Six on Saturday (18 May 2024)

A lightening packed, blink and you’ll miss it Six on Saturday today. I’m about to hit the road to visit my family up in North East Wales – the country where snail’s pace is possibly faster than Wales’ pace (okay, 20mph is marginally faster than a snail – it doesn’t feel like it though sometimes).

1-3. Up first, a Foxglove out in the front garden, the fragrant Rosa ‘Friesia’ in the back garden, and a new hedge… well, sort of. Quite a few of the Escallonia hedges that were planted when the housing estate was built 25 years ago are looking a bit ropey in places, many suffering from dieback and some sort of black spot. Despite chopping back/snapping off the bare and brittle sections of ours a few years ago there hasn’t been much sign of new growth. When I spotted a self-seeded Pyracantha seedling growing in its midst I transplanted it to one of the gaps. It’s starting to fill out nicely and has flowered for the first time this year. The pink-white flowers combo looks rather good and the bees love both.

4-6. The striking purple Dutch Irises near the small wildlife pond have returned again, a yellow and white variety is looking rather fetching by the newly painted grey fence, and the Ixia bulbs purchased from Wilko back in 2020 seem to be multiplying each year.

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. Right, have I packed everything I need…?

Six on Saturday (8 October 2022)

The garden appears to be giving a final floral encore, looking far more colourful now than it did during the second half of summer. Despite the odd day of blustery winds and heavy downpours, the annuals aren’t looking too shabby. Thick carpets of Foxglove seedlings have sprung up in the borders and gravel path, and the lawns have pretty much recovered from the drought, requiring regular mowing once more. However, there can be no escaping the signs of autumn and that leads me to my first Six on Saturday…

1. The Pyracantha may need to get pruned back hard in the not-so-distant future in preparation for a new fence. Hopefully the birds will get a chance to polish off the berries before that happens.

2. Up next, Garlic Chives. I think they may be my most favourite Allium. Always the last to flower, they’re pretty things with multi-coloured stamens. They’re rather tasty too. I just wish I had more luck with the regular variety of chives.

3. The rampant climbing Rose ‘Compassion’ is having a second flush of flowers. Growing it up the corner of the blue shed has proved a mixed blessing. It’s the perfect location to appreciate the fragrant flowers but it can get a little over enthusiastic, its thorny stems making it tricky to open the shed door without risking injury at times. I pruned it right back to the ground in the spring and it’s as big now as it was this time last autumn.

4. Another week, another Calendula. What was that? Only a few weeks ago you were muttering how you’d not had much success with Calendula? I know, Apparently they’ve been hiding, just biding their time. I’ve no idea what variety this is but the petals have a pinkish tinge.

5. Last year a few of my established Sedums/Hylotelphiums went all floppy at the flowering stage. Now apparently this is just one of those things every Sedum will experience at some point in its life, especially as it gets older. However, I read that the ‘Chelsea chop’ could help prevent this issue and so decided to give it a go (although by the time I got around to it the Hampton Court Flower Show was looming, making it more of a ‘Hampton hack.’) I was slightly worried I’d left it too late, but they’ve finally flowered.

6. And to conclude… Clematis ‘Freckles.’ Back in August I feared the worst as its leaves and stems had been burnt to a crisp. But look! Buds! Masses of buds on the brink of bloomage. A pleasant surprise and something of a relief.

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.

Six on Saturday (28 May 2022)

Apparently I’ve been participating in this Six on Saturdaying thing (a meme created by the Propagator) for 4 years. My, how the time has flown. I thought I’d struggle to find six garden related things to write about each Saturday but, to my surprise, it’s turned out that there’s more going on than I thought, even in the depths of winter. It has proved to be a great garden diary, allowing me to look back at what things were doing this time yesteryear. It’s also rather useful for looking up the names of plants that I’ve long since forgotten…

1. Like this Ixia. Back in the spring of 2020 I planted a packet of Ixia bulbs out in the south facing front garden. None of them made an appearance that first year and I’d presumed that was that. Then, last spring, one solitary specimen popped up. This year? We have two. They’ve grown on me and I may have to seek out some more bulbs when they’re back in season.

2. I also had to flick through some posts from around this time last year to remind myself what variety of Dutch Iris this is. It’s ‘Metallic Mixture’ and I think every single one of them has returned for a second spring.

3. Alas, my next plant may not feature in 2023. The Pyracantha has been trained to grow up against the trellis fence in an attempt to provide a bit of privacy between us and the neighbours. It’s taken 8 years or so, but it’s almost doing just that. However, the aging trellis fence may be getting replaced in the autumn with wonderfully anti-social, non-trellis panels, and I fear the Pyracantha may have to go, or at least get a very severe prune. One of its spiny branches nearly took an eye out the other day when I was pottering around the nearby mini-greenhouse and I sometimes wonder whether I planted it too close to the base of the fence, as it often requires watering during dry spells to prevent the leaves from turning brown and falling off. We shall see. The birds will miss the berries if it is got shot of.

4. Do you remember the rather shoddily grafted mini-standard ‘Friesia’ rose I purchased online during the first lockdown? Well, despite the dubious graft, it survived and is continuing to do well. I’ve not yet succeeded in taking a cutting from it but I’ll keep trying. The fragrance is wonderful.

5. More white up next. A perennial cornflower, Centaurea montana ‘Alba.’ I have a feeling this was originally from my mum who nabbed some from my sister’s garden.

6. And finally… An Aquilegia. There are a few starting to come into flower, but this one is probably the most striking colour-wise. It’s also prone to getting sat on as it grows near a rock that I often perch on to peer into the pond. It may need to get moved – or I may need to find another spot from which to pond watch.

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.

Six on Saturday (27 November 2021)

Now the chore of bulb planting is over (well nearly, I ordered some more tulips earlier in the week; a special offer and t’would have been madness not to) I’ve almost finished putting the garden to bed for the winter. There’s just a spot of mulching to do, the folding garden bench to put away and the swing seat cover to deploy, although that might have to wait until a less wild and windy day. It’s blowing a gale out there. Thankfully, most of my Six on Saturday were taken earlier in the week when plants were less blurry.

1. First up… Pyracantha berries. Hang on. Where have they gone? I’ve not spotted a single blackbird in the garden for many a week so presumably they’ve been polishing them off while I’ve been at work.

2. There are still plenty of other berries to be found though. Back in July it was bye-bye standard buddleia and hello standard Ligustrum japonicum ‘Texanum’ (or Japanese/Waxleaf Privet). I felt strangely guilty at the time. A self seeded plant, I’d grown the Buddleia as a half standard shrub and kept it in check by pruning the branches right back each spring. Come late summer it could be a mass of blooms, visited by hummingbird hawk-moths and other nectar loving insects, including the odd butterfly… occasionally. However, the past few summers have been surprisingly breezy, snapping off stems before they could harden off, leaving the beleaguered Buddleia bare of both branch and bloom until much later in the summer. This year it was looking very sorry for itself indeed and a decision was made to replace it.

With flowers in early summer and berries in the autumn and winter, the evergreen Waxleaf Privet is proving to be a better shrub for my small garden. As for the butterflies, there are plenty of Buddleias growing nearby and a small Buddleia ‘Buzz’ in a pot for them to enjoy.

3. Up next is the Hydrangea paniculata ‘Vanille Fraise.’ I have a feeling a few of the brown, crispified flowers will be found scattered around the garden later today.

4. Like the Hydrangea, the Sedums are also helping to provide some nice structure in the garden and will continue to do so until they get chopped back in early spring.

5. In early November 2019 I dug up an overly large Prunus cerasifera ‘Hessei’ and replaced it with an allegedly small Eucalyptus gunnii France Bleu. It’s grown quite a bit in the two years since it went in (I’m trying not to worry) but will be pruned annually to keep it reasonably compact and bushy and to produce vibrant fresh foliage.

6. And finally… It’s the return of the Hesperantha coccinea. It first flowered at the beginning of October but is blooming again. I hope it hasn’t been flattened by the wind.

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.

Six on Saturday (23 October 2021)

Well, we’re fast heading towards the end of October and I still haven’t done much of anything in the garden. In my defense the big online order of bulbs hasn’t arrived yet and quite a few plants are still flowering away. But I should probably make a bit of an effort soon, starting with the relocation of a few perennials and digging up the Ostespermums so that they can be overwintered in the mini greenhouse. I also need to decide what to do about my two Ceratotheca triloba (or South African Foxgloves). This is my third attempt at growing them. The first year I managed to raise two from seed only for them to be struck by frost before they could flower. The second year they all snuffed it at the seedling stage. And this year? I have two plants that have once again failed to flower. They seem to be described as an annual or biennial (I’m beginning to suspect the latter). So do I give up on the troublesome things (now and forever) or do I dig them up and plonk them in the mini greenhouse in the hope they might survive and flower next year? Answers on a postcard please (or in the comments section below). Anyhow, time for Six on Saturday.

1. And we start with a plant that was first featured back in May. Geum ‘Lemon Delight’ is having a second flush and I’d forgotten just how lovely the pale yellow flowers are.

2. A mere frog’s jump away is a new addition to the garden. My mother-in-law has a thing for Salvias and ordered several more from Hayloft the other month, including this Salvia ulignosa ‘African Sky’ (although it looks more purple than blue in this photo). Apparently it’s too similar to another variety she has and so a new home has been found for it. Fingers crossed it survives the winter in our North facing garden.

3. The first of the fragrant winter flowering shrubs has started to bloom, and a lot earlier than in previous years. Grown from a cutting taken by my wife from the tiny garden of our first rented home over 10 years ago, Viburnum farreri (I think) has taken a while to get established and has never been particularly floriferous. Admittedly, moving it on a regular basis hasn’t helped. However, it’s been three years since the great shrub shuffle so here’s hoping there’ll be flowers aplenty over the coming months.

4. Up next, the Pyracantha. I have a feeling I may have planted it too close to the fence as it appears to suffer from a lack of water occasionally, resulting in a loss of leaves, flowers and ultimately berries. Alas, it’s far too established and thorny to consider moving now. It’s only a matter of time before the birds start on the these.

5. Altogether now… another week, another Zinnia. Possibly ‘Purple Prince.’

6. And finally… After something of a Dahlia disaster this year, this old faithful has finally got its act together. Grown from seed around five years ago, it spends its life in a pot and is overwintered under the swing seat cover. I really must try and take some cuttings from it next summer.

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.

Six on Saturday (9 January 2021)

One of the main things that Six on Saturday has taught me over the past few years is that even during the short cold days of Winter there’s always something going on in the garden. There may not be as many cor-look-at-that-stunning-flower photography moments, but when you start looking you always find some signs of life and reminders that the garden will be green once more and filled with floriferousness aplenty come the spring.

1. Some signs of life seem a little early though. These new unfurling leaves on the Hydrangea ‘Miss Belgium’ took me by surprise. It seems far too soon for such goings on and I’ve not chopped off her faded flowers from last year yet.

2. The Persian Slipper Lupin is also sporting new foliage. This variety tends to fare a bit better than other lupins when it comes to slugs, snails and aphids. It got relocated a few months ago when I was doing a bit of rearranging so it’s nice to see it has survived its move.

3. Now this one is more of a sign of signs of life; of the feathered variety. Over the past week the blackbirds have polished off most of the Pyracantha berries (with some assistance from a male blackcap). I guess they’ve been saving them for a cold spell. Only a few bunches remain, over by the mini greenhouse where they aren’t quite so easy to get at.

4. Next up, a photo of the frosted foliage of the Esceallonia hedge out the front. 20 years old and shared with the neighbour, it has been looking increasingly sorry for itself over the past few years. Sections have become brittle and bare of leaf in the summer and other Escallonia hedges on the estate appear to be suffering from the same problem. I tried cutting one plant right back to the ground last spring and a section of the stump sprouted some new growth, but not much. It was also sprayed every now and then with an organic black spot treatment and given a regular feed during the summer, but I’ve not noticed any obvious improvement. Our neighbour doesn’t seem too concerned but I wonder whether the whole lot will need digging up and replacing at some point. I hope not.

5. Since the Autumn the edge of the shed roof, just above the guttering, has been sporting an increasing number of green mossy clumps. I do like a bit of moss.

6. And finally… Daphne odora II is sporting flower buds. Hopefully it won’t be long until the fragrant flowers open and I can tiptoe across the border again, trying to avoid trampling on the emerging shoots of bulbs, to inhale their delicious scent and take another photo.

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. Stay safe.

Six on Saturday (26 September 2020)

The weather seemed to mirror the astronomical seasons last week. Monday, the final day of astronomical summer, was all blues skies and warm sunshine. The next day things turned cooler and rather gloomy, and by Wednesday we had rain, something we’ve not had for a while here. The garden is still just about holding onto it’s summer colour, although my first Six on Saturday is decidedly autumnal…

1. The Pyracantha struggled last year for some reason. Leaves fell off, flowers turned black and berries were few and far between. This year it has fared much better and is covered in orange berries. The wood pigeons and house sparrows have already started on them.

2. The Graham Thomas honeysuckle has been flowering for many months. Just when you think this climber has finished blooming more buds appear. Alas these flowers are a little too high for me to appreciate their fragrance.

3. Ah, good old Coreopsis ‘Early Sunrise.’ A ‘doer’ that flowers for months on end with regular deadheading. I grew some from seed several years ago but I can’t remember if this is from the original batch or one grown from a cutting. It seems to be easy to propagate; we’re talking Penstemon-shove-a-broken-peice-into-a-pot-and-hey-presto-a-new-plant easy.

4. I have a decision to make, and soon. Back in August I fixed a wire from the fence to the blue shed and pointed a few stems of the Clematis montana towards it. The ‘mile a minute’ monster has almost reached the other end and I’m not sure whether I should direct it around the corner of the roof (just under the guttering) or send the thing back towards the fence. It’s still having the odd mini flush of nutmeg scented flowers.

5. The lesser spotted front garden up next. South facing and prone to frazzling in the summer, I decided to add a few grasses, another Sedum and lots of sun loving annuals earlier in the year to mingle with the self seeded Verbena, Californian Poppies, Lavender and Rock Roses. It’s not looking too bad, although a cat has taken to using the foliage of a Rock Rose and the edge of the lawn as a litter tray; highly annoying as there’s bare soil in the neighbour’s border, surely a far more desirable spot for a feline to do it’s business? I’ve acquired one of those sonic cat scaring devices. Fingers crossed it works.

6. And finally… Grown in pots, Cosmos ‘Gazebo White’ has taken rather a long time to flower but it was worth the wait. The bees seem to think so too.

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.

Six on Saturday (23 May 2020)

My wife and I braved a trip to our local garden centre yesterday and we ended up with a ‘Compassion’ climbing rose (I have no idea where it’s going to go) and a serious case of Totally Tangerine Geum envy. A TTG I’d ordered online back in April finally arrived late last week. It was tiny, but I comforted myself with the knowledge that it was bound to be cheaper than a much larger garden centre specimen. Turns out it wasn’t. The oh so much bigger garden centre plant was exactly the same price (cheaper if you factor in delivery charges.) Ah well. To my surprise it’s a 2nd anniversary Six on Saturday today. My how time flies.

1. Although my Totally Tiny Tangerine Geum may not flower this year there is something vaguely tangeriney flowering in the back garden. I spotted this Ranuculus growing behind a box ball. I think this is from a new batch planted in November. Those that bloomed last year have yet to make an appearance.

2. Another week, another Dutch Iris. A pure yellow one this time.

3. The Pyracantha was a bit of a disaster last year. For reasons unknown the leaves started to turn brown and drop off, as did the flower buds. Initially I feared it might have been the dreaded fire blight but I don’t think it was. This spring I’ve watered and fed the shrub (when I’ve remembered) and it’s looking a lot healthier, although there are still a few bare branches and brown and crispy flower buds.

4. Continuing the theme of brown and crispy. Some of the Aquilegia grown from seed last year are proving to be a tad frustrating. Many of the buds have shrivelled up or have only partly opened to produce deformed looking flowers. However, some buds are finally beginning to develop fully. I’m calling this one Rhubarb and Custard. Behold…

5. The Foxgloves have been flowering for the past week or two now but I’ve kept substituting them at the last minute, figuring I have plenty of time to feature them in a future SoS. However, this white/palest of pinks Foxglove is a one-off and after a similar white one in the front garden met an untimely end last year I thought it best to include it now. You never know what colour combinations you’re going to get when it comes to self seeded Foxgloves. I hope it survives the 40mph gusts forecast for later today.

6. And finally… The only surviving Lupin from a batch grown from seed a few years ago has begun to flower. It has gone untouched by slug, snail or aphid for months and I’m ever so slightly suspicious of it’s robust health and unblemished foliage and blooms.

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.

Six on Saturday (2 June 2018)

After all the rain last week I’m going to start with a water plant for my Six(ish) on Saturday. The dwarf water lily has just stared flowering. It’s the only water plant that has done well in the tiny wildlife pond which was put in about 4 or 5 years go. I think the problem was not enough sun combined with the determined efforts of Mrs B (a female blackbird) to have a deeper and more satisfying bathing experience by sitting on the submerged marginal plants. However, the water lily has always thrived and usually flowers right through to October. Last winter I relocated the pond to a more sunny spot and it’s looking clearer than it’s ever looked before, possibly thanks to the addition of frogspawn from a friend at work (the tadpoles seem to be keeping the algae at bay with their constant grazing) and possibly due to the addition of some extra plants which have actually survived more than a few weeks now that they get more sun and I’ve made a deeper bathing area to keep Mrs B happy.

This clematis was already in the garden when we moved here back in July 2012. I’ve no idea what it is but it’s tough and seems to thrive where it is. I’ve added new clematis plants to the garden and none of them do as well as this one.

Graham Thomas has just started flowering. I’m not entirely sure I’ve cracked how to prune climbing roses. The three main branches all come off a rather spindly looking one. The pruning books always provide diagrams with multiple stems coming up from the ground and I’m pondering whether to chop the main stem right back next year and see what happens (though if this sounds foolhardy please, somebody, stop me!)

Common Valerian. One of the first gardening books I purchased was Alan Titchmarsh’s ‘Wildlife Gardening’ (part of his ‘How to Garden’ series). He felt this plant deserved to be better known and I agree. It’s a lovely, graceful thing, a little like cow parsley and a little like verbena. It’s beginning to spread a bit now (initially through splitting but now through self seeding). This one is ahead of the rest and is hidden at the back of the border behind the Prunus cerasifera Hessei next to the shed. After I’d battled to get round the back of the shed to take this picture, stepping over bags of compost and a multitude of spare pots, I was greeted not only by this view of the flower but also it’s rather lovely scent. Highly recommended.

Ahh, lupins. They look lovely. However, as my battle to protect a dozen or so lupin plants grown from seed last year continues, I can’t help thinking they’re a pain in the metaphorical arse (and physical arse if you don’t fasten your shoes properly before doing a little weeding, stumble as a consequence of poorly fastened foot attire, desperately attempt to avoid falling on to said young lupin plants and instead fall posterior first into your former herb bed and head first into your little propagating greenhouse thingy which you’ve been a little wary of after finding a false widow spider in it the previous autumn). However, this is Lupinus ‘Persian Slipper’ and it’s a bit of a hard ass as lupins go. It seems to survive the slugs and snails and so far, touch wood, hasn’t been got by aphids.

I’m going to cheat with my sixth thing. I was worried there didn’t seem to be the usual buzz in the garden as normal. However, bees and hoverflies were enjoying the Oxalis (above) and the beautiful but thorny Pyracantha (below) this afternoon. The Oxalis is looking good at the moment, though I know it will enter a sickly looking phase a little later and I’m going to have to resist the urge to pull it up. The Pyracantha was planted against a trellis fence to provide a bit of privacy from the neighbours, and after a bit of training (and the odd bit of cursing when got by a thorn) it’s beginning to do just that.

Want to join in with the Six on Saturday posts but not sure how? Then take a gander at the site of the chap who started it all over at https://thepropagatorblog.wordpress.com