Six on Saturday: 3 October 2020

Tags

Aeoniums, amelanchier, Helianthus salicifolius, Leucanthemella, Rudbeckia, six on saturday, Succulents, Verbena bonariensis

That was September

Into October and how the weather has changed. Deluge from Friday and for days to follow. Ghastly gardening conditions but thankfully mild overnight. Flowers will continue although most of us are unlikely to want to venture out to see them. My six were taken on Thursday, a dry day which already seems a distant memory.

Joining our host The Propagator

Leucanthemella

These are such good flowers, I cannot recommend them highly enough. Tall daisies, late flowering and fresh as, well, as a daisy. No staking needed. The funny thing is that they are facing towards the light and are looking away from the garden towards the fence!

Amelanchier

This is Amelanchier turning-to Autumn colour. A good reason to find space for one, that and the early spring blossom.

Rudbeckia

These bright yellow daisy types are great for autumn interest. Vivid yellow petals but these do need staking on my rich soil. A good back of border perennial, shown here against the backdrop of the woven willow fence.

Now is a good time to put all succulents in the dry. Actually with this weather they should already be under cover, a sunny garden room, window cill or a greenhouse is ideal. They dislike our winter wet and will not survive a frost. Mine are now in the cold frame until it gets very cold when I shall bring them indoors. Mollycoddling very necessary.

I grow the willow leaf sunflower this for its bonkers foliage and height. I do not like the flowers and generally dead head them however next week, I have a National Garden Scheme, by appointment, visit. I shall allow them to beam. I’m all heart.

Verbena bonariensis. You know it. You grow it. It’s everywhere.

At this time of year it’s an invaluable blast of colour.

That’s it. Have a good weekend wherever you are and thanks for reading. D.

Six on Saturday: 29/8/20

Tags

Cynara cardunculus, Dahlia Bishop of Auckland, dahlia Downham Royal, Helianthus salicifolius, sanguisorba canadensis, six on saturday

When life becomes very challenging and in the case of this week, frankly unfair, I usually can divert my mind and seek distraction from my garden. I can easily lose half the day or an evening working. It always does me good to be outside, to breathe in the air and fill my head with plans. That’s the thing with gardening, it is so very optimistic, always looking forward. This week has been one of those tough ones but the weather has been against me and I have been trapped in by Storm Ellen and Francis. So much rain, damaging winds, ghastly.

The most I have managed is a bit of dead heading and a wander about. These are my six to share with our host The Propagator and you.

Cardoon

The ornamental artichoke, Cynara cardunculus has been dead headed and has put on a couple of new flowering heads. What a colour, arranged like a purple flat top. I have picked some of them and hope they will dry.

Dahlia Downham Royal

The wind has broken the stems of some of the bigger dahlias. This one has defied the weather and is still standing Dahlia Downham Royal . Good strong stem and great colour.

Dahlia Bishop of Auckland

Another dahlia that has managed to survive the weather and is flowering well is the Bishop. This has attractive dark foliage and super single red velvet petals. This is its second year and is definitely a keeper.

Foliage

The thing about the Forest pansy is the wonderful heart shaped foliage in rich red. So striking. Here it is, its foliage dripping wet but noticeably curled. I am not sure why it is curled, probably as a reaction to the high winds.

Across the garden

The claret coloured Joe pye weed is flowering as too are the white Sanguisorba canadensis. These are a favourite, a later flowering sanguisorba that need no staking and who cope exceedingly well with my heavy clay soil. They have even self sown in places.

Sanguisorba canadensis

Distinctly autumnal

Weighed down by the weather

Apples have been literally shaken out of the tree and are scattered all over the lawn. Usually the apples are not ready until late September or even late October so this is not a natural drop.

The garden looks distinctly late summer, autumnal even. The light is lower and the skies are grey. Saturated by the heavy rain, shaken to the core by the winds. The main damage has been stems broken on dahlias and the willow leaf sunflowers which are very tall have been scattered into weird shapes spread over the border.

Helianthus salicifolius

The forecast for the bank holiday weekend is unseasonably cool, a mere 14 degrees today which is not summer but a bit drier and calmer at least.

These are my six. Wishing you a speedy recovery, you know who you are, and for the rest of you I wish you a good weekend, wherever you are and thanks for reading. D.

Six on Saturday: 25 July 20

Tags

Aeonium Sunburst, Crocosmia Lucifer, Dahlia Bishop of Auckland, Helianthus salicifolius, oriental lily, pelargonium sidoides, six on saturday, stipa tenuissima, willow leaf sunflower

Last Saturday I set off at 0500hrs to do a walk for charity. This Saturday I found myself awake at the same hour but with no such challenge ahead. It does mean that I do however have the time to prepare my six to share with you, lovely garden friends and our host The Propagator .

Aeonium Sunburst

This beauty is looking incredibly colourful, clearly enjoying the warm weather we have had. I love Aeoniums as they remind me of the Med and holidays. This is a really pretty variety I especially like the pink edges.

Helianthus Salicifolius

Otherwise known as willow leaf sunflower the foliage of this plant is what attracts me to it, that and its height. ( up to 2m) I actually like it less when the flowers appear in late summer. Acid yellow they are too brash for the border and last year they distracted the eye so much that I pinched off the blooms. I know, I still cannot believe I did that.

Crocosmia Lucifer

I have successfully got Lucifer coming back in my garden which is down to the drainage I believe. Here it is growing in a raised bed ( my soil is heavy clay prone to water logging) with a group of Stipa tenuissima. I love the contrast between the two.

Dahlia Bishop of Auckland

A simple flower with handsome dark foliage make Dahlia Bishop of Auckland an understandably popular dahlia. I like it here amongst the Aeoniums and sempervivums where it brings a more exotic tone to the area. This is quite a contrast to the cooler colours elsewhere in the garden where frankly it would stand out like a sore thumb. It is in an extra large pot as it also would not like my soil. I have successfully overwintered this one.

Oriental Lily

In the same area as the Dahlias, Crocosmia and succulents are my Oriental and Asiatic lilies. The difference between them is height and scent. Asiatic lilies tend not to have scent and are smaller in height. These Japanese Oriental lilies are so highly scented they really grab the passerby. I love them in a vase but they will not get through the door this year. I have been selective with this photo as the beetles have stripped away the lower leaves and chewed some of the other flowers. That’s what happens when you take time away from the garden, the grollies move in! Yuck.

Pelargonium sidoides

This is one of my all time favourite species pelargoniums. Small, grey- green, heart shape foliage, the flower is always late to arrive in my garden but they are said to flower from April to December. The flowers are on long stems in a gorgeous shade of aubergine purple. It is the very opposite of most pelargoniums as it is discreet and rather refined. The foliage has a slightly sour aroma. I first purchased one of these from specialist grower Woottens Nursery more than ten years ago. Alas I had to replace it this season as I lost mine this winter. One of those lockdown online purchases.

These are my six to share with you this week. Enjoy your weekend wherever you are and thanks for reading. D.

In a vase on Monday: despite the incessant rain

Tags

calendula, Coreopsis moonbeam, Cosmos, Cosmos cupcake, cosmos purity, Dahlia Arabian Night, Dahlia Totally Tangerine, Helianthus salicifolius, in a vase on Monday, leucanthemella serotina, October, persicaria affinis, Persicaria amplexcaulis Firetail, sanguisorba canadensis, Symphyotrichum lateriflorum ‘Lady in Black’, Zinnia Giant Dahlia mix

Having battled through the overly dry and often windy summer, the garden is still giving us lots of flowers. By ‘us’ I mean us gardeners joining Cathy on her Monday meme.

I have used my special vase to accommodate them all. At the white end I have the daisy types I love so much: Cosmos ‘Purity’ and ‘Cupcake’, Leucanthemella serotina, Sanguisorba canadensis, and a late flowering Aster. It has changed its name and now I have forgotten which variety it is.

Moving towards the yellow there is Coreopsis ‘Moonbeam’ next to Helianthus salicifolius, fresh orange Calendula, Zinnia from a ‘Giant Dahlia mix’ packet of seed.

To the pinkier tones of Aster, now known as Symphyotrichum lateriflorum ‘Lady in Black’, Dahlia ‘Totally Tangerine’, Persicaria affinis, Persicaria Firetail and Dahlia ‘Arabian Night

It sounds as if this wet weather is with us all week. Wellies and anoraks at the ready!

Have a great week wherever you are. D.

Six on Saturday: autumnal

Tags

amelanchier, crimson glory vine, Dahlia Cafe au Lait, Helianthus salicifolius, June berry, parthenocissus quinquefolia, six on saturday, Symphyotrichum lateriflorum ‘Lady in Black’, Virginia Creeper, Vitis coignetiae

Rain has come in this month and although, so far, the month is mild, the weakening light is changing the view.

My six I am sharing with you lovely folk and The Propagator this weekend reflect the changes:

1.

At the garden where I work we battle to keep the Virginia creeper under control. It scrambles up the walls of the house and left unchecked comes in through the windows. Often threatened with a pruning saw at ground level, this week it has reminded us why it is allowed to stay.

2. Cafe au Lait

The tubers came from Waitrose and were planted last year. They overwintered under a deep mulch. Real show stoppers.

3.

This is Helianthus salicifolius. Tall with lovely quirky foliage and topped with very late (October) opening golden flowers. I rather like the foliage more than the flowers.

4.

Another late flowering lovely, this is Lady in black . Dainty flowers smother the stems from top to bottom. Really pretty it has been planted to form an informal edge to the border.

5.

Autumn is certainly coming, just look at the turning foliage on the Crimson glory vine, Vitis coignetiae. This is growing on the wall of the garage and it is pleasing to see it begin to colour up as last year the leaves just dropped off with no colour change.

6.

This dripping wet red leaf is Amelanchier. A small shrub currently it will become a statement feature in spring and Autumn.

That’s my six. Join us or read some of the other sixes. Enjoy your weekend wherever you are. D.

Six on Saturday: it’s August

Tags

Alex Moore, August, Echinacea Delicious Candy, Echinacea purpurea, Echinops ritro white, Helianthus salicifolius, madebymoore, sempervivums, six on saturday, Succulents, Vitis coignetiae, weather

It is August yet the weather seems to think otherwise. I took these pictures yesterday morning when they were blowing in the wind and covered in rain, rather than basking in any glorious August sunshine. Hey ho, it could be worse, it could be today! What a shocker. Truly atrocious summer weather.

Here’s the six:

Six succulents. Some are Sempervivums I hear you cry.

I don’t have names for any of these apart from Aeonium zwartkop (that’s the fourth one). These grow well in coastal regions in the UK but here in my garden on the Herts. /Bucks borders, mine survive, rather than thrive.

The succulents are precious to me and they are carefully placed in the house over the winter months as they are not at all hardy and they hate our wet cold winters. Don’t we all.

The Houseleeks or sempervivums are left outside but under glass to protect them from the worst or the weather. They are quite tough really.

I enjoy these every Summer and forget how annoying it is in the Winter to find space for them.

2.

This is the third year for Althea cannabina and it has hit its stride. Wonderful, wafting in the wind, oodles of soft pink, mallow like flowers, taller than me. I wouldn’t be without it. Here it has fronds of Molinia Transparent and Coreopsis Verticillata Moonbeam behind it.

3. Echinacea ‘Delicious Candy’

I purchased this last August, drawn to its luminous colour and name. It is beginning to bulk up. Cathy remarked that these do not do well in her garden ( frankly the only thing, everything she grows looks so good) after one appeared earlier this week in my IAVOM. Echinacea do like an open site and with room to bulk up, to thrive. They only lasted one year in my last garden.

3. Echinacea purpurea

This is their time. Flowering when the roses are recharging their batteries. Good with grasses. Just great for bees.

4.

This pile of green leaves may not look very interesting but trust me, it will be a stunner this autumn. Vitis coignetiae or Crimson Glory vine. It is climbing over the garage wall and has reached onto the roof. It will be in for a major chop soon enough.

5.

The willow like foliage is what I grow the perennial sunflower for. Helianthus salicifolius. It will have small daisy like flowers in the autumn and will reach 2.5m tall.

The yellow flowers I like less. I am even considering pinching out the flowers as they will detract from the shaggy texture which is so intriguing. Alas the wind is battering them today.

6. Echinops

These pale Pom poms are taking over. Echinops ritro white. I like them less than E Veitch Blue but these are better suited to my heavy soil. In case you are wondering what is in the centre of the picture, it is the bird feeder made by Alex Moore.

I love how it is fully surrounded by plant life now.

Joining our host The Propagator who is on his ‘olidays. Enjoy !

Thanks for reading and enjoy your weekend wherever you are. D.