Saturday 12 October 2019

Six on Saturday - 12 October 2019

Its been one of those weeks when I have been busy moving plants out of the rain!  Those small seedlings would just get washed out of their pots, so they are moved to the best light on a windowsill.  Thank goodness all the front garden is how planted up and mulched with bark....


The Cyclamen hederifolium are the stars at the moment..and who needs flowers when you can have leaves like these.  Yes I know some of you will be shouting out..yes you do need flowers: flowers means seeds, seeds mean the possibility of propagation etc....  These are the leaves fully unfurled after flowering, of (1) Cyclamen hederifolium 'Lysander'! It was the leaves with its angular serrated  paler margins which were the pulling feature!


Cyclamen hederifolium Lysander

I can show cyclamen with flowers too: (2) Cyclamen hederifolium with silver arrow head shaped leaves with green margins and fine deep pink flowers:


I have a shelf where choice plants are placed on the outside of the shed...so there is every possibility of my being able to admire the blooms in a pause between heavy showers.


(3) Japanese grass Hakonechloa Macra Aureola is just coming into flower...I love cutting it and putting it in arrangements.  I have three clumps growing in pots,  I find their rounded graceful shape looks good in many spaces...I move them around....



(4)  The seasons are playing tricks again with the Rosemary in flower. Bumblebees are still visiting flowers around the garden when the rain stops.  I have been  experimenting  with using edibles from the garden and have been adding flowers to salads...just pull the flower away from the green bit and you are left with soft blue petals.  They are quite tender, sweet, and tasty for for fruit or vegetable salads.  We had a Hummingbird Hawk Moth in the garden over the last couple of days...it nectar of  choice being from the flowers of  Linaria pupurea 'Canon Went'.  That was an 'aside' maybe a (4b)


Rosemary in flower in October 

(5)  The Runner Beans gave a little spurt of growth with flowers a few weeks back, after the very first of the rain...I think we have two more pickings before it is time to chop down the runners, and store the canes until next year.


(6)  Chillies are turning red....grown outdoor in the open ground all summer from seed saved from a chilli grown four years ago in my last garden!  I am thinking of digging up a plant, potting it up, and growing it on for another year.  I managed to keep a plant going for three years doing this...it saves growing from seed each year.  Although I grew two plants this year..one plant is quite sufficient for us.





9 comments:

  1. I can see why you like that Japanese grass with its windmill flowers.
    The cyclamen leaves are very beautiful with their green and aluminium colours...and then they also have those delightful flowers.

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    1. Thanks Jane...cyclamen have such a wide variety of shapes and coloured leaves. I like that they start to shine in the garden, when everything else is waning.

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  2. The cyclamen leaves are so beautiful, worth growing just for the foliage. The grass is a favourite of mine, such although I am not so clever to attempt flower arranging, I bet they look great!

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    1. I am part of a regular In a Vase on Monday group...it is just plonking in my case..choosing things from the garden in various combinations.

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  3. I think I need to bring in a few pots of seedlings that have been getting rained upon while sat on the swing seat. The Japanese grass is very pretty.

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  4. Oh those cyclamens are exquisitely marked Noelle. I have a weakness for the silver leaves. Your rosemary flowers are early on the scene - mine are at the allotment which I've not seen for some time so I don't know what they are up to. Much in the way of rain here too!

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    1. I'm not sure whether or not to suggest him inside takes you for a trip to the allotment..but perhaps best not to see it till you are mended. At least it is autumn and by spring you will be better. You can understand how I was tempted when I went to Ashwoods this spring: https://noellemace.blogspot.com/2019/02/visiting-ashwood-nursery-and-john.html

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  5. Wow that first cyclamen is a beaut! Thanks ever so much for your donation, much appreciated.

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  6. The grass is beautiful & great tip about the rosemary blooms. Definitely will have to see if mine is blooming & taste them if it is. Love the cyclamen, both leaves & flowers.

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