Six on Saturday – Excitement

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

Welcome to another Six on Saturday, I hope it finds you well and happy. If you would like to know more about this worldwide phenomena then pop on over to meet our host The Propagator (a little bit like The Terminator but marginally less violent). Shall we proceed? We don’t want to give that Welsh chap anything to moan about.

First, we have the ever faithful Osteospermum ‘Double Berry Purple’. It struggles through each winter cruelly exposed to the elements, whether wet or cold or windy or all three, with little more than a shrug. A trouper and one to have on your side.

Onto another stalwart of the garden. However much I mistreat this gallant soldier it fights on regardless. It is dragged it out of shrubs, the roots are wrenched from the ground and shrivelling spells are cast. Still it displays its virginal flowers to prove my ineptitude. Never one to let you down, I give you, drum roll please, the indestructible (through fair means not foul) bindweed!

Next, we have Erysimum linifolium ‘Variegatum’, probably. It grows in a narrow gravel border that edges the slabbed area. Although it is flowering well at the moment, contrarily, I chose to present the foliage which I think is equally as lovely. I notice that someone has taken a cartoonish nibble out of one of its leaves. Now who could that have been? Hands up please, or should I say tentacle up?

Now we have Bletilla stricta ‘Alba’ which although growing healthily has been a great disappointment. This year, as well as last, it pretended to flower, causing great excitement, but the bud disintegrated into nothingness. Any ideas folks? I have fed with tomato food, which as you know isn’t as daft as it sounds. Oh yes, and there this little chap who I thought was quite beautiful. Unless he is called The Emerald Bud Chewer. I might go off him then.

I don’t have much in the way of bedding plants, but these little trailing verbena turned my eye whilst shopping for essentials. Surely no one could argue that this little darling is not essential!

And finally, more excitement in the garden. After five years languishing in pot showing no inclination to do anything of merit, my Agapanthus inapertus ‘Midnight Cascade’ had got not one, but two flower spikes. I have changed my name to Thrilled of North Devon. That is unless the dreaded Emerald Bud Chewer comes its way. I have installed 24 hour security.

Another week over, take care my friends, and stay safe.

39 thoughts on “Six on Saturday – Excitement”

  2. Omg we are both eulogising the barbaric bindweed this week! In fairness, its a plant too… But, heaven help us, tis hard to take to it. Note: I deleted two bad words, and then inserted mention of heaven… That should cast a decent spell!

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  3. I’d like to think that the lovely Osteospermum ‘Double Berry Purple’ would survive through winter in my garden.

    Nice to see you feature the leaves of your Erysimum, the foliage of so many plants are overlooked. Very pretty verbena and I’m sure many would argue that it is indeed essential.

    I hope your Agapanthus continues on to be a beautiful bloom (or two), we are all waiting to see the results with fingers crossed.

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  4. I too am disappointed with my bletilla…( exactly the same as yours)
    Last year I only had leaves and the bud was nibbled, this year no leaves came out of the ground … I think it’s ruined.
    Super foliage of the Erysimum
    Same verbena as mine ( I have another colour too) : hummingbird moths like them.
    Finally, my first agapanthus is going to open the flower buds… I should see the flowers soon.

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  6. I think the little emerald chap is a thick-legged flower beetle (I’ve had one in the garden). As to whether it’s plant friend or foe I don’t know. Love the Osteospermum ‘Double Berry Purple.’ I spotted some bind weed under the hedge in the front garden – there was a moment of panic but I don’t it’s come back yet. It is pretty though!

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  8. Sad to say, bindweed has also made its way to my garden again this year. Let the meditative words and thoughts begin as I start to pull. And pull. And pull….. I’m looking forward to seeing your Agapanthus!

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  9. Bindweed… pain in the proverbial [shakes head]. As for the beetle I don’t think he causes any damage. I once did a post on him on my flower blog: https://smallbluegreenflowers.wordpress.com/2016/08/29/macro-monday-34/

    The Flower Beetle (Oedemera nobilis) is also known as the thick-legged beetle.

    And I too am thrilled to see a couple of new Aggies bought last year have flower spikes, yet the gorgeous variegated ‘Silver Moon’ has none for a second year. What am I doing wrong? It is in the ground and gets lots of sun. I haven’t fed it though, maybe that’s the problem.

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  10. I too have bindweed, but I think Valerian will give it a run for its money – it has been slowly spreading down our road since a neighbour foolishly brought some back from the coast forty-odd years ago (long before I lived here, but I live with the consequences).

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  12. I had four Bletillas in the ground, none of which did much last year, so following the advice of my Orchid growing book, I moved one to a somewhat sunnier spot. One of the unmoved ones didn’t come up this spring, none of the others have flowered. I have one white flowered one in a pot, which is flowering now. My book describes it as the ideal beginners plant which increases each season with no problems at all. He also says that wet feet will rot its roots and corms and late winter was very wet, and I’d already blamed the dry weather for poor growth and no flowers on the survivors. The book says they need plenty of water as the weather warms and through the blooming season. I might try to split off a bit of them and pot it up.
    I just got given a plant of Ipomaea alba, which looks suspiciously like bindweed but is much harder to grow and flower. Does that make any sense at all?

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    1. It does, this is in a sunny position, and I now blame a dry spring, we had one last year as well didn’t we. I don’t water anything in the garden except for pots and the newly planted. Perhaps next year I will be more attentive.
      I am sure you Ipomaea is far classier. 🙂

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  15. Love that Osteospermum, doubly! I am having a similar problem with Ground Orchids here (Bletilla relatives) They were gorgeous for a couple of years and now they are not. NOt. I also have long term non blooming Agapanthus….weird?

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  17. Oh, the agapanthus are certainly coming along. Every year (at the same time), they seem to be early, until I consider that they are actually right on time to be in full bloom for the Fourth of July.

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  18. I think bindweed flowers are a beautiful shape, and I grew morning glory last year in a planter which is a similar flower without the worry of it taking over. The bindweed grows in the field hedges round the garden so there’s no way to avoid it here.

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  19. that’s funny, i thought, that looks just like a bindweed flower. surely she hasn’t. she has! good lord. the flowers are scant compensation for the rampaging annual assault on my sunny border. it makes me twitch and there are nights when i see it imprinted on the backs of my eyelids. my ginger plants are coming along, courtesy of your good self. i still have them in 1L pots, i ought to plant them out but worry about them getting swamped. perhaps i’ll just pot them on and let them grow a bit first.

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