Six-on-Saturday 20-10-2018

Last week we went to have a “Faulty Towers” experience and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves! The actors who played Basil, Sybil and Manuel were very good. Many thanks to our lovely children.

The weather was perfect in Wales for our few days away and I have managed to do some tidying in the garden since we came back. There is a small area behind the shed which I leave through the summer, but the buddleia had gone berserk, so I have cut it back and tidied the area around it – plenty of twigs to shred this weekend…..my favourite activity!!

The forecast is good, so I hope you all get a chance to enjoy your garden.

Here are my Six-on-Saturday.

I have planted the indoor bulbs which I mentioned last week. (I hope they look as good as the picture on the packet!!) They should flower around Christmas time. I want some of the outdoor ones to go into the troughs so I will have to remove the geraniums which still have quite a bit of colour left. I will probably do that later in the week after Mr and Mrs Propagator’s #4 child has had a short visit to us, or maybe she will help me to plant them? I have heard that she sometimes helps Mr P in the garden.

(Behind the narcissus pot you can see a small rubber plant. This is a direct descendant of the plant which had lasted for about 30 years. I noticed a few years ago that the parent plant was looking decidedly poorly so I cut half a dozen healthy looking side shoots from it and put them in a jar of water and left them for a few months until I could see roots forming. I then potted them into compost and three flourished, one of which you can see here! Years ago, I tried the “correct” method for propagating rubber plants by cutting into the stem and wrapping it up with soil inside a polythene bag but keeping it attached to the plant itself. Yes, very fiddly and not as successful. When I dug up the original plant, I saw it was rotten inside, possibly too much watering or just too old.)

Mr P kindly gave me some of his wallflowers last week. He has tweeted that his look rather unhealthy, as do mine, but I think they should pick up once they settle in.

I noticed this rather confused primula in amongst the perennial geraniums and the Catmint! What will it look like in the spring? Will it flower again?

The Nerine looks good with that perennial geranium! I will have to pull out a lot of the geranium, it is taking over the garden, with some help from the forget-me-nots, already!

I have featured the rather moth-eaten, or rather caterpillar-eaten, leaves of the Brussels but the sprouts themselves are doing well, as I had hoped they would.

That fuschia goes on and on! I enjoy it every year. Behind it is another bloom on the rose bush I thought was dying at the start of the season. I have had to cut back a lot of dead wood but it has continued to flower through the summer although the foliage is not as healthy as usual.

That’s it for another week. Granny’sGardenHimIndoors and I are looking forward to seeing our granddaughter and perhaps visiting an RSPB site so that she can use her binoculars and her bird book. Unfortunately, where we live, we are nearly one and a half hours from the nearest site but will go for most of the day so I hope she will enjoy it.

Six-on-Saturday 13-10-2018

Rather a busy week. Starting with a lovely wedding, followed by an enjoyable morning coffee and pastries as a birthday celebration. This weekend, Granny’sGardenHimIndoors and I are going to participate in a Faulty Towers evening which was an anniversary present from our 3 lovely children! Will report on that next week.

Meanwhile, in the garden, the lawns are mown and the collapsed clematis is shredded – you will see a description of that in this post.

Here are this week’s Six-on-Saturday.

The bare wall which had the clematis climbing up a trellis which I thought was securely fixed to it! Followed by the second photo showing the clematis and trellis which was NOT securely fixed to the it! When I shredded it, I filled the shredder’s large collecting “box” twice! Perhaps it was a bit heavy for the trellis!

A casualty from the fallen clematis. The hydrangea is situated next to it and I must say, it seems to get more stunning as the season goes on! Even the leaves are edged with a maroon tint!

A kind relative gave us a selection of spring bulbs as a belated anniversary gift. One packet is an indoor variety, but the others will go into troughs and pots outside. The heights vary from 15 cm to 50 cm so I will take that into account when positioning them.

Some of this week’s harvest. The small, brown apple is the total yield of a russet apple tree…… and it was full of holes! The runner beans are very tasty as garlic, butter and bean curry. The strawberries keep on although the fruits are rather small!!

The verbena bonariensis planted in the very shallow, narrow bed by the conservatory. We will see what happens…..they used to thrive here but the plants were a little old and needed replacing. These are the seedlings I found around the garden several weeks ago.

These buttonholes were all made by our lovely daughter-in-law, as was her bouquet and all the table decorations for last week’s wedding – with the help of our #1 son. Mr Propagator was not entirely convinced that they were anything to do with the garden but I don’t think I will be banned!

Well that’s it for another week. We are having a few days away in South Wales but the forecast is rather mixed! Never mind, a couple of good books if golf is off! Have a good weekend and enjoy your garden, if the weather permits!

Six-on-Saturday 06-10-2018

Today’s forecast is rather ominous but we do need some rain. Fortunately, the family wedding is all indoors so shouldn’t be affected.

As I have mentioned, it’s not easy to be original with my Six-on-Saturday at this stage of the year but the garden is still looking quite good. I have not resorted to photos of houseplants…..yet!

Hope you have a good weekend. As well as the wedding, Granny’sGardenHimIndoors has a birthday as does our lovely big son!

Anyway, here are this week’s Six-on-Saturday.

I noticed Lora mentioned during the week that she had taken in her patio umbrella, funnily enough, it was that day I put mine into the garage for the winter! So summer is officially over.

That vibrant salvia seems to get brighter each week! Maybe the colour will fade soon like the Caryoptis at the other side of the garden.

This metal pot holder looks nice with the small sedums. It does a good job of hiding an air brick and nearly hiding an aerial wire!

I have planted the “red” clematis by the plum tree ready to climb over it next season. I may plant another or a different climber as well.

Probably the last proper rhubarb picking of the year and the first spring onions! Crumble tonight and rice salad with other herbs (mint and parsley)……..not all together, I hasten to add!

Following last week’s complaint from Mr Propagator, here is the compost heap. He will probably tell me that I need to turn it and tidy it up – maybe next week, although if he has a spare half hour this weekend, he could do it for me, he should be in the neighbourhood!!

That’s it again. I look forward to seeing your Sixes-on-Saturday but it may be Monday before that happens! Have a good weekend.

Six-on-Saturday 29-09-2018

We thought summer had returned on Thursday and although Friday was just as sunny, the temperature had dropped at least 10 degrees!

Looking around the garden, the raspberries have finished but the strawberries are still producing half a dozen fruits a week. The apples are very large and tasty so doing well. Meanwhile, the new raised bed started slowly but the beetroot is coming on and the broccoli is doing well. The Brussels sprout plants are very “holey” still but the sprouts themselves seem to be forming quite well. The roses are still going strong, I am pleased to report.

I managed to mow the lawns yesterday – there were plenty of grass cuttings to put on the compost heap and very few bare patches. I have spoken to a couple of friends whose lawns have not recovered since the dry spell so maybe the heat was just too extreme this year in some areas.

Anyway, on to my Six-on-Saturday for this week.

This geum has benefited from regular deadheading and is still a vibrant red.

The “holey” Brussels! I think they will have been worth growing. There are four plants which should do a few meals for us.

The raised bed with the Spring Onions, beetroot and broccoli plants. I am usually successful with Swiss chard but it hasn’t germinated in the garden nor in the greenhouse this year.

The Berberis I showed early in the spring has produced masses of berries. I forgot about them, thinking it was just for foliage. It will lose its leaves soon showing an abundance of lichen which seems to like this shrub.

One of the “Lucky Dip” roses. The other two are a yellow colour and a peach colour, so at least this is different! (I keep pulling back the catmint which is trying to smother it as well as trying to push that perennial geranium out!)

I thought I would finish with that colourful group of plants…. for a change! (Well, it was that or the compost heap!) You can see there are plenty more buds coming on the Special Child rose, so it should go on for a while yet. Also, the sedum is an even deeper red and that blue shrub is lovely. I know…… boring, but pretty!

That’s my Six-on-Saturday. Have a good weekend and enjoy your garden.

Six-on-Saturday 22-09-2018

I shall get my wingeing out of the way first. All I was doing was listening to the radio (using my phone, as usual) when I caught it with my sleeve and it leapt into the washing up bowl! It was there for 1 second, at most, …….you can fill in the rest! So off to the phone shop today, but I need the invaluable assistance of Granny’sGardenHimIndoors to get the new one set up. He is golfing, just now, although he said he wouldn’t play if it started to rain – well, it hasn’t stopped here!

I am digressing, so back to the garden. Not particularly bright colours this week and no sunshine to brighten them up either!

The strawberries are still producing a few fruits and the miniature kiwi fruit tree has had at least a dozen this year! It was a present about 5 years ago but all the fruit either dropped off, in the past, or were hard and bitter. These looked past their best on the tree, but when I tried one, it was very tasty!! I will encourage it and look after it better next season and wait longer for them to ripen.

In the early summer, you may have seen the pretty, pink hydrangea. Clearly it is changing from summer to autumn colours and still looking quite good!

That Salvia that Mr P gave me earlier in the year started with rather small, not as blue, flowers. The colour seems to have become deeper and the florets larger!

This shrub’s berries turn pink as the autumn progresses. I think it is called a Euonymous. (See what’s peeping out underneath? Sorry…… I know I am predictable.)

Oh dear! The storms blew over that tall gladiolus from last week.

However, with a stake, a bit of string and a cane topper (which is hidden by the blooms) it is bowed but not broken! (Is that the correct saying? It doesn’t see quite right, but apt for the situation.)

Finally, the bark on the “probably dead” plum tree is turning the most beautiful shades of deep (I would say) plum red!! I don’t remember noticing this in previous years. Whether it survives or not, I hope to use it as a climbing support for a clematis rather than chopping it down to ground level.

Well, I will be texting #1 grandson later to wish him well at university. A very exciting new stage for him – he has done brilliantly, of course!

Enjoy your weekend and I will look forward to seeing your Sixes-on-Saturday, as always!

Six-on-Saturday 15-09-2018

Good morning! It is a lovely day here and maybe I will get out into the garden soon. In 3 weeks time, our Little Soldier* gets married so there are a few minor alterations needed to our lovely, nearly daughter-in-law’s dress and to the Little Soldier’s suit jacket, so Granny is a bit busy indoors just now.

Very pleased to see Mr Kingdon is back, but I hope he is careful with all that digging and cutting back! It looks rather daunting and very hard work.

This week, I have tried to put in some original photos but it is becoming difficult, although the garden itself is looking different due to the plants being at further stages or second flushes (I hope that makes sense.) I am pleased that Mr Kingdon is keeping a couple of perennial geranium plants, mine are still going… yippee!!

Here is my Six-on-Saturday for this week. Have a good weekend.

*Our Little Soldier is a very good looking, 6’3″ young man – well relatively young! ( At least, he was 6’3″ when he left home but our lovely, nearly daughter-in-law says that he is 6’2″! I’m not happy about that!)

The rather disappointing geraniums are showing a decent amount of colour now so I hope we don’t get any frost for a few weeks.

The view at the other side of the garden. A different “blue” shrub and the sedum is nearly in full colour.

Well, I did tell you that there were only two gladioli that had flowered, but, walking down the garden, I noticed this!!!

a) I planted only dwarf gladioli, (that’s a 6′ fence), and

b) I am sure it wasn’t there yesterday!

The tumbling, fragrant begonia which doesn’t tumble, nor is there any perfume, is quite pretty beside the greenhouse door.

This mimulus usually spreads further but, in the spring, I had to dig it up to get at a dandelion which was growing right in the middle of it. I think I got rid of the dandelion but it knocked the plant back a bit. ((The perennial geranium looking good for next year!)

This one’s for Lora! These are two seedlings which I moved a few weeks ago hoping they would survive. Clearly they have. The flowers are small and do not open out all at once, but, I like the structure of the plant anyway.

That’s it for another week. Looking forward to seeing your Sixes-on-Saturday, as always.

Six-on-Saturday 8-08-2018

The autumnal nights (ie. much cooler ones) are with us now, thank goodness! I have really enjoyed the sunny days but didn’t like the warm nights. The garden continues to look quite good (from a decent distance) and that marvellous Rudbeckia is still starring, along with the roses. This weekend I hope to spend some time in the garden – it soon gets ahead of itself and ahead of me, for that matter!

Here are my Six-on-Saturday for this week but instead of taking them on a sunny Friday afternoon, I was rather busy and have had to take them on a rainy Saturday morning! Silly Granny.

Mr Propagator and I must be tuned into the same something or other because I had decided to put a picture of MY gaura in this week. This dwarf, dark pink variety has been rather pathetic until recently but is looking better now. This was supposed to be a trough full of geraniums but the birds kept pulling them out, so I replaced three ruined ones with this, as I may have mentioned before, and will plant it in the garden proper for next season. (The pale pink, taller gauras can be very untidy, but with a little, early staking, they look fine and are still a favourite of mine.) If Mr P wants to propagate it, has he noticed any seedlings around it? If this is it’s first year, maybe there will be some in the spring.

If it hadn’t been raining and if my camera hadn’t been getting wet, I would have cleared all the leaves and twigs before taking these photos and they would have been much more impressive! I decided to put them in because they may be past their best by next week. I only noticed them a few days ago either side of the brown garden bin. It is the first year either of them have flowered…..unless I missed them completely in previous years!!

The beetroot and spring onions are getting going…at last! They were in neat rows until the cat danced around, or did something, in the new bed! I will thin out and tidy the beetroot this weekend. I know you can buy mixes including beetroot leaves, so we will try the “thinnings” with our salad this weekend.

The white perennial sweet pea has had a dramatic second flush! It does better than the others because it climbs over this shrub itself, as opposed to me trying to tie the pink ones to the wooden fence at the other side of the garden as they grow up it.

Sorry! It was either THAT 🌹 again, or this group of shrubs again! My excuse/reason is that it is changing and improving each week. The sedum still isn’t up to full colour yet but getting there. Jim commented on the spirea at the back left which has been even prettier since I removed the spent flowers and I think I pointed out our old friend the perennial geranium getting itself ready for next spring!

As always, I aim to finish with a beautiful picture…… well I like it!! It needs a good mix and tidy up soon, or maybe it is time to rotate it into the right hand dalek, which will have been emptied into the dalek to the right of it, the contents of which will have been spread around the garden. The birds seem to pull out as many of the paper shreddings as they can in order to get to those lovely worms, but they don’t put them back! (I don’t know what wood Mr Propagator used to make this container, but I reckon any new houses and cars should be made of this since it is showing no signs of rotting or breaking after nearly 19 years!)

Making 🍞 this morning, not for any noble reason it’s just that every time I buy 🍞 in a shop, I wish I hadn’t bothered because even my less successful batches taste so much better. Granny’sGardenHimIndoors prefers soda bread which is much easier to make but I prefer the “real”, more time consuming stuff!

Have a good weekend and I hope you manage to get out into your gardens.