Why hello there! After last week’s holiday, and Six on Saturday sabbatical, I return refreshed and renewed. I was deeply, deeply concerned that during my five day’s absence, the garden might have withered and perished. Mightily relieved was I, to find that things were pretty much the same as I’d left them. Gazing upon my estate, I’ve concluded that it looks a little tired and weary, but then I think it always has at this time of year. Anyhow, if you’d like to peruse some more Six on Saturday posts, The Propagator is your man. Otherwise, let us continue…
1. Japanese Anenome
One plant that is coming along a treat is this little pink number. It was already in flower when I left and has spent it’s time well, improving immeasurably in the past week or so. It’s planted quite close to the bases of the Physocarpus and Corkscrew Hazel on the basis that it’s tough enough to find it’s way through, and doesn’t need any encouragement. It seems to work out, although I question my judgement every year when it seems completely engulfed in early summer.
2. Grumpy Griffin
I found our tortoise, Griffin, looking rather unimpressed with the lacklustre temperatures. He often looks grumpy, but his slumped shoulders and half-retreated head certainly don’t shout positivity.
3. Agapanthus
The solitary flower on the Agapanthus is coming along. I need to remember to repot it next spring. It’s currently sitting in a cruelly small pot. I know people say they like a restricted root run, but there are limits.
This plant has a bit of a story. It was passed between two old ladies (originally coming from one of their mothers); one would give a bit to the other, then lose it over the winter, then have a bit back, and so on and so forth. I was dividing it up for one of them and was offered a piece for myself. It would have been rude not to. That lady has since died, so it’s nice to have something to remember her by.
4. Salvia confertiflora
I featured a leaf of this on a previous Six on Saturday, and here are it’s flowers. It looks like it’s dried out a bit while I’ve been away; it’s a thirsty plant at the best of times. This is another plant that came from a client. It rooted extremely well just sitting in a glass of water on the windowsill. In fact, the client lost their’s so I was able to give them one of the rooted cuttings back.
5. Calendula, amongst other things…
This is a funny little corner of the garden that remains a work in progress (although the whole thing is always a work in progress, but this area more so than others). It’s always an afterthought and ends up being a dumping ground for any bits and bobs that I’d forgotten to plant elsewhere. It always looks pretty rubbish because it gets so hot and dry, so this year I’ve been making more of a concerted effort to sort it out. At the back are some Bearded Irises that I’m sure will thrive once they settle in. They do very well further up the border and they won’t mind a bit of a baking when the sun decides to shine. In the foreground is a small clump of Nerines which I picked up from a similar spot in a client’s garden. I’m now on the look out for a few more bits and bobs to fill the space. Suggestions welcome! In the meantime, it’s had some Calendula that I forgot about dumped there. The benefit of them being an afterthought is that they’re only just thinking about flowering.
6. Adlumia fungosa
This cheeky devil has popped up out of nowhere. It’s usually a biennial climber/scrambler, and close relative of Corydalis, but it seem to have skipped it’s preparatory first year of growth and gone straight into flower. It’s still heading straight up at the moment but it’s only a matter of time before it keels over and scrambles over the floor. I really like it’s dainty appearance coupled with it’s plucky attitude.
That brings us to the end of this week’s Six on Saturday. I’ll do a post in the week with a few botanical highlights from our holiday, but in the meantime, here’s a rough summary (me at the back):
Hmm, I do a pretty good Griffin impression when grumpy. My agapanthus also only has one flower head this year. I think I’ll follow you lead and re-pot it at some point.
I hear contradictory things about Agapanthus – received wisdom suggests restricting their roots. In reality, I think warm and wet is best and the root thing is sort of irrelevant; they seem to grow prolifically in Cornwall and the Welsh coast just plonked in the ground! Anyway, I don’t quite have that climate, so it stays in a pot so I can pop it the greenhouse over winter.
Griffin does remind me of someone, can’t quite put my finger on who that might be ….. Adlumia fungosa: love, love, love that name, perhaps a character in Harry Potter? Really like the agapanthus story, really like the agapanthus. And the final photo is great, lovely family.
It is very Harry Potter -esque! Wingardium leviosa?
The Agapanthus is nice – the one lady I mentioned has had a really good show from hers this year, so hopefully I’ll get a few more flowers from mine next time around!
Griffin is adorable! I would love a tortoise but am pretty sure my dog would try to eat it.
Almost equally as adorable are the Japanese anemones. I have some too this year although mine are still in bud.
I pity the dog that tries to Griffin. He’s a tough old thing and he scares the cats out of our garden!
Japanese anemones are great 🙂
Dick Fulcher fumes at the suggestion of Agapanthus liking to be pot bound, and he would know, having been National Collection holder for many years. They seem to hate being hemmed in and shaded by other plants. Not sure about Adlumia fungosa, I grow Haemanthus albiflos mainly for its name, one is perhaps enough.
I’ll take note of that then! If it weren’t for the fact that this one isn’t particularly hardy, I’d happily pop it in the ground.
Like many, I think agapanths should grow in small pots where the roots are very tight. Mine are blooming well as they are, but I fed them. Maybe just keep the same pot and try to change the soil ( if possible)? The last pic is awesome and your family looks very friendly!
I fed it when it came into growth, but I’ll definitely have a look at repotting it when the time comes.
Thanks!
Adlumia is an interesting one !
It is! If it grows well, it’s a lovely thing, but I’m afraid it doesn’t perform reliably. I think it prefers quite a wet summer to keep it going.
Your pink Japanese Anemones look lovely with that purple Physocarpus background. Aggies do grow well in Cornwall, I was admiring some amazing clumps on my drive to the supermarket today, Mine are in pots, however, but I did repot into larger ones this year and have had more flower spikes as a result. Will I be brave enough to plant them into the ground? They do stay outdoors all year. I think only the evergreen ones really need to be taken indoors over winter.
Thanks! Yes, Cornwall (and the Welsh coast) seem to provide perfect conditions for Agapanthus. Mine is evergreen and not the toughest over winter.
Interesting Six-on-Saturday. I assume those are happy, holiday faces. No corydalis? We have yo make do with a close relative. 🙄
Happy but a bit windswept!
I’m afraid most of the Corydalis have had enough for now – maybe there’ll be a bit more of that in the autumn!
All my agapanthus have the freedom of the borders and they love it, increasing and flowering beautifully, but I don’t have any evergreen ones. You and your family look as though you are all having a great time!
Thanks, we did!
Lovely to see the Japanese anemones. I know they are sometimes seen as thugs but not in my experience (touch wood). Fabulous family photo – it quite upstaged the plants.
Yes, I don’t find them too bad. I think they have more of a tendency to dominate when the surrounding plants aren’t growing too well.
Thanks!