Back to winter, or is this the autumn following summer last week? The garden is rather wet, again, but we just need to put on the wellies and plod through it……. BUT FIRST….
A SAFETY WARNING about dangerous garden equipment:
THE GARDEN WASTE BIN.
It looks innocent enough, but I propped it open so that I could empty another Tub Trug full of forget-me-nots into it and the lid came down hitting me rather hard, resulting in a colourful bruise above my eye! (No, I will not put you off your breakfast by showing a picture of that……. although there isn’t much other colour in this week’s six!!)
Here is my Six for this week.
1)
I have an awkward gap between the greenhouse and the slab and the lawn so I planted some Stonecrop. It doesn’t usually flower but I am happy enough with the red and green foliage.
2)
Rhubarb, rhubarb, rhubarb. Three completely different rhubarb plants – in fact I think there are a couple more around the flower beds but that would just become boring! I may have mentioned how well it does where I don’t really want it to be!
3)
The Lychnis Coronaria behind the Cerinthe Major looks healthy. I find that if I deadhead it religiously, it lasts for months. It is the standard deep pink variety – I found some seeds of the nice white one so will try germinating those for next year.
4)
Purple Loosestrife in front of a Hollyhock that comes back every year. My #1 son-in-law gave me the Loosestrife many years ago and it does well consistently. It needs to be staked firmly since it grows to about 90cm tall. (I will need one of my many cane toppers for that!)
5)
The Peony’s looking promising! I will need to stake that very soon. You may have noticed the perennial geranium in a couple of photos, well you can see it at the back (and front) beginning to show its true colours!
6)
and
At last!!!! MY TULIPS. I know….. I much prefer tulips in the garden and I only have about half a dozen…… but why is it that when you are weeding, the only stems that get broken are the ones you are being most careful to avoid? Never mind, I hope it will open out soon.
Well, that’s another six. We are off to Sunday lunch with Mr and Mrs Propagator tomorrow. ( I hope that thermometer has a good rinse before the Sunday roast is checked!!!)
Looking forward to seeing the rest of the Sixes-on-Saturday. There are so many now, it is becoming difficult to read them all. Maybe if the forecast is correct, I will just stay inside and do that instead of gardening in the rain!
Granny's garden 
You’ll be very glad to know that I have excellent compost thermometer discipline. I give it a good lick before using it for checking food temperature.
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I’ll bring the detail.
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Do you mean Dettol?
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Yes my petal. It must be my Scottish accent confused the translator.
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I scratched my head for a while but got to dettol in the end. Interestingly my auto correct changes dettol to set-top.
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Mr P always keeps his thermometer clean. He needs to check the kittens’ temperatures every so often. I think you said you like rhubarb. I hope I’m right. 😉
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There will be no “like” from me for that comment – thank you very much! I understand from your Six-on-Saturday that you delight in dispensing with slugs and beetles. I used to think an old friend of mine was rather cruel because he found another use for his secateurs to get rid of the slugs. However, using slug pellets is probably just as bad. These organic, pet and child friendly ones are useless – the slug eats the plant and then goes off and dies whereas the horrid ones are very effective! Have you any ideas without using a thumbnail?
Anyway, I do like the edifices. Your garden looks lovely.
Depending on what Mr P does for lunch tomorrow, I should be back again with another six next week.
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Ha and thank you. You could try a (plastic preferably as easier to clean) painters’ kettle. Fill about 2/3 with warm water and dissolve a fair bit of salt (maybe you have some left over from winter pathway stock) in it. Then you can carry it around with you and just drop the slugs and snails into it as you encounter them. The salt solution dehydrates them and kills far more quickly than drowning in beer. You only need to empty it when it gets too full of empty snail shells (the bodies of slugs and snails dissolve). Empty it somewhere out of sight in a corner not too close to any plants or down an outside drain.
Are you putting too many pellets down? Seriously, six to eight a square metre is enough. Too many and the slug gets overwhelmed by the attractant in them and moves away – to a plant. With the new organic pellets, people think they’re no good because they disappear but there are no bodies. They disappear because the slugs eat them and there are no bodies bocause the slugs go underground to die. OK, the pellets eventually dissolve in the rain but then they feed the plants too.
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It never occured to me to deadhead the Rose Campion (Lychnis). I brought seeds with me from my old house. They self seed like crazy but mine are biannuals so I’m always glad to have new plants.
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Thank you for your comment on the vegetable beds. I am catching up with you in the birthday stakes! This Six-on-Saturday blog has revitalised my determination to get the garden under control. You will probably laugh at the size of my plot compared to yours but it is quite challenging!
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I’m looking forward to seeing that peony in flower. Enjoy your lunch tomorrow!
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Thank you. We haven’t seen the grandchildren since Christmas although we do speak to them on the phone. They lead such busy lives!
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Your beds look gorgeous, even before they’ve begun to bloom (except for the geranium & forgetmenots). I have a love-hate for lychnis – love the bloom, hate the self seed, love the bloom . . . such a vibrant red splotch in the garden. Not sure what the white would do for me, so look forward to seeing those.
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I’m not very good at the “Close up” photos so you do get a chance to see more of the garden! I am gradually weeding my way round the garden. Fortunately, the forget-me-nots and geraniums hide many of the weeds….. as well as smothering some of the plants, unfortunately!! Thank you for your comments.
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The white one is good and if you’re lucky you get hybrids with mixed white and pink flowers.
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ooooooooooooo . . . . . . .
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Your Cerinthe is looking promising. I really love this plant but I still don’t have it in my garden. Tried to grow it from seed one year but forgot about the seedlings and they frazzled. Hope your bruise gets better and enjoy your tulips.
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Thank you – it’s not a very impressive bruise and it doesn’t hurt now. I may have said that I did grow the Cerinthe from seed….more successfully than any of my seeds this year! I must throw out some very old seed packets and start afresh!
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What a lovely 6. Your peony looks so healthy and ready to bloom. I have a few but one has been attacked by caterpillars can you believe!
Slugs and snails….I use a mixture of crushed glass or crocks/pots and salt around the most yummy plants. Although I can never grow delphiniums as they would get munched. I go out in the evening and pick off the slugs and snails and pop them in the compost. My teenage kids think I’m bonkers! They’re possibly right……🤓
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