Six on Saturday – Firsts

Posted byofftheedgegardeningPosted inChez Nous, Six on SaturdayTags:, , ,

You cannot get away from “Firsts” at this time of year.  Wipe the slate clean and start all over. There is a lot to be said for that.   A good approach to life.  As the year tootles along these firsts will become fewer and far between, but not yet.  And today was full of them, perhaps ad nauseam.  It was my first time scrabbling about in the garden thinking “what on earth am I am going to take photos of and isn’t it about time the gardener sorted out this chaos” whilst trying to avoid the gaze of the curtain twitching neighbours who are nodding to each other in a knowing manner.  It was my first proper gardening session.  My first time driving since the leap of faith that was unfounded.  And they are all good firsts.   OH has a man cold so I offered to go to the supermarket.  As I got in the car, turned on my music and shot off up the road I felt liberated.  Torrington Tina told me that the worse thing about her injury was that she couldn’t drive and until earlier I hadn’t realised quite how much I had missed it.  Later pootling about in the garden, getting reaquainted, I felt positive and inspired.  So it is in this frame of mind that I present to you my first Six on Saturday of the year along with my first mention of our leader The Propadoodle.

My first picture, is of Fat Ol.  He has been mentioned before and is my No. 1 favourite cat that doesn’t live in my house.  I love him because he is big and ginger and has an extremely high-pitched meow.  In human terms, he looks like a docker but speaks like the John Inman.  And I love even though he poos in my pots.  He accompanied me on my rummage before retiring to more important pursuits such as sleeping and snoozing.

Next we have my Tibouchina urvilleana, although you may not recognise it as such.  The threat of imminent frosts meant a quick wrap around with horticultural fleece, not enough but I didn’t have much and there are plenty of other needies.  It is still flowering beneath, which is a little bit sad.  Shopping list for Monday includes more fleece.

Now we have a very persistent pelargonium.  Situated in a pot at the front of the house, the land of perpetual winter gloom.  This morning I picked off mouldy leaves and spent blooms.  It won’t have any protection, there is neither room nor inclination and there are several around the gardens.   It is every pellie for themselves.  Who knows what the rest of the winter will bring, it might make it through!

Now for some pomegranate seed ….. not really, this is the burst seed pod of Sauromatum venosum.   I sowed my first seed of the year today.  A very restrained two.  Big Orange Tomato and some mixed species plectranthus.  Not these yet.  I’m planning to do a little research as to the best way to sow these ruby nuggets.  This may or may not happen.  I may just bung them in a pot full of compost tomorrow and hope for the best.

Next we have proof that the nasturtium is not wholly indestructible.  Today I pulled up reams of sog, finding all kinds of exciting things beneath, some I recognised, some not.  Hopefully tomorrow I will have space enough to plant the alliums that are begging to be in the ground.  Mind you, there are a few corners that the nasturtium still reigns supreme.

Lastly we have the husk of a flower.  It took me a while to work it out, but I think it might be the remains of a sunflower.  Whatever, I thought it looked pretty good lolling about in the rosemary.  I’ve let it stay.  For the moment.

There we have it, another first done and dusted.  Have a look at what the other SoSer have been up to over at SoS Headquarters, you still have time to join in the fun!

 

 

 

 

28 thoughts on “Six on Saturday – Firsts”

      1. ‘British’ and ‘culture’? In the same sentence? I really do not know about John Inman. That was just a guess. I am also guessing that a ‘docker’ is a longshoreman. I need not guess that poo is bad though.

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      2. Very funny! I am guessing that a longshoreman is a docker. Sounds about right. Hope you are feeling better, your joke would suggest that you are! It was a joke wasn’t it? or I will coming to find you …….. any excuse for a bit of warmth.

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  2. It really looks like pomegranate! For my part, today I planted pomegranate seeds and we’ll see what happens. My sauromatum had given so much last year that the bulb is so big and there are a lot of babies around … Nobody wants, so I’ll replant everything in March: this year, in the ground under trees and with a thick layer of leaves next winter.
    I’m surprised that your tibouchina resists outside. I will take example on you when mine will be this size!

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  3. The cat does look cute) and sounds like quite a character. IF he poohed in my pots I would not be forgiving. Our neighbours cat once left me a present in my raised veg patch… he has not been back since.

    I used to love John Inman

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  4. I agree with Piglet. You are very forgiving with a cat that’s not yours. I’d give him short-shift. In fact no cat is wanted in our gardens. For the sake of birds, lizards and vegetable health. We have a Jack Russell who’s on perpetual guard duty to see all felines off the property. Also holds his own bowels up until we go for our walks (with poo-bags), so I never have to clean up the garden! Win-win! Ad I’m seriously impressed with your winter wraps. Also very glad to hear your on the move again. 🙂

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  5. I love cats, but they are not allowed in my garden either, because of birds and lizards.
    I planted nasturtiums in amongst my zinnias and they haven’t grown at all, the measly things. I thought it wasn’t possible to fail with them, but I seem to be wrong on that score. I do like the sunflower remains – very interesting. Glad you’re getting around more now, new freedom with driving- well done!

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  6. I would hate to not be able to drive, not to mention how difficult it would for us to live where we do. My neighbour’s cat loves to walk through my garden and up and over the fence where the bird feeders are. The birds all fly away in time. It is definitely a witches familiar so I am not at all keen whereas a little ginger would be most welcome. Glad you are busy buzzing about again 🙂

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      1. Ha! OH had an appt with the doc last week at 10:10 – I picked him up at 12:00 they were running over an hour and a half late! I think I might skip the doc and go to a podiatrist first and see what they think. I am now wondering if it is caused by a nerve as the pain actually starts behind my knee.

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  8. I am SO glad Tony clarified things for me as John Inverdale came to mind instead of Inman so I got quite confused about the meow! Am quite concerned about Tony (with medical hat on) if he has been seeking advice from a proctologist and hope that all is well down there.
    I have planted my tulips but alliums are on the ‘to do’ list tomorrow.
    Go gently in that car, as soon as my foot was fit to drive I got my first EVER speeding ticket after nearly 900,000 miles! That has clipped my wings a bit.
    Happy gardening in 2019, xx

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  9. I’m free! i bet that’s a show that hasn’t dated well, used to love it. Miss Brahms just popped into my head, can’t think why. i concur on your ruthless pellie approach. I too have not bothered trying to mollycoddle them. As a result they look rubbish and will likely die. oh well. survival of the frost-hardy round these parts, Darwin would approve.

    jolly good that you are mobile once more. I’ve sent the all-drivers warning to the other Devonians.

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  10. Liking the use of pegs on the fleece – I usually go round with a stapler but that reduces the likelihood of reusing the fleece – which is pretty low anyway as mine is usually in shreds by the time I’ve unwrapped everything. My nasturtium is all soggy mess but maybe I should take a closer look. Glad to hear you are in the car again – best wishes for continued progress.

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