Six on Saturday – Strength in Numbers

Anyone else feeling a little horticulturally overwhelmed? Well, (hoping someone said yes) so am I. The garden has switched to hyperdrive, spilling out and over in a what was charming and now is alarming way. There is a slim chance, miniscule in fact, that I may have planted too many plants in the garden. As I type, these squidged in specimens have their elbows out, vying for space, desperate for attention. I am not without guilt. Each night, lying in bed, I sit up and cry, much to the amusement of the neighbours and consternation of OH, “but what happened to the Fuchsia boliviana?!” and the like. But what hope is there for a gardener so deficient in self-control? Someone who is most positively in control is our mentor and champion SoS herder, Jim at Garden Ruminations, pop over to his site and many mysteries will be revealed. Shall we get on? I’ve got to get back into the garden and restrain the eccremocarpus.

Geranium ‘Ann Folkard’ an ideal candidate for this kind of chaotic planting. She finds her way, round and through, complimenting and enhancing without resorting to thuggery. Here she is embracing an astilbe, white cosmos and, a yet to flower, Penstemon ‘Laura Jane’

Erodium manescavii and Eschscholzia californica are getting on like a house on fire. Not strictly on the guest list, but nonetheless welcome, the self seeded Calendula ‘Westwell Hall’ has fitted in very nicely. This marigold came from North Devon, in the garden of the most wonderful Buttons. Happy days.

More ND memories, I must be feeling a little nostalgic today. This is what I call Rosa ‘Beautiful Bobby’, a cutting from The Buns garden. It has been poorly trained to the fence so is finding it’s own support from the crimson leaved acer.

The Polemonium ‘Purple Rain’ has done well this year, flowering once very early and having another try again. The persistent Diascia personata, after a cruel chop, is returning after giving our Gertie a chance to shine. The battle lines continue to ebb and flow, whether or not I have any influence is debateable.

This year I have not embraced the bedding ethos. No reason, I do like a few pelargoniums and marigolds about the place, it just didn’t happen. I’m not sure you could really call these bedding plants but the Isotoma axillaris and Nemesia ‘Lady Lisa’ bought to fill a pot seem to be mingling nicely.

Some plants, however, stand alone quite happily, aloof and self-sufficient. Hemerocallis ‘Nona’s Garnet’ is one such independent soul, it is more than enough on its own, although I am sure it will play nicely with those threatening to intrude. This beauty was purchased, with one or two of its friends, from the wonderful Pollie’s Daylilies . As I have said before, visit her website at your peril.

There you have it, Six on Saturday, the end of June and several more growing months ahead. The battle continues!

Six on Saturday – Word Cloud

If you created a word cloud of my Six on Saturday blogs I am guessing that “rain”, “mizzle” and “misery” would be the dominant components and “sunshine” “gentle breezes” and “contentment” would languish in faint type in a corner. This week’s buzz words would be “torrential”, “sweltering” and “confused”. Monday I was decked out in souwester and drizabone, by Thursday I was in bermuda shorts and a crop top. Quite how a gal is meant to plan her wardrobe is a mystery. I’m sure that Jim, our Memester, has his gardening outfits down to a tee.

The garden was a little battered earlier in the week, but has bounced back. The water butts are full and most plants are doing what I was hoping they would. So let us shake a leg, there are pots to potted and fresh seed to be sown.

It is once again Rhodohypoxis bauri or similar time. Labels lost in the mists of time. An approximate description is the best you will get. Nice though.

Every single dahlia that I left in the ground over winter has survived. The two I dug up and put into the greenhouse rotted and died. A lesson. This is Dahlia Small Single Orange. I will have to have a word with marketing.

Of course it was a total error of judgement to buy an Enkianthus campanulatus when you have a miniscule garden. I obviously have horti-dismorphia.

The flower of Moraea huttonii, the elegant Hutton’s Cape Tulip, was a pleasant surprise. I knew it was there, obviously, it had just slipped my mind for a moment. Apparently these are lovers of summer rainfall and streamside conditions. Welcome to South Wales, my lovely!

I am always pleased when a plant returns, especially a bulb. So many seem to get forked and planted over in my enthusiasm. These Allium aflatunense ‘Purple Sensation’, along with a few friends, have not disappointed. Their ragged post-blooming foliage will be hidden soon enough by their tardy border compadres.

I have a massive soft spot for all thing Nederland and this Dutch iris is no exception. The flowering of Iris hollandica ‘Carmen’ coincided with torrential rain and, whilst others fell, these lucky ones were propped up by the redundant (as yet) obelisk (donated by my sponsor The Prof).

Finally, a quick word about my (not so) sneaky header shot this week. I live on a modern housing estate, rife with plastic grass and horti-apathy. This area of common land is just outside my front door, yet to be mown. It would be naive to believe those in charge of maintenance are embracing No Mow May, but I live in hope. However, the peasants are revolting. The dreadful mess, the unsightly chaos, the lack of order is an anathema to some. But I, along with bee and bird, am celebrating the wonder of it all. I know it won’t last, but yet again I strive to live in the moment.

Six on Saturday – Guano

Heat Wave! Well, it hasn’t rained for almost a week, which amounts to the same thing in this neck of the wood. Do not fear, rain is forecast once again for next week so I will bask in all its waterproof-free glory whilst it lasts. I will live, defiantly, in the moment.

May is possibly my favourite month, it is the anything is possible, all mistakes have been forgotten, I’m sure it is meant to look like that, pre-reality check month. A torrent of positivity and, to add to the joy, now we have sunshine. Fabulous. I think we had better get Six on Saturdaying, there is no time to waste. I’m certain our leader, the indomitable Jim at Garden Ruminations isn’t hanging about, tempus fugit, hay must be made!

Shall we start with a bang? This little evergreen azalea, unnamed and brazen, is a pocket rocket at the moment.

Last week I popped into a local nursery that specialises in bedding. I was passing quite close by and there would be no harm in doing a recce. Just for a look, you understand. I came away with two lemon verbena plants and this Bergenia ciliata ‘Dumbo’ that I rescued from the bargain bench. Lemon drops and a baby elephant, irresistible.

A self-seeded, possibly bird planted, Welsh poppy unfurls its flowers with all the elegance of a butterfly emerging from its chrysalis. Gosh, that was a bit poetic, I think the sun must be getting to me!

The only candelabra primula to make an effort this year is this white, yellow-eyed, beauty.

Cercis canadensis ‘Forest Pansy’ is slow to leaf but well worth waiting for. This small tree has done so much better than the specimen we left behind in North Devon, it must be enjoying the clay soil and the (almost) incessant rain. This living in the moment is trickier than it sounds.

Underneath the pear tree is now officially known as the Guano Bed. It is here that the bird feeders hang, the sparrows squabble, the starlings bicker and our other avian visitors try to avoid the chaos. And it is here that the birds poop, covering all vegetation with a splattering of guano. Hidden, under protective foliage, are the iridescent pearls of Solomon’s Seal flowers.

Another SoS completed, it is getting much easier as the garden wakes. I hope, wherever you are in the world, you are managing to live in a perfect moment. I’m trying.

Six on Saturday – Precipice

This week presented both challenges and achievements. I had a short stint in the doldrums which has now been replaced by my usual “annoyingly positive”. The sun shone and the hail hailed. Jumpers were on, jumpers were off. Work has been great. Things are eventually moving in a happy direction, but sadly Welsh Ann had to be cancelled due to more car problems. Cars; my nemesis, or one of them anyway.

Less rambling, more Six on Saturday! Check out Jim to find others sharing their gardens and thoughts.

The unforgotten tulips are still cocking a snook at my pot emptying abilities. No complaints here, it is an added bonus.

Can we better early season acer foliage? Unlikely.

Anemone nemorosa ‘Robinsonia’ is not flowering well this year, but enough to remind me just why I love it.

The hellebores have had a splendid season. Not only floriferous but long lived. We are standing on the precipice and it feels good.

Spuds! The annual totally uncompetitive, just for fun, to the death, spud growing competition has commence Chez Nous. This year the variety is Pink Fir Apple. May the best person win, who is called Gill.

Finally, the most popular and most worthy, Geum ‘Totally Tangerine’. It symbolises a line crossed and I am very happy for the fact.

I’ve checked and recounted and there are six photos and it is Saturday. Job done!

Six on Saturday – Stormy

The prospect of Storm Kathleen hovers. She is the 11th named storm of the year and will undoubtedly bringing mayhem and destruction in her skirt tails. Which is ample excuse to have taken photos on Friday when the weather, though gusty and showery, was a little more well mannered. Looking out of the office window this morning, there is no sign of chaos or even a breath of wind, perhaps this is the proverbial “calm before the storm”. Perhaps she changed her mind, oh fickle storm! If you wish to get weather reports from across the globe, and the odd plant or six, pop over to Grand Master Sos, it will be an education. Shall we begin?

First we have Impatiens omeiana, looking it’s early season best, reveling in the persistent rain. It should have been moved, I don’t like it where it is because the leaf is too similar the rhody next to it. But wasn’t because I didn’t do it. Mañana.

It is mushroom compost time of year again. Welsh John gets a couple of pallets and myself and Welsh Ann have 10 bags each. It is delicious. You know if you know.

Erythronium californicum ‘White Beauty’ – not quite white but definitely a beauty.

We have a pair of wood pigeons who visit the garden, they are called Mr and Mrs Einstein. They potter about looking a bit vacant, eating fallen seed from the feeders. It seems that fresh hosta is rather tempting.

I was going to call this blog Bring Out Your Dead but thought better of it. Space in the greenhouse is becoming sparce and these pelargoniums have been ejected due to not making an effort to live.

Finally we have Ribes x gordonianum, syn R. x beatonii. More understated than Ribes sanguineum, but just as lovely.

That is all, hope the storm passes you by unharmed. Must rush, my boiled egg is ready!

Six on Saturday – Fussing

Are we there yet? Not quite. After a balmy t-shirt day yesterday, today the wind is bitter and showers are forecast. I must remind myself it is still March and be patient. Easier said than done. Still, plants continue to nudge above the surface and buds are swelling, in spite of the gardener’s fussing. And it is becoming increasingly easier to produce a Six on Saturday. Ever a sign of progress. If you would like to meet other SoSers, and indeed the Grand Vizier himself, then pop over to Jim’s and you can enjoy them at your leisure. Shall we shake a leg?

This year I didn’t buy any new tulips and last years’ withered and rotted. My lack of enthusiasm was partly due to the millions I planted in other peoples’ gardens and I am not a keen bulb planter. A few have popped up that I missed when bringing them in for storage. Here is one, name unknown, Survivor would be apt.

The Anemone blanda, have been battered and bruised but soldier on regardless. I love this little beauty.

One day a sweet little seedling, the next a rampant, plant-suffocating mass of orange and yellow. We will never be without nasturtium and I’m very pleased for it.

Omphalodes cappadocia, a wonderful name, a beautiful plant.

Finally, our mini Magnolia stellata has its first flower and I am a very proud parent. Pink tinged and perfect, it is all I had hoped it would be. On an adjacent branch, a sibling is waiting for its time to shine. Just two this year. I am hopeful for next year.

All done, who knows what is waiting in the wings for next time.

I forgot the viola! Thanks to The Prof for pointing it out. This is a viola, another self-seeder, this time in the colocasia pot in the greenhouse. Quite how I could have forgotten it, I have no idea, it is so pretty.

Now, that is definitely six! I think.

Six on Saturday – Glimpse

The incessant inertia of winter’s chilly wind and rain is eventually showing signs of let-up. In the past week there have been hints that all will be well. These might have been mere glimpses of hope that the ground will one day not be sodden, a jumper will not be needed and the bare earth will be covered. And a glimpse is all I need. Shall we get on Six on Saturdaying? If you are new to this SoS malarky, Jim at Garden Ruminations will set you right, all are welcome.

The Pyrus ‘Chanticleer’ is flowering well after its severe flat top in the autumn. On many occasions throughout the gale-full months we have said “thank goodness the tree was pruned”. It is still No. 1 hangout venue for the sparrows, great and blue tits and starlings. Sometimes a sparrowhawk comes to play too.

This colour!

The peach is flowering very well, could this be the year we actually get a fruit? It will get my undivided attention, I will answer to its every whim and fancy, I will (as Jean-Luc Picard would say) “make it so”. There may be tears.

Muscari latifolium, possibly the best grape hyacinth in the world.

This year we seem to have lots of self-sown honesty, Lunaria annua. The first summer we were here I planted ‘Corfu Blue’, obtained from plant maestro Welsh John. I am sure these are this plant’s offspring, how much they look like their mum, I can’t tell you. Still, they are very pretty.

Finally, this Ribes sanguineum ‘King Edward VII’ was purloined at dead of night from The Prof’s garden. And yes, I was wearing a balaclava and black catsuit.

That is your lot, have a great week and look out for the glimmers.

Six on Saturday – Just Wait

Another balmy week, with mixed fortunes. Things are moving on; every day a little longer even if not a little brighter. Seeds have been sown, pots watched, germinations welcomed with joy. The garden is sodden but the greenhouse is an oasis. Still, the threat of cold lingers. That is about it. Our Six on Saturday host is Jim at Garden Ruminations, pop over to his site – just a minute, not yet! Wait until you’ve read mine. I’ll remind you again at the end, just in case you forget. Let’s proceed with sixing on Saturday …..

First we have the anemone that has been trying to flower for a few weeks. I don’t think this photo would appear in any advertising campaign. Battered and bruised but ten out of ten for effort.

The Pyrus ‘Chanticleer’ blossom buds are swelling expectantly. It won’t be too long before the local pollinators are enjoying their bounty.

As Shania sang “you’re still the one I run to”, my favourite daff, Tête-à-tête, is just beginning to flower.

I have left most of the seed heads in situ, for the wildlife to enjoy, harvesting only those I needed for myself. This dahlia is now attention seeking, having been ignored by both the gatherer and the birds, it has decided to do it for itself. Vivipary, the name for this phenomenon, is a rather wonderful word, don’t you think?

I do love a hyacinth and I do love blue. I doubly love this.

Finally Ipheion uniflorum ‘Wisley Blue’, which is looking rather pale and interesting at the moment. I don’t remember it flowering last year and it is looking rather jammed into its pot. The question is “is it flowering because it is happy, or is it flowering because it is sad?”. And “if I repot/divide up will it flower next year?”. Fraught with uncertainty.

All done, the end of another six, you are dismissed. Now pop over to Jim’s and see what the gang are up to.

Six on Saturday – Back to it

After a self-awarded sabbatical, I returned to work this week with a squelch. Still, it could have been an awful lot worse, it could have rained on Wednesday as well. This positive thinking is 100% due to having had a month off. I am refreshed. Ask me my thoughts again in a couple of weeks. Only joking, my mindset has swerved from “we’re all doomed” in late December to “anything is possible” in early February. There is no place for medians. If you wish to find out more about Six on Saturday and revel in other SoSers’ gardens then pop over to Jim’s at Garden Ruminations and all will be revealed. Now, star jumps everyone, it’s nearly spring!

First we have Apple Mint, putting on some new growth after a mild but wet few weeks. I’ve got a few different mints; ginger, chocolate and pineapple but never use them for anything other than decoration. Ideas anyone?

I was surprised that this yellow flowered Eccremocarpus scaber has cocked-a-snook at the freezing conditions earlier in the winter. The temperature fell to -4.8C in the greenhouse, so I would imagine it was much colder out in the wilds. It was grown from seed and in turn produced lots of its own seed last summer. I have redistributed some of this wealth, hoping others might enjoy this exotic and apparently tough specimen. I’m going to sow some myself and will be interested to see what colour they turn out to be. Yellow was a bit of a surprise.

Photinia ‘Pink Marble’ was bought specifically for winter interest in the garden, which was definitely lacking last year. It is looking a little rough around the edges, possibly frost damage, and it hasn’t grown as much as I had hoped it would. Still, where there is life there is hope, and a nice feed and some kind words and I’m sure it will try much harder.

Hands up, who forgot to put the sempervivum under cover? Hands up, who, even though they specifically meant to put it under cover after the photo was taken, forgot once more? Mañana

Another plant bought for both its winter interest ie evergreen foliage and general loveliness, is Lomatia ferruginea. Again, I was hoping for a little more growth, but it was in competition with the usual thugs that I like to hang out with, bidens, dahlia, salvia and other ne’er-do-wells. I will pay it more mind this year.

Finally, Galanthus ‘S. Arnott’, the epitome of snowdropicity. The late winter blooms have taken a severe battering recently, fallen crocus and Iris reticulata are sad sights to bloom-starved eyes. This tough snowdrop has held its own against the elements and is all the more precious for the fact. 

All done, Six on Saturday complete for another week. Have a good one!

The Random Book Giveaway – The Library, a Fragile History paired with Maggie

A few years ago I started, with great aplomb, the Great Monthly Book Giveaway. I was to give away a book each month and write about both recipient and tome. Even if you couldn’t be bothered to follow the link, you clever folk would have guessed as much. It fizzled out after a short while, I was possibly distracted by a kitten or puppy, or perhaps a plant sale. To mark nothing in particular, I have decided to relaunch the concept, with less expectation of myself, as The Random Book Giveaway. This could refer to either the randomness of the book or the frequency of my gifts. All bases covered.

First we have the book, The Library – A Fragile History by Andrew Pettegree and Arthur Der Weduwen. I have been interested in manuscripts, both aesthetically and historically, for many years, have read several books on the subject and have admired examples in all their glorious splendour at The British Library. This book was a natural progression and is as comprehensive as it is captivating. It covers passion and politics, war and wealth, heartbreaking wonton destruction, acquisitiveness and art. Through the centuries, from scrolls to digital readers, it is a thoroughly entrancing and accessible read.

Next we have the recipient, Maggie. I first met Maggie when she worked at one of my favourite places, for both the plants and people, Marwood Hill Gardens, in North Devon. We were forever bumping into each other at various horti-events and she was always kind to point out if I was wearing a piece of clothing back-to-front or inside out, which admittedly is not a rare occurence. Despite all this, we didn’t become proper friends, not in the “here, have my number, let us meet for coffee/wine/chat” kind of way. However, I always felt it was on the cards, just around the corner, she was fun and bright and I liked her. Then we moved to South Wales and the moment passed.

Or did it? As luck would have it, we found each other again on-line and discovered we both had an interest in manuscripts and the like. Who’d have guessed? We took an on-line course together, on Anglo-Saxon art, although I played truant often, true to form. Other things too, it seems, we have in common; a love of art and poetry and wildlife. Virtual friends we will have to be, for the foreseeable future. But I think that is OK, although I will miss the coffee/wine/chat and it will be tricky when it comes to righting my wardrobe. It will have to suffice.

Now you have been introduced to both book and person, I hope you agree, that this will be a perfect match. The Library and Maggie, I know that she will love it, just as I did. I certainly hope so.