Happy Birthday Peggy!

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Once, when I was a little, little, girl I was skipping down a London thoroughfare with my family.  On reflection, my family were probably not skipping, they were more than likely either being dragged or dragging curious children towards their destination.   Shall we say it was Tottenham Court Road, that is close enough and has a certain ring to it.  As my innocent wide eyes scanned the hubbub a hand thrust a bunch of flowers my way.  I gratefully accepted this gift from the generous benefactor.  A second passed.  My mother grabbed the flowers out of my hand, sent them straight back to the gipsy woman who had delivered them with a “no thanks” and yanked me on my way.  I remember being rather puzzled by these proceeding.   Only years later did I realise that you rarely get something for nothing, one of the many lesson my Mum has taught me.  Today is her birthday.  It would be rude not to say something.

To MBM from YBD

Sorry I won’t be there, I’ll make it up to you, hope this suffices and you haven’t changed the will yet. x

Six on Saturday – Newbies

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This week my Six on Saturday is going to feature New Kids on the Block.  I hope you won’t too disappointed to discover I am not talking about the 1980’s boy band but newbies in my garden.  Some are very recent acquisitions, fresh out of their wrappings, some have been in town a little longer but are just getting around to flowering.  All are giving me great joy at the moment.  Sorry?  You don’t know what Six on Saturday is all about?  Well you better pop straight on over to our leader The Propagator’s site and all will be revealed.  If you can’t be bothered, just try to keep up.  Mind you, I would recommend a visit to El Prop, you can see what others are up to and the rules of the game and other such frippery.  I will leave it up to you and your conscience.  Shall we proceed.

First Salvia nemorosa ‘Blue Marvel’ rescued from a bargain bin during a convenient garden centre stop off on the way to visit my Mum last week.  He did not come alone.   It was a bumper harvest, and although some of my crammed car of rescuees were destined for clients this was always going to be mine, mine, mine.  It is indeed blue and marvellous.

Now for the beautiful Dahlia ‘Bishop of York’.  This was purchased earlier in the season in a “grab all you can bulb and tuber sale”.  Well that is how I read it anyway.  Initially destined for another garden, it didn’t quite make it, clinging on here by its roots crying “please keep me, I will flower well for you and you will grow to love me”.  How could I resist.  Although there are full blooms, I rather liked the way this one is partially open.  And I do love it.

Next my garlic harvest, much better than I thought it would be, laid out totally randomly to dry on our courtyard bench.  The breed is Dario, which I haven’t tried before, and I’m very happy with it.  Mine you, the proof is in the eating/vampire repelling.

I have had Dierama ‘Kilmurry White’ in the garden since sometime last year and I can’t even remember buying it.  All I do know is that again it was a bargain.  It is a wonderful pure white, and backed by the deep purple penstemon, looks a picture.

This Begonia fuchsioides was a travelling companion with the blue salvia and, considering how brittle it is, came home remarkably unscathed.  It is a plant I have read about, and might even be on one of my many Lust Lists dotted around the kingdom.  The only downside is that it is another Tender Trevor when I should really be buying Robust Roberts.  Hey ho!

Lastly, and off the scale of loveliness, is Roscoea purpurea ‘Wisley Amethyst’.   Grown in a pot, safe from the rough and tumble of the border, it is just as beautiful as I was hoping it would be.  Long may it live.

That is it, all done.  Until next time ….

 

 

More Marwood

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Another favourite from yesterday’s visit to Marwood Hill Gardens is this bizarrely beautiful Kalanchoe beharensis, or the Elephant’s ear kalanchoe.  How can you possibly go wrong with a plant/pachyderm hybrid?

Friendship

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You can strike up friendships in the strangest of places.   Well I can anyway.   A packed polytunnel at the both marvellous and cruelly irresistible Sampford Shrubs, was one such place.  The person in question, who I befriended, or perhaps befriended me, was a visitor from Cornwall.  I was on my way to Somerset.  On reflection making a friend surrounding by plants is not strange at all.   For me anyway.  We met, we bonded over row upon row of salvias, dahlias and other delectables, and we went our separate ways.   After a few years of house moves and life changes we met once more today, reunited by the would-be demon “social media”.  And where better to have this reconnection than Marwood Hill Gardens?

This Meconopsis napaulensis was for me one of the outstanding plants of our visit, although there were many to coo over.  A fabulous day.

 

Love in a Meadow

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The soil is parched, despite regular watering.  In spite of this hostile environment many of the plants on Button Moon are continuing on a trajectory so upward I am scared where it all might end.   No more so than the wildflower meadow.   Last year it was a mixed meadow, this season a little less diverse.  But not diminished in any way.  Dominated by candytuft in sugared almond shades, nigella intersperses from white to Marianas Trench blue.  It is a joy to behold, diverting.  What is more, it is a moving picture, with flitting butterflies and bees and all host of pollinators that I really should learn the name of, skimming and feasting.  This love in a mist, denim blue with spiny green ruff, was the winner in a very tough competition.  Until next time, when its crown will most certainly fall.

Six on Saturday – Platinum

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This might take some time.  I’m writing this week’s Six on Saturday on my Mum’s gas powered laptop.  It has languished forgotten in the cupboard since 1836 when she upgraded to a solar paneled tablet.  Once we had located the cranking handle (filed under archaic miscellany) and turned it over a few times it started up surprisingly easily.  And it is working very well.  As long as you are of the opinion that speed is an over-rated phenomenum.  The point, that I will hopefully reach before you all nod off,  is that I think this devotion to duty deserves a gold star on Mister Prop’s progress chart.  The reason being as follows:  a) location, b) content c) inclination.  At the moment I am in a different country to the one that my garden is located.  I have once again left OH home alone to the horror that ensues when I leave, that is peace and quiet and no backchat.  b)  Necessity has led me to utilize Clause 567, Subsection 34a in the Six on Saturday Constitution.  All the following plants were in my garden at some point but are are now in Max’s.  All were grown from seed.  c)  Driving on the M4 westward on a Friday afternoon to spend the weekend doing Peggy’s garden has left me a gibbering wreck.   However I have summoned all my inner strength and, aided by some thinly veiled threats by my mother, I have managed to complete my task.  On reflection this might warrant the platinum award.  What do you think?  After all that gibbering I best be brief.

First we have Lobelia bridgesii and heavily laden friend.  Gorgeous and gorgeous.

Now onto Campanula persicifolia, the peach leaved bellflower.  A great, and I mean that most sincerely folks, self-seeder.  I have an inkling that at least one of his siblings will be white.

Next Cephalaria gigantea,  the giant scabious,  this is a couple of years old now but still not up to its full fighting height.  It has made a rather serendipitous stand with some linaria interlopers.

It is no secret that I am an avid salvia fan and this one is no exception.  Salvia forsskaolii, indigo woodland sage, is a boisterous beauty.

There are two of my Iochroma australe seedlings in Max’s garden and they have both flowered for the first time this year.  As luck would have it, one is white with a hint of pink, and one is dusky blue.  The blue has my vote, but they are both lovely.

When we were kids we jokingly nominated each other football teams, I had Gillingham, my brothers Peterborough and Crystal Palace.  In the same vein I always think of Gillenia trifoliata as my signature plant.  It is thriving in a spot the text books called unsuitable after the removal of a nearby large tree.  Very adaptable us Gill’s.

Right, better get on, got gardening to do!