I’m prepared this week. No last-minute rush, all is calm and in control, just like a girl guide. In real life I didn’t make it to the heady heights of girl guidom, but I was in the brownies, who quite frankly take anyone. I can’t remember much of our exploits except there was a curiously large plastic mushroom placed in the middle of the room at all our gatherings. Like many of my fellow gang members, my arm was bedecked with various badges. Unfortunately they weren’t cool and sophisticated subjects in those days, no Inventing, or Aviation or Zero Waste. Possibly there was Crocheting Toilet Roll Covers and Defrosting Arctic Rolls, although I can’t be certain. The only one I remember for certain was the music badge. Perhaps too well. “What is this instrument?” the examiner asked pointing at a picture, “A bass” I replied. “Can you be more specific?”. I was puzzled, very puzzled, what could this highly technical terminology be. I had studied my Ladybird book The Story of Music from back to front and front to back, I had been confident I had all subjects covered. But I was flummoxed No light bulb moments. Eventually after much furrowed browing (which I blame for my present wrinkle predicament), some uming and a far amount of ahing, I conceded I didn’t know. She made a terse note on her clipboard. Now a little uncertain of myself, I went on to play my recorder solo, possibly a rendition of Handel’s Water Music, more likely Frère Jacques, as I say my memory is hazy. It turns out this mystery instrument is called a “double bass”. Give the gal a break! And yes, I am still bitter. And yes, I did get my badge. And yes, it is time I moved on.
Seems I have wandered off the track once more. I will lose my trekking award. Back to the task in hand, which is Six on Saturday. An event where billions of people from across the galaxy feature six items from their gardens, or an approximation on this theme, in a humongous horticultural jamboree. If you wish to get your SoS arm badge then pop on over to our Akela’s site and you can discover much more, including the words to She’ll be Coming Round the Mountain which you will need for a sing-song later.
First we have a viola which is still in its reticent stage. Each year is the same. I plant them with great verve and expectation, praising and naming them with great aplomb No. 1 in my top ten of winter bedding. Then they sit there. *time passes* Any flowers that deign to show their cutsie faces are nibbled by slugs in their overcoats, they grow lank and dishevelled. *time passes* Then eventually they wake up, read the contract and get into giving us a great display just when we are thinking about changing the display. We are still at stage 2, although this little chap has avoided mollusc attack so deserves a show and tell.
Next we have the emerging foliage of Lamprocapnos spectabile ‘Valentine’, or Dicentra specabilis ‘Valentine’ to those who knew it in its previous incarnation. They are perfect in their infancy. Scattered around are leaves from the large shrubby phlomis that shades it, torn off in the recent high winds.
Now we have the first showing of the diva Lilium ‘Casa Blanca’. This majestic lily was a gift from my favourite heckler. I don’t wish to ruin his reputation so he will remain anonymous.
Who invited you to the party?
Onto the emerging leaves of Potentilla ‘Lady Mantle’. This name has yet to be officially accepted by the Royal Horticultural Society. Which is mainly because I dug a piece out of her ladyship’s garden and ran home with the hounds snapping at my ankles. Without label naturellement.
Lastly a flower which is not in my garden, but it will be soon. This beautiful camellia bloom belongs to our neighbour. Soon, when it has bored of being splendid, it will drop over the wall onto the path that leads to our front door. I think it is quite fair that I can share in its loveliness, the fee being that I will clear up the deceased.
There we go, six done and dusted. Dyb, dyb, dyb, dob, dob, dob.
Off The Edge Gardening 
Dicentra is easier to spell. I will stick with that.
You got a splendid picture of that camellia. I should have shown some off this week, but didn’t. Brent (my colleague) went to Nuccio’s last week. It is in Altadena, not very far from where he is at. I was surprises by how much was still blooming. The season seems late for us.
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Early for us, late for you, it all evens up in the end! 🙂
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It is not as if we have much control over it anyway.
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True!
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I’ve come late to the party today! Had to dash off early to deal with an epidemic of all the clocks in the house suddenly being slow in unison. The guy at the clock shop examined them all carefully and pronounced that they were fit and healthy. So I had to check with the meteorologists, then the astronomers and finally the astrologers to see whether the earth has undergone some weird time-warp. All negative. So I have an appointment with the psycho-analyst on Monday. It just cannot be teatime already! 😉
Now I know where you got your “taste” for magic mushrooms. Sometime I will tell you about my week camping with the girl guides. Liking that Lamprocapnos foliage. Must look it up.
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Your potentille picture (#5) is wonderful Gill ! I would have featured it but the viola gives more colors. Good idea to have made me think of bleeding hearts, I will check mine this afternoon btw 2 showers and rugby…
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Lovely flowers as always. I also have collection of crocheting toilet roll covers and defrosting arctic roll badges. Well done on your music badge. Did you know that there is also an octobass? we found one in a music museum in Paris (having musicians in the family takes me to these sorts of places) and it is humungous
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So pleased we are in the same gang! An octobass, I must look that one up …………. incredible! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCEYPyUBDAU
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Hahaha… I loved this! I was a Brownie too, but don’t remember getting many badges. I went to two GG meetings and decided it wasn’t for me (I was heading for the rebellious stage at that point). Perhaps Jon needs to design an SoS badge for us all to stick on our blogs 😀
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Yeah, what a great plan, that would be brilliant! Perhaps with velcro attached, I didn’t get my sewing badge. 🙂
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I suspect I didn’t either!
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I was a cub but can’t remember what badges I got. Not many though. I like the leaves of the potentilla. Always fancied one and have never got around to it. Big viola fan here!
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I can’t watch for the sing-a-long! But in the meantime lovely new beginnings. Does your phlomis survive happily? I was put off trying them because I’m running out of space in my sunny corners.
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Thank you. It does, it is on the North side of the house, in the teeth of any nasty winds (including one that is raging at the moment) and it doesn’t turn a hair. Well it does drop a few leaves, but hey, who wouldn’t?! Full of flower buds at the moment.
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Encouraging. Raging wind here too. Not good for gardening 🙁
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No, I’m not going far today. Maybe a nap this afternoon, was up at 5.30 as the wind was rattling the windows so hard I couldn’t sleep. Phlomis still looking OK although doing a lot of “shake rattle and rolling”.
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Your Brownie days made me laugh – I have the dubious honour of being asked to leave the Brownies because I refused to retake a badge when I had lost my job sheet, something silly like housework! I never went on to Guides, but I’ve spent my life being stroppy. Great Six, thanks for sharing.
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How cool is that, Brownie rebel! Thanks, glad you enjoyed it, I wondered if people would wonder what I was going on about. 🙂
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It’s been the bane of my life, but helps with gardening because I will do what I want to do! 🤣🤣
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You and me both, fun isn’t it?! 😀
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Gill, you heap funny lady. You are hereby promoted to Seconder. I just hope you realise that with great power comes great responsibility! That potentilla pic is lovely.
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How exciting, thank you! I won’t disappoint you.
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You are organised this week 🙂 I love the camelia… can’t you take a cutting?
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Now there is an idea!
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Spring is in the air over there!
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It is! Still snowy there?
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Lots of promise in your garden. If you’re anything like me you just have to be super careful not to damage those new shoots. But I’m sure you are a very careful gardener!
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Um …… yes of course very careful 🙂
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