Six on Saturday – Hope

Posted byofftheedgegardeningPosted inSix on Saturday, Welsh WalesTags:, , , , , , ,

Two weeks SoSing in a row, there must be something afoot. I can’t imagine what has influenced my buoyant mood. Something must have changed. The balance of good and evil may have been addressed. Perhaps I have over-stated it, too Marvel superhero, or embarrassingly naive, the next stop Regretsville. Perhaps. It will of course depend on deeds not words, as the man himself said, and I have hope, which is a precious commodity in these troubled times. The moment is precious, let us bask in it. My job is to keep the flowers blooming. That is hard enough as it is. If you would like to read more SoS’s from across the known universe, and find out what this is all about, check out our leader, Jim at Garden Ruminations, and all will be revealed.

First we have a most special red rose, Fragrant Cloud. This is a favourite of both OH and myself. Yes, fortunately, although we disagree about a lot, we agree about the important things. Classic and highly scented, a joy indeed.

I have two stands of this argyranthemum in the garden, both have done far too well and should be dug up, divided and repositioned. I said exactly the same thing last year. Know the slothful enemy.

My OH is a great fan of teasels. We brought seed with us from North Devon which in turn came from our Bristol garden. He has planted four in the garden. They have taken over, making the most of the rich clay. Is it possible to mansplain a garden? However much they have made their spiky presence felt in “Our” garden, I must concede it has given me great joy to watch the sparrows drink from the water filled leaf axils, seemingly oblivious to the spiny leaves. Hopefully, a little later in the year, we will be blessed by goldfinches. Then the teasels can go. Please.

I managed to keep three pelargonium alive this winter, more luck than judgement. This P. sidoides Magenta Form is one of the lucky trio. Thanks for hanging on in there.

Salvia microphylla ‘Trelissick’, grown from HPS seed last year, is doing well. Not my usual colour scheme, but I am definitely becoming less Ozzie and more Cartland in my old age. Send help.

Did I buy Hemerocallis ‘Yabba Dabba Doo’ for the name? You bet I did!

That is your lot. Here’s to a better world, full of love and compassion and empathy. We can only hope.

ps I still haven’t found the Fuchsia boliviana, I am suspecting it has been eaten by Rudbeckia fulgida and at some point it will spit out the label.

35 thoughts on “Six on Saturday – Hope”

  1. Goodness, do you allow your OH to plant things in your garden? That never happens here, out of the question. He’s not even allowed an opinion about plants, not that he has many. Fragrant Cloud brings back memories for me, my parents used to grow it. Your salvia is gorgeous.

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    2. Right? Mine has suggested we remove my elderberry, which I carefully grub out self seeders and promptly cut runners. I even trim it back a bit so it is not so huge. It is out of the question to remove it entirely. He likes snapdragons, so maybe I plant some for him by the back door…

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      1. I shouldn’t indulge him. I have a friend whose husband insisted they grow horse radish in the vegetable garden. She gave in and a few years later it had completely taken over her precious asparagus bed and everything else too. They have moved house now and although she has never admitted it, I think it was to escape from the horse radish.

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    3. I just creased with laughter when I read that your OH isn’t even allowed an opinion about plants in the garden. Is he even not allowed to say ‘what a lovely combination, you have done so well?’

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  3. My husband hints at plants he likes when we’re at plant fairs, but that’s as close to gardening as he gets! Which suits us both.
    I’d have had to buy Yabba Dabba Doo too, such a brilliant name.

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  4. Oops, I too am loving the BC salvia! Dangerous ground. I also meant to comment on your last week’s SOS. It captured exactly what I was thinking about the garden here. Good to have you back blogging, long may last!

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  5. Beautiful rose, though I do like your pelargonium best of all, it’s so delicate and I love the vibrant colour. Mine are struggling to flower, a few have produced a few flowers, some, none. I’ve considered taking them into the greenhouse to give them a boost of heat and might have to yet do that.
    Yes, I would have bought that Hemerocallis purely for its name. I can just hear my husband and youngest grandson podding up the garden path yelling in unison, ‘Yabba Dabba Doo’. Thanks, I’ve enjoyed your cheerful post and lovely flowers and I can second your sentiment for Hope.

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  6. Yes, July is Day Lily time, even if they haven’t such amazing names! Love your salvia and pelargonium, stunning colour. My parents too had your rose Fragrant Cloud, I remember it well.

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  7. We have a native plant that is called cup plant because it holds water like the teasel, but gets flowers more like wild sunflowers. It is a cool plant, but it grows easily 10+ feet tall. Visited by birds and insects, especially when conditions are dry but the cups still hold water. Cool, but to tall for my garden. Teasel is right out too as an invasive European plant that was brought over when North America was being colonized. It is one we are to destroy on sight, but the spiky seedheads look cool.

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  9. I do like the Pelargonium in the banner, nice one! Mr S is not allowed anywhere off the path, but last week he kindly dead headed a rose. I dare not check on or advise, better not to know what he did! It actually needed all the heads cut off!

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  10. Well done on keeping that pelargonium, it’s quite a fussy one. I managed to kill one off after one season. In fact I’ve lost my love for pellies, except for the scented leaf ones which remain outside, I think I’ll compost the others this year. Even the cuttings are struggling.

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      1. I’m very lucky. The garden is entirely mine, warts and all. The OH is a musician and remains firmly indoors sometimes I drag him out to show off a plant, but he’s very much hands off.

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  12. There was me thinking that the constant bickering between Sue and me over matters horticultural was the exception not the rule. We both have opinions about everything but almost never agree.

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  14. ‘Trelissick’ looks like a specimen that we just recently acquired. Someone moved into one of the staff residences here, and wanted it gone. I like it because it is mostly white, although I think that these Salvia look better with other colors. Is ‘Trelissick’ more white or more blushed?

    It is amusing to know that I am not the only one who is a sucker for cultivar names. I purchase almost nothing, but have been pursuing ‘San Jose’ bearded iris for years because of its name. It is not even very pretty. Actually, it is one of the ugliest bearded iris that I have ever seen; but I WANT it! ‘Los Angeles’ and ‘San Francisco’ are prettier, but not very interesting, and do not have such appealing names. (They are very closely related, so resemble each other.)

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