Good morning and welcome to this week’s Six on Saturday. Today is a reasonably momentous occasion in that this is the last time I’ll be working on a Saturday for some time, possibly forever (although I doubt it)! By 7.30 I’m usually messing around in someone else’s garden, counting the minutes ’til someone brings me a cuppa char. Actually that’s a lie: the one week I’m at liberty to help myself, the alternate week I get a bacon sandwich to help keep the energy levels up. In case you’re wondering, my Better Half deals with any bloggy business that needs sorting, in the event of it not being done before I leave the house. Anyway, I’m looking forward to having Saturdays back!
As usual, The Propagator will be hosting all sorts tasty Six on Saturday treats for you to sample and enjoy. For my part, then first three are a few vaguely artistic shots of the borders; they’re particularly floriferous at the moment and worthy (in my view) of some attention:
1. Hydrangea quercifolia and friends
My Oak Leaf Hydrangea featured last week, but it looks even better now. Here it is enjoying the company of Salvias, Nepetas and the dying embers of my Derbyshire Daisy (not sure of the name). The Hydrangea has a tendency to flop over when it flowers. It looks quite nice like that, but I shall have to stake it up at some point so it doesn’t end up on the lawn.
2. Persicaria affinis (?) and friends
Being one of the many plants I acquired for free, I don’t know the name of this for certain. It’s various friends are: Penstemon ‘Garnet’, Francoa sonchifolia and last week’s Catananche caerulea alba. I have a few clumps of this Persicaria dotted along the side of the path; it softens the edge a little and they seem very happy there.
3. Hemerocallis ‘Saved by the Spoon’ and friends
Yes, I just made that name up. It came from my brother’s house: I was helping him move, and asked him if I could pinch a bit of the Daylily. He kindly obliged (not that it mattered, seeing as he was imminently vacating the premises) but had packed up all his tools. He offered me a spoon with which to dig it up. It wasn’t the ideal tool; I seem to remember using my God-given trowels/hands to finish the job. Also in the picture are some sort of Geranium, a Tiarella, and another ‘Garnet’.
Now onto the second half:
4. Catananche caerulea
Alba featured both last week and in the background of this week’s Persicaria photo, but I couldn’t resist showing the blue version here.
5. Under-gardener No. 1
We don’t bother with names – just job descriptions. Here’s the older one brutalising/studying an Ox-eye daisy in the fairy garden/wildflower patch/mess. Providing she is well watered and fed, she’s a good grower.
6. Under-gardener No. 2
We think he may be stuck like this, so rarely does his tongue retreat into his mouth. He is holding an allegedly hardy Opuntia, which was grown from seed. Time will tell. No. 2 himself is perfectly hardy; he’s come through several winters with nary a scratch to show for it.
That’s it for this week. Have a great weekend and see you next time!
Eldest granddaughter has loved picking bunches since she was very young. I fancifully imagine she may take an interest in gardening as she grows!
Same here! I have convinced her to check with me before she picks – there have been a few instances of completely denuded plants in the past!
Nice to meet your under gardeners!
Thanks!
Little does he realise it but a rather large, strong grandson who is coming to stay, will be my assistant, watering the garden and clearing the river bank. Lovely colours again.
Good for you! Make sure he earns his dinner!
That ‘some sort of geranium’ caught my eye with – very pretty indeed. Your borders are looking fantastic.
It’s a nice one, and flowers away merrily in a fairly dry spot. Thanks!
Nice bed with the hydrangea quercifolia and I do like the geranium in the foreground of the third picture.
It’s nice to meet your young helpers too.
Thanks, I’m really pleased with how the borders are looking at the moment.
Loved to see the pictures of your Garden team! I used to have one of those (the tongue poking kind) but all grown up now. I’m impressed by your tenacity with Day lily ‘Saved by the spoon’. The ones here are so tough to dig up the job is handed to Mr B. I loved the photographs of the borders. They look very lush.
It was a tough task! I wasn’t sure if the miserable bit of root I extracted would survive, but they’re tough old things!
“Nary a scratch” on the Under-gardener #2? He isn’t pulling his weight then, and will never advance to #1! Gardeners are always full of scratches!
Too right! I’ll pass the message on!
Great to have some succession planning sorted out. And to learn for Grandma too, they will soon be trying to tell you how to garden!
They already think they know better!
Nice to have a bit of help in the garden! Love the photos of your borders, especially the cool vibe of hydrangea and friends with that fabulously deep blue salvia, and also the vibrant vibe of daylily and friends – smart of you to grab some while you could. Enjoy your new-found freedom on Saturdays.
Thanks! The upcoming weekends already seem filled with Things, but it’s nice to have the time all the same!
I love the story of Saved by the Spoon, in fact I love a plant nickname. I have an agapanthus labelled ‘Susie’s Enormous’, which came from a plant sale. I could never find reference to such a variety and eventually asked the lady who gave it to me. “Oh,” she said “it was given to me by my friend Susie and it’s enormous.” Lovely pictures from you again this week by the way.
I thought you were going to say “Given to me by my friend Susie and she’s enormous”!
Thanks!
Lovely to see plants with their neighbours, it gives a better feel for the garden. I used to have P. affinis – wonder where it went……
Yes, I have a tendency to show each plant in glorious isolation so I thought I’d try to give more of a wider look at the borders. I can’t imagine the Persicaria ever disappearing from my garden. I have to be fairly ruthless to keep it in check!
The Geranium looks like ‘Elke’. Seed dispersal of Pseudofumaria alba will happen tomorrow.
I’ve just had a look at ‘Elke’ and that looks about right – thanks.
Looking forward to it!