Six on Saturday - Mid July 2023

This Saturday there is no moan about the lack of rain, we have had a good quantity. I think I may even try making a simple rain guage for the garden.  Any suggestions or advice regarding this?  Can a post start with a question?  Well those are two questions so far, often I end up with answers but also other interesting insights as I join the 'community' of people who love their gardens and plants, that is Six on Saturday currently hosted by Jim. You need not post there so don't be shy, do have a read of some of posts, you'll be inspired or even be able to sympathise as you read about triumphs or regrets or just tribulations in the garden.

1. Rhodohypoxis 'Pintado' is enjoying the rain and has come forth with another flush of pretty pink flowers. 

Even the ones planted out in the gravel garden are looking much much happier now they have had some of the summer rain they thrive on.

2. Out in the gravel garden is this lovely blue/purple flowered Eryngium bourgatii.  I am even happier with this one as I grew it from seed received from the HPS.  When I lost my previous one and saw it listed, I decided to give it a try, and now my patience has paid off. Even without its flower the leaves do look quite handsome against the gravel.

3. A few years ago when visiting Westbrook House Gardens, I happen to notice a most magnificent pelargonium in their glass house. I also visited again earlier this year with our WI gardening group and met with  Garden designer Keith Anderson,  Keith kindly permitted me to take a few cuttings, and here they are already flowering.

But just look at this:  I happened to have taken a cutting in 2021 from another plant I very much admired again it was Frank Headley, and with several overwintered cuttings, I now have two further bowls full of salmony pink blooms. They are all Pelargonium Frank Headley!

4. Last Saturday Mr S was persuaded to drive me out to visit one of my favourite Wells market plant stall holder: Glenholme Herbs who were opening their nursery and gardens. For once Alison was not at the market with her wide variety of herbs, but playing host at the establishment which is family run. Just by chance we bumped into Keith Anderson and David Mendel,from Westbrook House and had a nice chat with them.  Did I come away with anything..just a few plants but now potted up and centred on the table is a pretty scented Pelargonium Lemon Fancy. It has the lemoniest of leaves and a pretty pink bicoloured flower. I shall be layering a few leaves in caster sugar and trying it out of some simple Madeleine cakes.

5. Mulch is what I have been doing when it has not been raining, I love getting down low amongst the plants and spreading the stuff, imagining the worms doing their job over the next few months.  The plants are already feeling the benefit what with all the rain as well.

To stop the goodness leaching onto the drive and getting washed into the nearby stream Mr S covered the bag then just before the high winds lassoed rope around the edges to stop the sheet being blown away , a sort of pool of rainwater is collecting on the top,but was quickly emptied to avoid compaction of the lovely mulch. I must leave an upturned bucket under the cover to stop the water from collecting.

6. One job leads to another maybe, and a completely unforeseen one arose during the week.  I needed to move some pots off the gravel to give me room to mulch along the edge of the conservatory border.  I moved the Japanese Umbrella Pine Sciadopitys Verticillata, which is not a pine, but it is a coniferous evergreen and sometimes referred to as a living fossil. I held it by the stem as well as the pot and decided to check on the root growth. The plant was light and there amongst the roots there were myriads of holes and three quarters down the pot were hundreds of ants with a large number of pupae.  I know the garden is full of ants but here they were doing the lovely tree no good at all.  It was of course repotted, but Mr S from the kitchen noticed it was a bit wonky.  

I believe it needs a bit of a prune perhaps to give it an even more quirky shape  or should I suggest that it follows the Japanese esthetic, but Mr S rather likes this one, and I haven't yet perked up the courage to do it. When it is back in its position I rather think it will right itself.

Yesterday my little module received in the spring won a prize, but more about that next week.