Six on Saturday – Stormzy and Soggzy

Of course it was too good to be true.  Last week was the intruder, the uninvited guest who agitated the party, whipping up the mob, charming us into believing we could have better.  But we can’t.  This is the south-west of the UK.  It rains.  It blows.  We have residual webbed feet.   I should have known better than to raise my hopes.  But I did.  Now everything is back to type and I feel disappointed.  Which is why I am here, far too early for a Saturday morning, on the set of Carry on Screaming.  The wind outside is making ridiculously clichéd sound effects, sleep is impossible.

But let us not descend into melancholia, this blip is nothing that a bit of Six on Saturday can’t sort out.  This cure-all is distributed by Dr Prop, medicine man and snake oil supplier to the stars.  If you dare, pop over and see what it’s all about.

To begin we have apple blossom, of which there is an embarrassment this year.  Or should I say was?  I am wondering how much will remain after these gales.   Still, we rarely eat the fruit these tiny twisted trees produce.  The jackdaws will be remiss, they love their autumn apples.

Next we have a surprise, to me anyway.  As the label had been stolen by the fairies/broken/never existed I was under the illusion that in this pot lurked a bizarre root vegetable I had bought from Lidl a couple of years ago.  Apparently not.  I believe I can say without contradiction that it is a fuchsia.  Then it all came flooding back.  It is Fuchsia jantasensis and it has been languishing for a few years not doing anything of merit, definitely not flowering.   I can quite honestly say that it was not worth the wait.  Apparently it is quite variable in form.  Not sure this is its best incarnation.  The pollen looks like broken biscuits which is rather sad.

Now for a something with a little more potential. Osteospermum ‘JK’ is just about to come into flower.  Dependable, weed smothering, bright and beautiful.  Sound like anyone we know?

What now?  Oh yes, strawberry flowers.  Shall we take a moment?  I think we need it.  Imagine a sun-warmed plump strawberry, plucked straight from the plant in all its virgin glory, at best wiped on the leg of your shorts to remove any slug slime, sweet and fragrant.  Better have another one.   Fabulous.  That feels much better.

The photo is a bit blurry because it was raining when I took the photo, and the wind had already begun its torment.  The things I do for you!

This little tulip, Tulipa batalinii, was bought at Marwood Hill Gardens a couple of weeks ago.  One pot for me, one pot for my friend.  For some reason we thought they would be bright red, possibly because this is what we wanted and somehow by wanting them to be that colour it would materialise.  Wrong again.  This flower has been wide open and has now quite sensibly decided that the better part of valour is discretion.    It is rather pretty, with its green tinged edge.  But definitely not red.

A few years ago I saw a truly gob smackingly amazing lily on the television which went straight to the top of the Lust List, Lilium ‘Forever Susan’.   Deepest mahogany petals, the tips of which are orange, as if someone has held onto the ends as each were individually dipped.   When I spotted a pack in a garden centre I was very excited.  When I came to plant them I realised that they were Forever Linda and not Forever Susan.  Close, but not close enough.  Nice, but not nice enough.  I mustn’t muddy my love.

There we have it, another week completed.  Stay safe.  Remember the strawberries.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Messy

This photo of an emergent azalea was a lucky take when a glimpse of sunlight hit.  It feels as if it was a singular event.   Otherwise it was rain and hail with the odd episode of torrential.   It has been a long and very messy day.

I am now going to eat chocolate.  This may be just as messy but I doubt whether it will take very long.

Fair Weather

Just to put you at your ease Lady Mantle, I will not be naming names.  All I am going to say is that after tea break only one person returned with me out into the garden, into the deluge and the storm and battled the ferocious monsters that had been summoned up by the weather gods.  And one other person stayed inside pretending to be busy.

No names, Lady Mantle, you are quite safe from retribution.

Six on Saturday – Bunnies

Happy Six on Saturday Easter!  Or should that be Happy Easter Six on Saturday?  Whichever, I hope your Easter is a good one, whether or not you partake in this weekly rite.  Not sure what I am on about?  Nothing new there then.  It may all become a little clearer if you visit The Easter Bunny of Propdom’s site.  He will explain, and while you are there you can find out what all the other bunnies have been up to.

Shall we begin with a fat green caterpillar looking splendid in the magnificent blue bowl of Anemone coronaria ‘Bordeaux’, featured previously.   If we don’t allow caterpillars then there will be no butterflies or moths.  As I have discovered this week, the human species inflict more damage on my plants and aren’t half as pretty.   It is good to share sometimes.

Next we have the Cappadocian navelwort, Omphalodes cappadocica.  Such a pretty plant, a blue of the angels.  I half-inched this piece from Lady Mantle’s estate when she otherwise engaged (on her gin break).  As I was already nailed for the theft of one plant I thought I might as well go for broke and take another.  Although the wanted poster is rather fetching likeness, I consider 30 bob and half a corned beef sandwich a rather insulting reward for my apprehension.

On to Dodecatheon meadia, the shooting star.  It is just coming into bloom and each year charms me with its downward pointing dart-like flowers.   At the moment it is growing in a pot, which is not ideal but means I can bring it in and out of the spotlight as warranted.  Now it is in prime place, as it deserves.

Next another emerging Woolies acer.  In the last few weeks I have been systematically ….. hang on a minute who I am trying to kid, that is absolutely nonsense, I have never been systematic in my entire life……. I have been randomly potting up and on, renewing compost and feeding all the permanent pot residents.   They thank me for this spring clean and renourishment.

Bleeding heart, bleeding wonderful.

Finally my cunning tulip plan of the autumn, to pack Tulipa ‘Orange Emperor’ and Tulipa ‘Purple Prince’ into the Belfast sink, has finally come to fruition.  Admittedly there are more earth shattering innovations, but on a cold November weekend it seemed pretty avant garde.   The crowd were on the edge of their seat for a while when the purples flowered and the oranges were a no-show, but eventually everyone caught up and it is now looking splendid.  A happy ending.  Just as it should be.

Happy hopping everyone!

 

Upside Down, Boy You Turn Me

Yesterday a parcel of plants was left, according to the email I received whilst I was out working, “In a safe place”.   This oh so secure and nurturing place was outside my front door in the rain.  To add insult to injury it was upside down, in a box with clear arrows to prevent such mistakes.   I sighed.  I did my best to rescue the fallen.  I complained.  New plants are on the way.

Today at Button Moon the morning began damp and drizzly.  Last night we suffered supposedly heavy rain but as it passed in my dreams I can’t confirm this.   Perhaps this allegedly severe weather was the reason that some of the heuchera leaves had turned upside down.  Whatever the reason, the vibrant violet, raindropped undersides were quite beautiful.