Six on Saturday: 15/8/20

Tags

Catalpa bignoides pulverulenta, Cercis canadensis, Eupatorium Black stockings, Forest pansy, hornbeam hedge, indian bean tree, Philadelphus coronarius aurea, rose a shropshire lad, Sambucus Nigra Black Lace, six on saturday, Verbena bonariensis, Viburnum bodnantense dawn, weeping willow

Saturday greetings from me to you. The weather these last few days frankly has been as extraordinary as these pandemic times we are living in. The deluge this morning has left a steaming mist this afternoon and those temperatures earlier in the week seem almost imaginary. My six, as a consequence of today’s weather. are images of the garden taken on Thursday.

Across the garden, verbena bonariensis has taken over as shown above. I love it. I love it’s tall wafting nature, its colour and I don’t mind it at the front of a border even if it has chosen the spot.

The funny thing with this image is that I look it and see the Hornbeam hedge needs cutting back into shape. It’s like a visual to do list for me.

This image of the path back up the garden shows what I mean about the verbena and today you need the secateurs to cut your way through. The claret foliage at the top of the path is from my beloved Cercis canadensis. This image shows me not only how big it is getting but how much I will need to prune back. There’s barely room to sit at the table.

Looking across the border to the path and table I like how much the Cercis shields the sitter from the rest of the garden but within reason of course. I am pleased with the colour mix of the pink rose a Shropshire Lad next to the variegated foliage of Catalpa pulverulentum and yes the Hornbeam definitely needs cutting back. I also need to take a bit off the viburnum bodnantense to the right of the hedge. It too is getting a bit too big.

Looking from the other side across the border to the dark green shrub on the right is the viburnum bodnantense and it really is too tall. Frankly Philadelphus coronarius aurea, Golden mock orange, is also getting too big and needs shaping up a bit. Topiary also needs clipping back to form. Gosh I have a lot to do.

A pleasing combination of the berries and foliage of Sambucus nigra Black Lace with Eupatorium Black stockings. The unopened buds of the flowers look so lovely next to the half eaten berries. The Sambucus will be cut down by about one third in spring to encourage better denser foliage.

Looking through and across the lawn is the borrowed view of the majestic weeping willow belonging to my neighbour. Properly impressive. Nothing for me to do there but to admire.

These are my six. A visual to do list rather than ‘jobs for the weekend ‘. Sharing my six with you and our host The Propagator

Have a great weekend wherever you are and thanks for reading. D.

Six on Saturday: 8/8/20

Tags

Acer palmatum, honey flower, Hosta Francee, Hosta Sum and Substance, melianthus major, Persicaria odorata, six on saturday, the generosity of partners, Vietnamese coriander, Vietnamese mint

Today has been another steaming hot day here. It was a day I had in the diary as plant moving day. Now I am officially pale and pasty as I have the sort of skin that burns and consequently I keep out of the sun so the prospect of the heat meant that we set off at 730am to load the pickup with plants.

Agapanthus to match the pickup

My friend is relocating to North Yorkshire for six months and she wanted to give me her potted plants as they were too big to move and she couldn’t bear for them to die. Generous to a fault these are all beautiful. My six today are some of my new plants.

For the sunnier spot is this beauty:

Melianthus major

Melianthus or honey flower can get to between 1.5m and 3m tall. It is semi evergreen and half hardy so it will need a good wrapping over winter in my exposed garden. It is coming from the protection of a walled garden so the poor thing is in for a shock. It looks as if its foliage has been created with pinking shears. It is a very handsome specimen in a pot and already about 50cm tall.

Persicaria odorata

This is Vietnamese mint or confusingly Vietnamese coriander . It has pointed leaves with a dark reddish variegation. It needs heat and damp and is not hardy. Another plant that’s going to need careful attention here. Its leaves can be used in salads and stir fry. It is invasive in the right conditions but here it will be a battle to keep it overwinter.

Hosta Sum and substance

I do have this Hosta but to be honest it has spectacular dinner plate sized leaves which are so impressive I can definitely home another one. The green is slightly lime depending on how much light it gets. A spectacular hosta.

Hosta Francee (?)

I am not certain on the variety but I reckon it might be Hosta Francee. A large leaf Hosta with attractive white margins. This will be a very attractive addition to my hostas.

Japanese Maple leaf

I do not know the exact species but it is certainly Acer palmatum and I am guessing here but from searching online it seems most likely to be ‘Sango -kaku’

One of the most challenging moves today was this stunning Acer. Liz purchased it five or six years ago for about £6 and has nurtured it into this.

Here it is free from its pot, lashed up against the garage bound up and wrapped in a blanket. The poor thing!

Nothing would give me more pleasure than to be able to plant this into my garden. Instant impact and a true beauty. However my garden is very exposed and I know that it would be miserable subjected to constant wind. So I am it’s guardian for a short while until my hapless colleague, who had the heavy end moving the pots today, finds an XL container to house it in his garden.

Is that six? Not quite. I have dozens of plants out of pots awaiting their new home. Hostas, lemon verbena, ferns, an olive, large Euonymus a hebe,and a lovely white hydrangea.

What a kind and generous gift but also what a responsibility. I need to get them in the ground at a time when my clay soil is like concrete. The watering will be onerous while they are out of the ground or awaiting pots. They are currently on a ground sheet in the shade of my garage. Yikes. I am going to be busy. But what a statement and addition they will be to the garden. Watch this space to see how they fare and where..

Waiting

That’s it. Just time for me to thank Liz( I’ll do my best) and our host The Propagator

Enjoy the rest of your 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.

Six on Saturday: 11 July 20

Tags

Aster laterflorus Lady in Black, clematis Arabella, crimson glory vine, gardens open for charity, Leucanthemum x superbum, National Garden Scheme, NGS, Nigella seed head, Shasta Daisy, six on saturday, The frustrated Gardener, the watch house, Vitis coignetiae

Good morning. I hope this finds you well. It has been a week of mixed weather here with lots of rain. Great for plants but soggy, sticky work for us gardeners. I have yet to find waterproofs that are suited to garden work ie tough enough and that allow the wearer to breathe rather than feel she or he is in a plastic bag. Send me your tips if you have any solutions.

On to the six to share with The Propagator and you of course.

The Watch House

Hold up, I hear you cry, that’s not your garden Dorris. Correct. It’s not. It belongs to The frustrated Gardener I made my first garden visit of 2020. The National Garden Scheme has opened some of its gardens for by appointment visits. This is a charity which supports nurses and healthcare workers to the tune of over £3million last year. It is a charity to support at the best of times and more so during a pandemic.

The Watch House in Broadstairs Kent is actually two separate gardens: the jungle garden and the gin and tonic garden. Before visiting I have to confess that lockdown had sapped my garden joie de vivre. An hour or so immersed in these gardens chatting to Dan and the Beau with my sister was just the tonic. I left fully enthused, with ideas running around in my head, trying to remember the detail and the names of some of these incredible plants. If you are able I would encourage you to make a visit and support a very worthy charity.

Crimson glory vine

Back to the weather, the warm temperatures and rain has possibly unleashed a beast. This is Vitis coignetiae and it appears to be making a bid for garden domination. Serious haircut needed and I am not just referring to me.

In the last seven days these have opened. I do love a daisy.

Shasta daisies

Leucanthemum x superbum. These are such easy flowers. They can require staking if grown in part shade as they will lean forward towards the light. These ones are in gravel on an old overrflow parking spot. They get chopped to the ground in autumn and that is it. Treat them mean, they seem to thrive.

The Nigella have gone over but what they leave behind is strikingly beautiful, pods for a vase or to dry.

Clematis Arabella

This is a new addition to the garden. It is a non clinging type, herbaceous. It has just started flowering and is scrambling amongst Aster laterflorus Lady in Black.

Clematis Arrabella and Aster Lady in Black

Verbena bonariensis grows like a weed in my garden but I don’t care, it’s such a pretty colour and the butterflies adore it. Here it is with the gorgeous David Austin Roses Brother Cadfael. A pretty shade of pink with a gentle rose scent.

Rose Brother Cadfael and Verbena bonariensis

Roses are in full swing in July and this beauty is full of blooms.

Rose Lark Asceding

There are three plants here which make a real show. Close up it is a healthy plant, no black spot and such pretty flowers.

I hope you have a good weekend, wherever you are and thanks for reading. If you can arrange to visit an open garden to support the NGS please do. D.

Six on Saturday: 27/6/20

Tags

Crocosmia Lucifer, Echinacea Delicious Candy, hemerocallis Little Grapette, hydrangea arborescens Annabelle, Nigella papillosa African Bride, Sisyrinchium Quaint and Queer, six on saturday

The month of June is progressing too quickly for my liking. I want it to slow a little so we can savour the summer, the long hours of daylight, the weather. It’s been said before but I for one would like an endless summer.

Maybe not if it is 31 degrees though!

My six today to share with you and our host The Propagator are a snapshot of the season in my garden.

Sisyrinchium Quaint and Queer

These tiny flowers are a favourite of mine not least because they are quaint and definitely a queer colour. Don’t be distracted by the foliage, that is from a neighbouring box plant. Q&Q has typical strap leaves of a Sisyrinchium.

Nigella papillosa African Bride

Grown from seed these are much bigger than a regular Nigella. My new favourite I think. Good white petals and dark black centres. Good in a vase.

Hydrangea arborescens Annabelle

The flower heads on the Hydrangeas have suddenly grown and are even beginning to colour up from their starting green. They are growing under Vitis coignetiae Crimson Glory vine and next to Geranium Johnson’s Blue. Such pleasing shades of green.

Crocosmia Lucifer

Crocosmia Lucifer is a devil to grow. See what I did there?!

This is about my third attempt in various gardens. Finally I seem to have cracked it here: sunny open position and well drained soil. In a raised bed it seems happy returning for this it’s third summer.

Stipa tenuissima Penstemon Garnet and Crocosmia Lucifer

Hemerocallis also are doing well and flowering beautifully right now.

Hemerocallis Little Grapette

This is a useful front of border sized Hemerocallis in a rich dark grape colour looking properly juicy with raindrops this morning.

Echinacea Delicious Candy

I love a daisy and the Echinacea Delicious Candy are no exception to that pretty daisy look. This one is an especially vibrant pink. Smaller in stature than E purpurea but seriously more colourful. Echinacea like the open position my garden offers and need elbow room to flower well.

These are my six. I hope you have an enjoyable weekend wherever you are and thanks for reading. D.

Six on Saturday: midsummer

Tags

Aeoniums, Alchemilla mollis, Catalpa pulverulentum, David Austin Roses, Dianthus carthusianorum, lilies, Rose 'Gertrude Jekyll', six on saturday, speckled Indian bean tree, supermarket plants, variegated Indian bean tree

After the deluge the last couple of days I can almost hear the garden sighing in relief. I am joining The Propagator our host for this meme of six things in the garden on a Saturday. Simple. Do join in. Take a look at his blog for details.

Come into the garden with me

Firstly the roses are coming into their own. Rose Gertrude Jekyll smells divine and in early light her colour sings.

Rose Gertrude Jekyll

Another pink ( I did not realise I had chosen as much pink as this, I don’t think of myself as a pinky sort of girl).

Lily the pink the pink the pink

Unscented these supermarket bulbs were popped in a few years ago. Normally I get half a dozen to enjoy . Alas this year, the lily beetle has eaten the rest to a stump.

To counter all the pink I like Alchemilla mollis. As an edging it is delightful and I allow it to seed around. The chartreuse colour is great when against pink.

Alchemilla mollis

Another similar shade of green is from the foliage of the variegated Indian bean tree species Catalpa pulverulentum.

Catalpa pulverulentum

The leaves had started to emerge and then they were hit by the late frost. I won’t lie but I was rather worried that I might have lost it. Thankfully new leaves have emerged and it is looking gorgeous.

Back to more pinks and it seems I really do like them after all. This time Dianthus.

Dianthus Carthusianorum

I love this Dianthus for its tall willowy habit that blends so well with Verbena bonariensis.

Aeonium corner

In the run up to my open garden last year, I received over 30 Aeoniums which had been generously donated. ( Thank you Anthony if you are reading). I sold some entire plants on the day and lots and lots of cuttings. I have overwintered the leftovers in the house and taken cuttings to grow on for further sales. As I have had to cancel my prearranged openings I shall grow them on for another year. Now outside I have created a little collection.

These are my Six for today. I hope you have a good weekend and thanks for reading. D.

Six on Saturday: 30/5/20

Tags

Allium christophii, allium schubertii, clematis Annabelle, clematis Arabella, nigella, penstemon, Sambucus Nigra, six on saturday

It is 1800hrs and I have quickly taken some pictures in the garden. The light is still too bright for good photos but unless I leave things for another two or three hours, there will be no discernible difference. May has officially been the driest on record and we have had the sunniest Spring since 1929.

Joining our host The Propagator and other bloggers from round and about, here are my quick six for this, the last Saturday in May.

Nigella and Allium christophii

The Allium Purple sensation has finished and the A christophii are stepping up next. A steely or metallic looking pale purple, these are bigger than Purple Sensation but shorter. In the foreground is the first of my Nigellas.

Allium christophii

Nigella

I love annuals. I love it when they self seed and appear where they choose. One packet of seed, costing a couple of quid can give years of joy.

Penstemon

I thought my garden might be too cold, too exposed and too heavy for these lovely perennials. Planted in a raised bed to help drainage I leave it long and shaggy all winter, resisting the urge to tidy up until April. Dark claret bells are quietly forming. Yay!

Sambucus Black Lace

This is a shrub I would not be without. I love the deeply divided, dark foliage, the froth of flowers and dark berries. To encourage more foliage, I cut it back by a third each spring.

black lace

Clematis Annabelle

I have admired herbaceous clematis for many years and finally I have introduced Arabella into my borders. Rather than climbing, she will scramble through the borders. Neat, tidy, single, purple flowers. I am so pleased to introduce this to my garden. From Westcountry Nurseries (north Devon) ltd.

Clematis Arabella AGM

Another Allium, this time Allium schubertii .

Allium schubertii

I love this bonkers Allium. Arms waving like a conductor leading his orchestra.

I hope you have a good weekend wherever you are and thanks for reading. Stay safe. D.

Six on Saturday: 23/5/20

Tags

Allium siculum, bearded iris, David Austin Roses, Erigeron karvinskianus, Hosta Big Daddy, Hosta Sum and Substance, Iris Midnight Caller, Mexican fleabane, Nectarscordium siculum, Rose 'Gertrude Jekyll', Sicilian honey garlic, six on saturday, weather, woottensplants.com

The weather. May is proving to be a tough month weather wise. Nighttime frosts followed by hot dry summer days and now winds of 19mph. The consequences can be seen all over: new foliage which was burned by the frost has now dried and died back. Damage is on most things from the tips of the Ash trees to shrubs, roses and iris. I have started watering as if it is mid July and this morning I have dragged hostas into the garage to give them shelter from the battering wind.

I especially hate the wind. My garden is very exposed as there really is not much more than open fields between it and the Chilterns. Consequently when it blows it really is damaging. My six today starts with my two hostas now cowering in the garage.

Hosta Sum & Substance

These dinner plate sized leaves do not take kindly to 19mph wind. I can see some of the leaves have been bent and this will spoil their handsome form.

Hosta Big Daddy

Now parked under cover Big Daddy is also suffering. The edge of some of it leaves are browning from the wind and from the earlier cold snap.

Not troubled by the heat the cold or the wind is Fleabane. Erigeron Karvinskianus has self sown around the drive, it is everywhere. I do love a daisy so it generally is allowed to stay.

Erigeron

My roses were subjected to standing in water for almost three months this winter into spring. I feared I may have lost them, especially those in the blue clay borders. Phew they have just started flowering. This is the opening Gertrude Jekyll rose. Rich pink with the most heavenly rose scent. It is mega prickly and that is her main failing. No issue with pest or disease a David Austin gem.

Rose Gertrude Jekyll

I love to see Alliums after the Tulips and thankfully they do well in my garden. My favourite is perhaps this one for its hanging lantern flowers which the bees literally disappear into. Allium siculum.

Nectarscordium siculum
Sicilian honey garlic

At the garden where I work the soil is thin over chalk. Free draining, the contrast to my own garden couldn’t be more different. Here I can grow bearded iris as they must have full sun and sharp drainage. The Iris are looking fabulous this year thanks to a great deal of splitting and dividing last year. The pale ones look extra special thanks to the addition of the near black Iris Midnight Caller from Woottens nursery, a specialism of theirs.

These are my six for this week. Joining our host The Propagator and bloggers from all over.

Have a great long weekend, stay home, stay safe and thanks for reading. D.

Six on Saturday: win some, lose some 16 May 20

Tags

Aquilegias, Cercis candanensis, crimson glory vine, David Austin Roses, digitalis, fig, fiscus Brown Turkey, Forest pansy, foxgloves, frost damage, Rose Morning Mist, six on saturday, Vitis coignetiae

We had overnight surface frosts this week. Darn it. Some plants sadly have lost their new foliage and are looking a tad sick and sorry. My six this week share those plus a couple of better sights. Joining The Propagator and others from around the globe with my six this Saturday.

Rose ‘Morning Mist’

A single rose with a gentle rose scent

This rose, a David Austin climber is against a south facing wall and has got away unharmed. So far, so lovely.

Foxgloves have started to open. Digitalis purpurea. Common as they come, they are tough and appear to have shrugged off the cold without a second glance. I rather like these against the backdrop of the Acer palmatum and Sambucus niger.

Aquilegias

These Aquilegias are undeterred by the cold. They are continuing to open their bonnets and I love seeing their long ‘straps’ behind them.

Now for the ugly. Brace.

Here are the baby leaves of the Vitis coignetiae

Not looking either Crimson or glory, this poor vine has taken a hammering.

Then there’s the Forest pansy.

Cercis candanensis

Ouch, that’s got to hurt. New leaves burnt to a black crisp. I hope the damage will not be long term but I am not sure.

Oh fig

This poor thing has turned up its leaves and blackened its fruit. Curtains for fruit this year.

That is my six. Some good, some bad. Have a good week wherever you are and thanks for reading. D.

Six on Saturday: 9 May 2020

Tags

Allium Purple Sensation, Allium shubertii, digitalis, foxgloves, geranium macorrhizum, Iris Sibirica, six on saturday

May is a month of great promise. It is also a phenomenally busy month. Perhaps I should rephrase that, a busy month for growing plants. Tender plants are desperate to get outside yet sudden cold nights could kill them off. Consequently there is a seemingly perpetual motion of succulents between the house and the garden.

The same can be said for pelargoniums and any other bedding plants. They need to be growing, given space, soil and light but the nights might burn them. Inside they remain for a few more weeks.

Half hardy annuals can be hardened off before going into the ground. There is watering to be done, grass to be cut and never ending weeding. The weeds are loving the warming soil, the lengthening daylight hours and it is good practice to keep on top of the blighters before they set seed.

In between all the shuffling of plants I am taking time to look at what is happening all on its own. Just growing quietly, flowering or budding these are my six to share with you and our host The Propagator this week.

Fantastic Foxgloves

I hope that these are white foxgloves as I cast some seed a couple of years ago. How eager they look, reaching up and up to the sunshine.

Allium schubertii

I purchased three, yes three fat bulbs, three years ago. I seem to remember they cost about £7 which seemed rather a lot for just three bulbs. Yet what great value they turned out to be as I have three magnificent, bonkers flowers coming again.

Allium Purple Sensation

Alliums have rather ugly leaves which get tatty and brown. The flower heads are loved by everyone. Grown in between shrubs such as Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’ the leaves are not seen and the flower heads stand clear above the foliage ready to be admired.

Pink ground cover

Ground cover can be tricky when creating a new border. The geranium family are one of my favourite, go to ground cover plants. The pink flowers here are small and insignificant but en masse they dominate the soil between the line of Euphorbia amygdaloides purpurea and and Aquilegias. This is Geranium macorrhizum It copes with my heavy clay soil very well.

Iris sibirica

Another happy plant is Iris sibirica. These were tight buds as recently as yesterday but the warm sunshine has encouraged them to open. I would have liked them to have staggered the opening so that I might enjoy them for a little longer. No matter, I am enjoying them now.

Iris

This Iris was a gift from Sandra. I am so thrilled to have this beauty in the garden. I adore its colour and markings and it too has opened today in this incredibly lovely weather.

Zebra stripes and rainbow shades

These are my six to share this Saturday. I hope you have a wonderful weekend wherever you are. Thanks for reading. D.