Sorry, I’m a little late on parade. I would love to say I had a pressing engagement, possibly top secret, which prevented me posting yesterday. The truth is, however, other mundane stuff got in the way and the day slipped by on a banana skin. Still I am here now and The Propagator, who manages the Six on Saturday Team, is very forgiving. Hopefully.
My first contestant this week is Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’. This variegated Japanese grass has a wonderful lax habit and its golden striped leaves are a joy. As autumn proceeds red tinges are beginning to appear in its foliage. It has just begun to flower, these are not showy plumes, but dainty has its place in my garden too!
The next contender is Phyllostachys nigra otherwise known as the black bamboo. This was very fashionable (and we all know how much a follower of fashion I am) in the same decade as the ra ra skirt. Luckily for the great British public, I only embraced one trend. Unfortunately it is confined to a pot where it struggles on, giving me a dirty look each time I pass by.
Eventually the Salvia atrocyanea has come into flower. And I mean flower, singular. Just the one. Next year Rodders, we will be millionaires.
And now for teacher’s pet, Paraserianthes lophantha, formally Albizia lophantha. I have grown this fast growing tree from South Western Australia before. Unfortunately it succumbed one especially chilly winter and I have mourned its passing ever since. I sowed seed earlier this year and this one plant is the result. Now all I have to do is get it through the winter!
Next a fragrant one, a lavender coloured heliotrope, Heliotropium arborescens ‘Chatsworth’. The bloom is looking a little weather-beaten, the leaves yellowing, but still the perfume is delicious.
Lastly we have the small but perfectly formed Tibouchina ‘Groovy Baby’. I bought this last year at Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens in Dorset, wooed by both the manageable size and its funky name. The shrub might be miniature but the flower certainly isn’t.
So that is it for another week. Better late than never. Thanks Mr P! Will set my alarm clock for next week.
Off The Edge Gardening 
Nice selection Auntie. I’ve got a Phyllis in a large container. After about 15 years she rewards me with a nice black cane about 5 feet long every year. I say “long” cos when it’s a cane it’s been cut but before it becomes a cane it’s 5 feet tall. She was a bit moody to begin with but I felt she perked up a bit once I started harvesting and giving her a purpose in life. I also remember she’s very thirsty and I must give her a good soaking every day. And heave the container up every now and again to nip off the root she’s trying to send out into the ground underneath.
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Lovely six Gill. So nice of you to show up! 😀. I have a small hakonicloa from which I expect more next year. It has some growing to do.
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I got there in the end! They are lovely plants, with tricky names, which seems to be the norm for me. 🙂
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The Parasenthianses looks a lot like Sensitive Plant (Mimosa pudica) – you know, the one that folds up when you touch it. I hope it comes through the winter just fine. Same with the Tibouchina (so lovely). Maybe we should lobby for a name change to “Six on the Weekend”? 😉
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Oh no! The way the naming panels complicate things – Sedum becomes Hylotelephium and a lot of Asters become Symphiotrychum – any name change would probably end up as Sex super volutpat vestibulum. Well, photos might be interesting I suppose. 😉
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Of course I never use google translate to work out what you are on about. But yes, it might be tricky. 😉
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Yes, something a little more vague, like us!
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🙂
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Heresy! Six on Saturday it shall remain. If some (no names,no pack drool) have a different relationship with time that’s totally fine! We’ve had a monday addition before now…
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🙂
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Pack drill! Not pack drool….
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Oh, really? I was looking forward to a pack drool. :))
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I love the Japanese gras. Again, I see it as a picture.
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You never let me down 🙂
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That tibouchina is pretty sweet. They have such nice flowers, but are so awkward when they get too big. That little dwarf takes care of that.
I am not familiar with that Peraserianthes lophantha (Albizia). The common albizia is a good tree here, and can actually naturalize, but is unpopular because of the messy bloom. I think it is worth the show.
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I think so to. 🙂
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