Welcome to this week’s Six on Saturday. My theme, and I do like a theme even if I do tend to go off piste, is “hope”. I googled “what is hope?” and I was presented with two options. Firstly; a feeling of expectation and desire for a particular thing to happen. It was however the second, archaic, definition that I believe is most relevant; a feeling of trust. When Pandora inadvertently released a truckload of woes into the world by opening her famous box, hope was left behind, jammed in a corner at the bottom no doubt. Hope is not always easy to hold onto, but we must try, and we must trust in the future.
This morning I was up early wandering around the garden in my PJ’s taking photographs, the neighbours are used to it now, and I found lots to shout about. Horticulturally speaking this is a time of great hope, seeds are beginning to germinate, plants sprouting, plans are huge and expectations immense. If you would like to know more about SoS, all the information you could possible want, and much, much more, is over at our leader The Proptastic Mr Prop’s site. Shall we begin?
First we have the valiant Rhodotypos scandens with its corrugated lime green leaves just beginning to emerge. The photo is a bit blurry, but it was blowing a Klondike gale out there this morning. All winter it rocked and rolled on its roots in the frozen hinterland of the front garden, but it has come through undaunted. Soon the flowers, perfect in their simplicity, will give me joy each time I walk up the garden path.
Next the flowers of a pot grown blueberry. Yesterday I suggested to OH that we get rid of it, or donate it to someone else who would look after it better, as it isn’t very productive. I think it is flowering just to make me feel guilty, which of course I do. Plans for its demise are on hold.
This Impatiens stenantha should really be snoozing, or perhaps just emerging, but it has had insomnia all winter long. The leaves are beautiful with their toothed red edges. An early flowering perhaps?
The Lavandula pinnata has also not slept. It is like having a garden of hyperactive teenagers at a sleepover. Unlike teens, I am confident unremitting flowering will not make them grumpy or late for school.
Soon there will be tulips. These look sturdy and full of potential. I can’t remember what varieties they are, we are all in for a surprise, hopefully a good one.
Lastly, a kindness. At this moment in this world’s turbulent history some people are having toilet rolls and pasta left on their doorsteps by caring neighbours. I had a Woodwardia radicans and a packet of tigridia seed. Thanks Hero, you know how to make me happy!
That is your lot. Stay safe and stay happy my friends. ‘Til next time.
Off The Edge Gardening 
Yes, we must all hope. I’m going down the garden to dig up my blueberry plants unless they can show me a reason to keep them. Beautiful, healthy tulips.
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Did they live to fruit another day or are they now in the green bin?
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This impatiens is very pretty! I already have one in bloom and the other 3 not yet; these are all cuttings that Jim sent me but unlike yours, their leaves are darker ( mat or shiny). Yours has a lighter colour what stands out with the serrated edge; I love it !
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You are welcome to a piece when it is all possible, just don’t let me forget. 🙂
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good idea… we’ll see what we could swap.
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I think Fred may have hope of receiving a bit of your impatiens? We all need patience and hope, and express generosity whenever we can, and also graciously accept gifts and signs of solidarity. I’m impressed by the quality of your macro photography…lovely light too at last and hopefully more sunshine for the UK this coming week.
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Do you think it was a big hint?! 😀 Yeah, sunshine! That will do us all the world of good.
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Nice start to the spring Gill! What else can we do but to remain hopeful that tomorrow it will be a better day? 🙂
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And we have each other across the world, its a nice thought.
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If we are looking for hope I agree that the garden is a good place to start. How lovely to find a gardening gift to cheer you too.
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It is so easy to be kind, and the results are tenfold. Enjoy this sunny day, long may they last!
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It was a pleasant change to have a sunny Saturday. The leaves of the Impatiens stenantha are lovely. Looking forward to seeing the tulips on full bloom. I noticed a few of mine had opened this afternoon. I’m sure they’re a lot earlier this year.
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The Prop’s tulips seem very early! Bring them on though, they are so jolly. And the sun continues, horrah!
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Thanks for keeping us cheerful 🙂
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You are welcome, it works both ways x
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What pretty stitching on the leaves of your Impatiens. Lavender in flower? What a topsy turvy time!
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It is all upside down, we have had such a mild winter, but I am surprised the wet didn’t do for it.
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Hope is a lot better than fear. Which seems to be the norm at the moment. I like hope. I am a hopeful person. And I hope that ASDA have some apples for me tomorrow.
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I hope they do too!
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I used to grow blueberries, it takes a long time to get enough for a pie! I have hope for the Darrowi Blueberries in my garden, not much though, they have nearly died twice and I moved them over the winter. Hope is a good thing and you taught me a new word – piste.
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I love the description of the lavender! Unremitting flowering indeed. Lovely photos and text Gill and yes, let’s all hope for the other is too dire to contemplate.
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I like the theme of hope. I am hoping, given the current situation, that all my fruit and vegetables grow!
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Tee hee. . . Lavandula pinnata sounds like something that gets stuffed with candy and hung from the ceiling for kids to hit with a stick while blindfolded.
It is nice that you still have tulips. We do not plant any because they are not reliably perennial here. Only a few old ones bloomed, but they finished a while ago. There is one (yes, just one) that weirdly blooms in June or so.
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What a great care package to have left on your stoop. That tulip is really lovely looking. What colour is that going to be? It seems blue, but I’ve never seen a blue tulip.
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Those who garden know all about hope, perhaps that’s why we find a sense of peace in our gardens. My blueberries didn’t do well last year, though one was a new plant, so I didn’t have great expectations. They’re both in pots and I suspect that the main problem wasn’t with the plants, it was me – as they didn’t get watered enough during our unusually warm summer and they didn’t get fed enough. I’m to blame, but still hope that they will forgive me and provide me with some nice tasty blueberries that that grandchildren can pick and eat.
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