Weeds and Wildflowers

One of my first tasks on Button Moon was to pick out the weeds from a sowing of wildflowers.  I was stumped.  Wildflowers.  Weeds.  Aren’t they the same thing?  I was worried that my dumbfounded look was not impressing my new employers.  Pickle the Jack Russell looked disappointed at my reticence.  The silence was awkward.

Inaction was not an option.  I did my best. We decided that the perennials were a disaster, mostly nasturtium and dandelion.  The annuals more promising.  Some were obvious, I shimmied around others.

This linum survived, as did many others.  All beauties, none of them weeds, as few of us are in our mothers’ eyes.

 

Impatience

Today was the kind of day that a towering Taxodium distichum to shelter under would have been most welcome  As my garden is the size of a pocket-handkerchief and at the moment more Gobi than swamp, it wouldn’t do.  Still a modicum of shade was provided by my bloomers on the washing line.  It sufficed.

It was also the culmination of the period that I like to call “waiting for signs of plant life before I hoik out the dead”.  This was my last chance for any full-on home-gardening for a while.  I am away at the weekend and thereafter the diary is full of fun and frolicking adventure with a fair amount of amusing anarchic work thrown in.  Action needed to be taken immediately.  Gaps in the beds are becoming more and more pronounced whilst waiting for the dawdlers.  Quite frankly it is becoming embarrassing.   Are you dead or are you alive?  A sign perhaps?  One little shoot would do.  My patience tank had run dry.  Out came the border fork, no prisoners would be taken.  My limit had been reached.

Oops.

Back pedal, replant, water, cross fingers, curse my impatience.

 

Tulbaghia violacea – Society Garlic

Mrs Bun volunteers at Marwood Hill Gardens.  A noble occupation.  A wonderful garden.

When she first started I said “and don’t you come back here saying Mr Head Gardener says this and that and you shouldn’t be doing that and you should be doing this and it is unnatural to chastice or serenade your plants!”.  She hasn’t.  I do sometimes wonder if she is thinking it.  Best not dwell on the subject.

Marwood has several National Plant Collections, tulbaghia is one of them.  This example in Mrs B’s garden flowers for months on end, no trouble, no back-chat, no chasticing or serenading necessary.

Six on Saturday – Rush 2

The chilli is made, the guest room is ready, the shopping done, the fridge well stocked and the washing is on the line.  That leaves me a small window of opportunity to contribute to this week’s Six on Saturday before my nephew and his girlfriend arrive to stay for a couple of days.  Take a look at The Propagator’s blog and all will be revealed although it really is quite simple.  The concept, wait for it, is Six …… on ……. Saturday.  So here are mine.

The white lobelia in the front planters have eventually begun to flower.  As an added bonus this particular shade of white appears to be white and blue, which I am not complaining about, in fact I am really quite pleased.

Next we have a dark leaved geranium that I grew from seed.  It is in its second year and this is the first time it has flowered.  Again I am not disappointed by the ethereal blue, especially set against the moody foliage.  Looks like the molluscs have enjoyed it as well.

Eschscholtzia californica 'Red Chief'Another seed grown lovely is this california poppy,  Eschscholzia californica ‘Red Chief’, won in the same seed war as the nasturtium in last week’s Six on Saturday – Raindrops keep falling on my flowers.

Potentilla 'Volcan'

Now we have the deep dark Potentilla ‘Volcan’, with Festuca glauca ‘Intense Blue’ in the background.  The grass is looking surprising healthy, considering it is frequently used as a cushion by Fat Ol, the ginger not-tom-anymore, from next door.

Primula capitata 'Noverna Deep Blue'

A new purchase this week is this Primula capitata ‘Noverna Deep Blue’.  An impulse purchase.  But then they generally are.

Leucocoryne 'Andes'

Lastly a fluke photo.  Leucocoryne ‘Andes’ and friend.   Sometimes luck is on your side.

Bit of a rush through, but needs must.   Thanks again to Mr Propenstein, has he invented a monster?  It certainly is growing and growing and growing and growing …..

Wrenched

Contrary to popular belief, it is possible to escape once I have got my horticultural claws into you.  It may involve moving home but, I understand to be true, sometimes the means justifies the end.

Today I spent a special day at Marwood Hill Gardens with Mrs Fish and our mutual friend (and another of my gang) Mrs Bun.  A leisurely lunch and an extended dawdle around this wonderful garden was followed by tea and cake until they were sweeping up beneath our feet.

The downside of insisting that your clients are lovely (with adorable pets and good coffee) is that when they leave it is especially wrenching.  I am wrenched by your moving to the civilised south Mrs Fish.

Thank you, I will miss you. x

 

Six on Saturday – Raindrops keep falling on my flowers

Someone must have speeded the film up.  It can’t possibly be Saturday again.  There is so much to cram into every week, it doesn’t seem fair that the time seems to pass more quickly at this time of year.   As we are pondering this anomaly, puzzled looks on our faces, gaining yet more wrinkles, there is a more than likely a crack team of scientists studying this very phenomena.  Let us hope so.  I could do with a few more hours at the very least.  The hard fact is that we are back in our happy place again.  Six on Saturdayland.  Take a look at the website of The Grand Vizier of the Independent State of SoS where you will find other Islanders and a guide to help you on your way if you wish to join in with the conga.  Let us proceed.  Due to circumstance all of my flowers this week are a little wet.  It has mizzle/drizzle/rained all day and although this scuppered my plans I am pleased for the garden.

First of all we have a gazania, the first flower to open from a couple of trays of locally grown mixed plants.  I’m sure they have been enjoying the hot sunny spell we have had up until today.  Quite what this sun-loving, South African daisy will think of the dreary North Devon weather I can’t be sure.  Might make a nice change, although this is unlikely.

Salvia argentea

Next we the Salvia argentea, silver sage, a fabulously furry creature that I have mentioned before in Six on Saturday – Monochrome.   I am pleased to report that it over-wintered and is as adorable as ever.  A pet without the vet fees.

Hosta

Now we have a hosta, which has so far escaped the inevitable ravages of molluscs.  In order to keep a keen eye on it, it lives in pot outside the front door.  It was a gift, along with a couple of others, from Chambercombe Bob and is just about to flower.  I am very fond of it.  Bob’s nice too.

Nasturtium 'Black Velvet'

On to Nasturtium ‘Black Velvet’, which although is quite velvety isn’t terribly black.   A bit out of focus, but it was raining and I was balancing and who cares.   This seed was purchased at an end of season cut price jamboree/full-on-combat event.  Everything was fifty pence, I am hyperventilating just thinking about it.  Myself and Nancy Nightingale wrestled a rather persistent lone male shopper for the spoils.  No prizes for guessing who won the bout.  We make a fine tag team.

pelargonium

A rather pretty pink pelargonium is next, unnamed, bog standard, generic and quite beautiful.

primula

Finally, a little late on parade, we have a buttercup yellow primula.  Bought on a stall somewhere on my travels, perhaps car boot sale or open garden.  It is a welcome splash of colour before my tardy dahlias begin their display.  If I can keep them safe.  Which is not a given.

That is your lot my lovelies.  Until the next time!