Like many Northern Hemispherer contributors, I’m sure, I have struggled to whittle my Six on Saturday choices down to the allotted number this week. This is not a complaint, this is a relief. Houston, we have take off! There is still lots to do, with potting on and planting out, but this has slowed to a leisurely stroll rather than a sprint hurdles crashing into every other barrier. The watering is becoming a worry, the first water butt is empty, the second sounding a bit echo-ey and no rain on the horizon. I know, some people just can’t be pleased. If you would like to meet the gang, then pop over to Jim’s site and you will be transported to all corners of the universe. Come on, let’s not dilly dally.
First we have the Dutch iris ‘Carmen’, with the Geum ‘Tangerine Dreams’ playing peekaboo and some Allium in the background. I have a soft spot for all things Cloggie and this beautiful iris has not let me down.
I promised My Tiny Welsh Garden that I would show my more subtle geum. And here it is – Geum ‘Mai Tai’, who, compared to her more blousy siblings, is petite and understated. There is room for all.
Polemonium ‘Purple Rain’ is having its moment of glory, I just love the bright yellow stamen against the pale purple petals. I suspect the bees love that too.
Morea huttonii has flowered for the first time in any garden of mine. Slender and fragrant, we had some fine stands at Cliffe where it wowed early visitors. Just two stalks this year, the only way is up!
Onto Rhodohypoxis baurii (or similar) which, in spite of the fact that last year I vowed to divide and repot which turned out to be a big fat fib, is doing rather splendidly. I promise this year I will be more attentive. It is in writing now so I will have to keep my word.
Finally, we have the miniature bulrush Typha minima which is flowering for the first time in our miniature pond. This, perhaps underwhelming, shot is a means to an end. A way in for me to tell a charming tale. It is short, but it is sweet.
We provide a running bird buffet in the ornamental pear tree in the guise of feeders full of peanuts, seed and fat balls. On occasion, I throw some stale bread onto the lawn which is pecked at by sparrows or scooped up by a corvid. Over the last few weeks we have been mesmerised by a magpie who methodically dips a piece into the pond to soften it before eating it. Now that is what I call clever.
All done, another six under my belt. Have fun, my friends.
Off The Edge Gardening 
A lovely Six as always. A fragrant iris sounds like a must. We’ve had crows dipping stale bread in the pond or the gutter. They are clever things corvids.
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I am fascinated by corvids, much misunderstood, I think.
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That geum is reputedly named after a cocktail but I prefer to skip that and think of the original meaning of the Tahitian which is simply “The Best”. Appropriate for a week in which we lost Tina (Turner, not Torrington).
Otherwise, I am again reminded of some plants which have disappeared from my garden over the last couple of years and I must endeavour to get them back.
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We have the same taste in Geum, that is all.
I have a plant for you, that I will bring this week. I was going to feature a seedling I took from you (with permission) but perhaps that will be next week. Sad about Tina Turner, she was a wonderful woman.
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I love the tasteful little Geum you show (not that I don’t like the bright ones too), and the Dutch Iris look lovely with the alliums. I enjoyed reading about the clever Magpie.
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That is the problem, we love them all!
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I had the geum ‘Mai Tai’ in the past, but I can’t find it, it must have been covered by other plants because it’s indeed small compared to the other geums. I have the same typha in the pond, and maybe one day I will also have flowers?
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Thank-you for SOS-Clever. We watched a flycatcher balancing on the gutter this week & hope it will nest again this year. Life is different now the nursery is closed.
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A flycatcher? How wonderful. I expect it is very peaceful there, it is a beautiful place and I miss you being close-ish.
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Such a pretty little Geum, thanks for including it.
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Thank you Rosie
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Lovely pictures, I haven’t seen “Mai Tai” before but will keep an eye out for it, it’s very pretty.
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Thank you, yes she is lovely 🙂
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A wonderful selection of items! I hope we both get that much-needed rain! 🙂
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Fingers crossed!
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Oh, yes, it’s so hard to whittle down the list…especially this time of year. The plants that you’ve shared are beautiful and fascinating. Irises are stars!
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I am growing to love iris more and more. I’ve got one just about to flower, a gift from a client that I’ve never seen in bloom, maybe next week!
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Your Dutch iris ‘Carmen’ is a beauty. Much softer than mine and a perfect match to the alliums. “Mai Tai” is pretty too though I prefer the taller geums. I love watching the birds work out how to reach the feeders. Magpies are wonderful in working out how to get to the goodies, even eating upside down! And I have a very intelligent blackbird too. Birds provide so much entertainment.
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I love watching the birds, as you say so clever!
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Morea huttonii is a surprise. I thought I knew what it looked like, and that it was similar to the common Morea iridioides. I did not expect it to look like yellow flag.
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The flowers are very small, only about 5 or 6 cm wide.
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That is not much smaller than flowers of other species of Morea though. (I translated it to inches.) Flowers of common Morea iridioides do not get as big as they should here anyway.
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Beautiful choices!
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How big is this small garden of yours?! Maybe you’ve got a Tardis ….
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I squeeze a lot in 😁
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