Six on Saturday (20 April 2024)

Making the most of the dry and reasonably sunny weather last weekend I finished off most of the tasks on the ‘to do’ list. Dahlias have been repotted and vine weevil larvae dispatched. An old large Coronilla out the front that hasn’t produced many flowers these past few years was dug up and replaced by one of it’s offspring. Most importantly, a few seeds have finally been sown. I almost didn’t bother this year, tempted to buy pre-grown plants instead. But once I started writing out labels and filling pots with seed compost, I found my enthusiasm for the task returning. The Strawflower seeds have already started to germinate and a few Cosmos seedlings are starting to poke through the surface of the compost. It’s all very exciting.

While it’s been a much drier week, it’s been rather chilly, and the ‘moderate breeze’ forecast on the BBC weather app these past few days has been full on windy at times, making photographing this and that for today’s Six on a Saturday a little challenging.

1-3. I seem to have lots of clumps of Narcissus ‘Pheasant’s Eye’ coming into flower, which is odd as they don’t usually survive many years in my garden and I don’t recall planting more last autumn – although II guess I must have done. One of the last of the Narcissus to flower, they’re a pleasing sight and miraculously unnibbled so far. I introduced Red Campion to the garden many years ago. It seeds itself about, mingling nicely with this and that – although it can suffer from infestations of black aphids sometimes. The egg custard tart/nutmeg scented Clematis montana has escaped over/through the fence into the neighbours’ garden, despite my best efforts to contain it. Still, it must be better than the ivy and brambles we get from their side.

4-6. The mini-standard Ceanothus growing in a pot out the front has burst into bloom. It seems to thrive on neglect as I often forget to water it over the summer. It could do with a good prune after flowering. Also out the front, a few of the fragrant ‘Brown Sugar’ Tulips planted several years ago are still coming up – I really must plant some more come the autumn. And the Weigela grown from a cutting by my mum a number of years ago has bloomed.

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. Hey up, it’s calm out there this morning, barely the whisper of a breeze. I hope it lasts.