Six on Saturday (23 March 2024)

Proper gardening finally commenced last weekend. Lawns were cut (it’s amazing how a neatly mown and edged lawn pulls the garden back into shape), a few shrubs were pruned (including the increasingly large Daphne x transatlantica ‘Eternal Fragrance,’) the skeleton remains of this and that were pulled up, and a new small tree/large shrub was ordered. Spring has definitely sprung, although the weather has still been a bit of a mixed bag and is set to turn colder at the weekend, with yet more rain. Anyway, ’tis time for Six on Saturday.

1-3. We start with yet another photo of the half standard Prunus incisa ‘Kojo-no-Mai’ purely because it’s blossomy beauty is somewhat fleeting. Leaves are beginning to unfurl and I’m curious to see if this will be the year that it finally exceeds the height of the ancient bamboo screen & helps to hide the tops of cars and vans behind it. Planted back in 2018, it was only last year that it really put on any significant growth. I’m hoping the nearby standardised Photinia x fraseri ‘Louise’ will also help improve the old privacy situation – I took the plunge and pruned the branches back a bit last weekend to encourage it to bush out. I’m not usually a Photinia fan but this variegated variety won be over. And this deliciously scented Narcissus ‘Geranium’ has just begun to flower. Whether its blooms will still be unnibbled come the morning who knows?

4-6. Another late flowering Narcissus up next – N. ‘Thalia’ looks rather elegant with its slender petals. Again, I suspect it’s only a matter of time before the slimy plant assassins of the night discover it. I planted a few more last autumn but I think I need more still. The diminutive and stripey Tulip ‘Czaar Peter’ (a bargain purchase from the very much missed Wilko) has returned for a fourth year (looking rather lily-like here). I wasn’t a fan when it first flowered in 2021 but it has grown on me over the years. And finally, Tulip ‘Apricona’ is still looking lovely – especially backlit by some rare sunshine. More have appeared over the past week.

They were my Six on Saturday, a meme originally started by The Propagator. For more Sixes on Saturday, from all around the world, head over to the blog of our Six on Saturday host, Jim.

Six on Saturday (16 March 2024)

Okay, all this blustery wet weather is becoming tiresome. Actually, it was tiresome back in February. It’s just tedious now. Perhaps a bit depressing too. In fact, let’s say it’s depressingly tedious. When’s a gardener supposed to get an opportunity to mow their increasingly untidy lawns, clean the mini-greenhouse and re-paint the blue shed? Actually, perhaps I’m grateful not to have had an opportunity to do that last task. Many of the spring flowers are looking decidedly battered – not helped by the continued petal munching of the tiny snails. But enough moaning – in the grand scheme of things such trifles are, well, trifling. Hmm, now I’m thinking of trifle. Stay focused Edwards – get on with your Six on Saturday… and it’s another mostly damp looking one.

1-3. Up first, a returnee from a free mixed pack of Narcissi that came with an order of bulbs from J. Parker’s back in 2022. I’d quite like some more but I’ve no idea what variety it is… although now I’ve typed that I have a vague recollection someone may have identified it last year. I’ll have to check later. Purchased after seeing it featured in one of the Propagator’s SoSs, Ficaria verna ‘Brazen Hussy’ has returned for another year, although I never did remember where I planted its partner – I’m assuming it is no more. I’m having to enjoy this lesser celendine purely for it’s foliage at the moment as the yellow flowers are proving popular with the slimy ones. The dark leaves are rather great though. And as predicted last week, here’s the Prunus incisa ‘Kojo-no-Mai’ again… and a brief glimpse of blue sky yesterday between all the showers.

4-6. After suffering a few wounds when pruning the climbing roses the other weekend, I’ve been pondering getting a third Coronilla valentina subsp. glauca ‘Citrina.’ They seem to do well in my north facing back garden, grown against the south and east facing fences. Tying-in is essential as the branches are rather lax, but it’s a fast grower, doesn’t get too tall, and the fragrant flowers are popular with the bees. A Narcissus of short stature, ‘Toto’ (and hands up if you said that doing a Dorothy Gale/Judy Garland impression) is just about surviving but not really thriving. This photo was taken earlier in the week before the snails set to work on the flowers. And finally… more disturbingly early Tulips – possibly ‘Apricona’ which started flowering at the beginning of April last year and the middle of April the year before that. It’s proving to be a reliably perennial variety.

They were my Six on Saturday, a meme originally started by The Propagator. For more Sixes on Saturday, from all around the world, head over to the blog of our Six on Saturday host, Jim. Err… I’m still thinking about trifle. As Mabel from You Rang, M’Lord? would say “I can’t remember the last time I had trifle.”

Six on Saturday (9 March 2024)

It’s been a week of sun, frost and showers. The sparrows are busy gathering nesting material in the garden, pulling at the silvery strands of Stipa out in the front garden. Last Sunday dawned bright and sunny and I finally felt motivated enough to get out in the garden to do a bit of tidying up. Roses were pruned, blood was spilt and wounds were attended to. They weren’t the only plants to receive a bit of a chop, and that leads me to my first Six on Saturday…

1-3. The faded blooms of Hydrangea ‘Miss Belgium’ were removed, initially with great care, chopping back to a strong bud, and then a little less carefully as I couldn’t quite reach far enough into the border to get at them without trampling on this and that. The Hyacinths have done really well this year, although several have toppled over due to the sheer weight of the blooms. This is a double flowered variety in the front garden (I raced out with my camera having checked there was nobody about – I’m not very sociable). In a corner of the back garden the half standard Prunus incisa ‘Kojo-no-Mai’ is bursting into flower – I suspect it will feature again over the coming weeks.

4-6. One plant that has featured on numerous occasions is the Winter Honeysuckle. It started flowering in December but is still producing the odd fragrant bloom. A few of the oldest stems will get chopped back to the ground in a few weeks to encourage some new shoots. I’m still having issues with tiny snails munching on the flowers of this and that. They’ve even had a go at the pea-like flowers of a Coronilla – something I’ve never seen before. Thankfully, they’ve overlooked these Primroses – for now though at least. And finally, set off perfectly by the upside down yellow bucket weighed down with a brick to protect the water feature, is this rather keen Tulip (‘Word Friendship’ I think). Worryingly, they seem to be flowering about 4 weeks earlier than last year.

They were my Six on Saturday, a meme originally started by The Propagator. For more Sixes on Saturday, from all around the world, head over to the blog of our Six on Saturday host, Jim. Hmm, it’s raining out there. I don’t thing there’ll be any more tidying up in the garden today. Perhaps I’ll do a spot of online seed buying instead.

Six on Saturday (4 November 2023)

It’s usually around now I cover up the swing seat. Alas, an unusually keen refuse collector apparently came all the way up the drive yesterday, retrieved the black wheelie bin which has been used for the storage of this and that for the last 10 years (including the swing seat cover) and emptied its contents into the back of the bin lorry. When I looked out the front window on Friday to check that the bin bag had been collected and saw a wheelie bin on the pavement I’d assumed we’d acquired someone else’s by mistake. But no, t’was ours. A new swing seat cover will be ordered this weekend and a less risky place to store it will need to be found. Ah well, time for Six on Saturday.

1-3. Up first we have Mahonia ‘Soft Caress,’ the standard Prunus incisa ‘Kojo-no-mai’ in all its Autumnal splendor and ‘Miss Belgium,’ a Hydrangea of reasonably short stature. Planted back in 2018 (no. 6), the ‘Kojo-no-mai’ has only ever grown about an inch or two each year. It’s gone a little mad this summer, putting on a foot or so of new growth – perhaps it will help provide a bit of privacy after all.

4-6. For the second batch we have a self-seeded Calendula, Fuchsia ‘Delta’s Sarah’ and the winter flowering Clematis ‘Freckles.’ The Fuchsia will have to get chopped back come the spring as it’s become a bit tricky getting to a water butt and bird feeder. ‘Freckles’ could also do with a bit of tidy up next year to keep it within the confines of the garden arch.

They were my Six on Saturday, a meme originally started by The Propagator. For more Sixes on Saturday, from all around the world, head over to the blog of the current Six on Saturday host, Jim.

Six on Saturday (25 March 2023)

Back in early March I seem to remember wishing for rain. Not heavy almost-every-day rain accompanied by blustery winds. Just some nice gentle H20 at night and sun and blue skies during the day. Alas, there rarely seems to be a happy in between when it comes to the weather lately. Still, last weekend I finally managed to get some seeds sown (only the Sweet Peas so far) and attacked the rather large ‘dwarf’ Eucalyptus gunnii ‘France Bleu’ (it won’t be featuring in any photos until it looks a little more picturesque). There was also time to do a spot of bargain plant shopping, which leads us reasonably swiftly to my first Six on Saturday…

1. I thought my quest for the perfect orange Rose was over last year, but ‘Simply the Best’ turned out to be more yellow than orange. I spotted a bare rooted ‘Joro’ on Poundland’s website and decided to pop into the store in town on Saturday to see if I could save myself some postage. They had one left; surely a sign? As it was only £2 I won’t be too disgruntled if it doesn’t survive.

2. Walking past the Country Market shop a little later I spotted this little fellow: Narcissus ‘Tête Bouclé.’ Having made such a saving on a bargain orange Rose t’would have been madness not to purchase it. What was that? Is that ‘Jetfire’ behind it? Err, yes. Another purchase from the same shop a month earlier. They’ve just come into flower.

3. Behold, a tray of Violas purchased at Hestercombe Gardens on a surprisingly sunny, rain-free Sunday. Though the planting schemes at Hestercombe rarely change, the whereabouts of the shop and café tend to alter on a regular basis for some reason. This time they’d moved the plant stall, causing a brief moment of panic. Hopefully I’ll get a chance to plonk these in the ground this weekend, although it’s not looking very promising out there at the moment.

4. Right, that’s the new plant purchases out of the way. Next up we have Hyacinths. They’re doing rather well this year, although the stripy pink lot required some support after all the rain and the slightly spindly dark pink lot (supposedly ‘Woodstock’) could do with planting in the ground once they’ve finished flowering.

5. They look rather good reflected in this small garden mirror that’s creating the illusion of a view through the fence. I’m pondering painting the frame white to match a garden mirror that hangs on the other fence.

6. And finally… The Prunus incisa ‘Kojo-no-mai’ has gone ka-bloom!

They were my Six on Saturday, a meme originally started by The Propagator. For more Sixes on Saturday, from all around the world, head over to the blog of the current Six on Saturday host, Jim.

Six on Saturday (18 March 2023)

While the rain we’ve had lately has been much needed, it hasn’t really inspired me to get out and do anything gardeny. But during a brief respite from the damp on Friday I felt suitably motivated to sort through numerous packets of seeds, working out what to grow this summer and what to get shot of. I’ve still kept far too many and I suspect a second ‘weeding’ session may be required, but perhaps now I may finally get around to sowing some, weather permitting. Friday was also spent cutting the front lawn (the first mow of the year), pulling up Cosmos and Zinnia skeletons, and searching for six photos to share for Six on Saturday.

1. We start with a Primrose and, rather miraculously, a mostly unnibbled one. Some others aren’t faring quite so well.

2. Growing above the Primrose is the half standard Prunus incisa ‘Kojo-no-mai.’ A few flowers have begun to emerge. It was originally planted with the intention of screening off the view of the houses behind the garden but I hadn’t realised it was such a slow grower. Every so often I’m tempted to move it and plant something taller, but I’ve decided to view this as a lesson in patience. It’s staying put.

3. Narcissus ‘Jetfire’ has begun to open. Possibly one of my favourites, it has yet to do its swept back ‘whooshy’ petally thing. I’ve bought a few more recently, in a pot, that will get planted later in the year.

4. More daffs up next, tall ones. I usually steer clear of tall daffodils fearing they’ll get flattened in the wind, but these must have been in the free bag of mixed Narcissus from J. Parkers that I planted back in November. They’ve survived the blustery weather we had earlier in the week and are looking rather nice in the border behind the garden bench. It’ll be interesting to see what other varieties appear.

5. The Aubrieta that was plonked in the new mini raised ‘water feature’ bed has begun to flower. Fingers crossed it survives longer than another one that was planted a few years ago.

6. And finally… a photograph that took me ages to take. Returning for a third year, I really should have planted Hellebore ‘Single white blotched’ in a more accessible spot rather than at the back of a border, perilously close to the wildlife pond with trip hazards aplenty. When I eventually got to it there wasn’t enough space to get down to flower level so there was a lot of holding the camera at funny angles and hoping for the best shooting. This was the best of the bunch.

They were my Six on Saturday, a meme originally started by The Propagator. For more Sixes on Saturday, from all around the world, head over to the blog of the current Six on Saturday host, Jim.