really get a deep hue.

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