Six on Saturday – Faster, Higher, Stronger – Together

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

I do like a theme, it helps to rein in my thoughts, and for today’s Six on Saturday I am going to use the painfully obvious subject of the Olympics. I am a non specific sports fan, there isn’t much I wouldn’t watch with glee, and three weeks of excellence and excitement is a joy to me. This does not mean I won’t live to regret starting today’s project. In any case, I would prepare yourself for the tenuous and downright ridiculous. Which of course, would never be used to describe our esteemed Director of Sport, Jim at Garden Ruminations, high jump over to see what everyone is up to (I did warn you!). On your marks, get ready, let’s Go!

First we have a lacecap hydrangea, grown from a cutting taken from Peggy’s garden just three years ago. It lives in a pot which is often shoved one way or the other, not ideal for this moisture loving shrub. However it has jumped these hurdles with ease, growing very fast and producing more than enough flowers for its stature.

Sailing on, we have this jolly dahlia entertaining a bee. I’ve no idea what variety it is, possibly it was grown from seed. It remained in the ground last winter and has now become a hefty specimen, chucking out blooms like the best discus thrower.

Next we have Roscoea x beesiana, synchronised diving duo extraordinaire. Whilst these flowers are pure cream others are dashed with various amounts of purple. All lovely.

Shooting for the stars is this deep purple gladioli, seemingly the only one that has made it through. Perhaps it elbowed the rest out of the way, which of course is not very sporting. It does have the look of the dark side about it. Umpire!

This is all going swimmingly well. Next, we have a eucomis which came from Welsh John last year, who perhaps knows more about its identity. I read somewhere that it is safest to keep these slightly tender bulbs a pot and store them in the greenhouse over the wet winter, which seemed to do the trick. Winter training is of course, very important.

Finally, with all the grace of a gymnast, we have Salvia curviflora. I find this gorgeous flower tricky to photograph in all its cerise glory. I wonder if what I see is wrong and what the camera shows me is right, or the other way around. Something to ponder on, but perhaps only for a moment, the Olympics have started and I am needed as unofficial commentator and armchair expert.

28 thoughts on “Six on Saturday – Faster, Higher, Stronger – Together”

    1. A very tricky job, not one I would like to do. And yes, the purple gladi is quite stunning. An hour of so ago myself and OH were standing watching the bees in the garden, a bumble bee flew into one of the gladi florets and a big caterpillar leapt out! I think they both had a shock. It was very funny.

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      1. It is difficult to say. Several species that do not perform well here are annoyingly popular, while a few that perform well are rare. Eucomis is supposedly available in Los Angeles, but I have not yet seen it.

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