Six on Saturday at the end of September 2023

The signs of Autumn are spreading only very slowly across the garden, since there is still plenty of colour. Already this week, in addition to those for 'In a Vase on Monday', I have picked two further lovely bouquets from a small garden. Like many gardeners, I am considering what to remove, or move or take cuttings of to overwinter. I'll probably be inspired further as I visit Jim whose anchor for SOS I attach this post to, and all the other gardeners who join in this week.

1. The Hydrangea flowers are already fading.....

2. Some flowers are just really coming up their peak such as this lovely Chrysanthemum Starlet (21f) and no apologies for having only recently shown this one.  I just love the shape of the petals.

3. Another favourite autumn flower is that of the Cyclamen hederifolium, silver leaved form nestling under the silver leaved Fuchsia Silver Linings.

4. Just before our break I was admiring the little Helianthemum which I bought this year, all the label said was 'yellow'!  Before I was very much drawn to the silver leaved forms which I planted in the front Mediterranean garden, but lately I have enjoyed the healthy deep green leaves on this one, which has been in flower for ages.

I liked it was much that several cuttings were taken (instructions and  a great collection via the link). They are getting away in their little pot, which should yield some good plants ready to plant out next spring.

5. Leafy plants too make an impact in the garden, and some are just emerging, and will brighten the garden throughout the winter.

Arum italicum var. pictum

6.  I usually bring back a plant souvenir from a holiday, but apart enjoying the trees, landscape, glasshouses etc at Bicton Park, sadly there were no good books on the history of the garden, planting etc. I did find an old publication on line and am expecting that any time now.  Having just read through 'Flower Hunters' by the Gribbins,  I had a better feel and appreciation for the effort that plant hunters took to bring back seed from around the world, which owners of wealth and land such as at Bicton Park grew, and their legacy years down the line as the trees reach maturity.

I brought back slate plant labels made on site at A la Ronde, from the old roof tiles  following refurbishment of the top part of the roof around the chimneys. They are Delabole slate, I shall use them for my special plants in pots.  I'll probably have to experiment to find the best way of writing on them.

Eryngium Planum Tetre Petra, Eryngium Silver Ghost, and the small pretty pale yellow Scabiosa columbaria subsp. ochroleuca, all the seed heads gathered before the wet weather are now dried and slowing having the heaviest of the 'chaff' removed. 

If anyone would like some of one or more, send me a separate comment with your name and address which won't be uploaded to the site, and I shall post them to you.  This applies to friends and SOSs only by the way.  Any balance will be taken to the next HPS meeting I go to. 

Quick Lunch but not at the Savoy!

It wasn't exactly what would be served at The Savoy, but this did Mr S and I had for lunch, today. 

10 minutes before serving I had no idea what we would be having for lunch! Everything was in the fridge, except the garlic focaccia, (in the bread bin, defrosted for lunch yesterday) tomatoes from the two plants which Janette Billington brought months ago to the WI meeting, slow roasted yesterday, each with half a clove of garlic added to each half before slow roasting. On top areslices of ash rolled goat's cheese, roasted sweet potato, lentils, spring onions and olives in a 'melange', a drizzle of Fussels's Oak smoked cold pressed rapeseed oil with pomegranate molasses. It is great to have bits and pieces pre-prepared in the fridge. The roasted veg were made when the oven was on for other things, and with no great pre thought as to what they would be used for.

This morning was busy: Mr S was at the Cathedral Library and I took myself and Jenny off to visit a Wood Engraver Geri Waddington whose work I had admired at the Arts Contemporary Exhibition in Wells during August.  With the title who could not smile at 'Meet me at the Savoy'.

I came away with a little print, and this won't be the last one I buy, I have a mind to getting the Savoy one!  I also saw the current work in progress and loved the details of that so will be looking forward to that being launched. Yes Geri did mention that there was a lefty snail and yes they do exist! It must be Jeremy the sinistral snail!

Chrysanthemum Chatsworth In a Vase on Monday

I'm back from a little break just in time to pose my Vase this Monday.  As usual I am joining in with Cathy, but having missed a few weeks, have some catching up to do. 

I have used Chrysanthemum White Gem (21f) before and having started in early July, it is still offering up flowers and has several yet to come.  The second Chrysanthemum is a gorgeous double bronze coloured called Chatsworth 921b).  With Chrysanthemums originating from China it was almost automatic that the beautiful cloisonné vase which my mother bought for me on her tour of China, was to be today's vase, with its lovely rich brown colours.

Chrysanthemum 'Chatsworth' a lovely rich orangey bronze

The Chrysanthemum Chatsworth plant has a great form, with strong stems having blooms well arranged, here there are just two stems. This in my opinion is the best of the Chrysanthemums in the garden at the moment. The  spoon billed Chrysanthemum White Gem is a little more lax in its growth and these were picked from one which ought really have ben staked.  The may well straighten up in the vase over the next few days.  I haven't had time to condition these blooms and they are just minutes from having been cut.

The greenery is made up of winter green fern Polypodium cambricum Richard Kayse, a few leaves from Mahonia Soft Caress., some variegated ivy and Persicaria Red Dragon. 

Six on Saturday - Soggy Saturday

After a hot dry weather, today it is soggy. and from the weather forecast we are in for soggy days till the end of September.  Up till now no stacking has been needed but we shall see what happens over the next few days. Every Saturday Jim sets up the anchoring post for Six on Saturday, I am joining in with the 'gang' again. 

1.  I love a good Aster such as this Italian Aster King George is King of Garden this week.  Two clumps are giving the impression of a hedging plant.

So much do I like asters at the moment, than on a day out to Watchet on the steam train on Wednesday I succumbed to Fish and Chips, beer in a quirky pub, ice cream, books of poetry, and a very blue double Aster.  I guess now I have to find a place for it.

2.  It is coming to the time when I need to think about moving the succulents from the shelf to places either in the shed, the house, the canopy by the front door or the conservatory.  Unfortunately I love to propagate and now have a few to share, which is harder than you think. 

Aeonium Velour is already under the shelter of the canopy by the front door, and that seems to be a good half way house before the conservatory.

3.  Gardens, plants and skills are for sharing and this week 'Cucumber' Kate came over with some lovely old terracotta pots which she has to spare, and some cucumbers. Yes it raining for the first time this morning, and I as soon as I finish this, I am out to rescue the pots set them to dry and store until needed.

We spent some time chatting and I was able to share seed, show her how to take cuttings from Salvia Amistad, and give her some nicely rooted succulent cuttings.

4. Just by coincidence after writing my post last week, I bought a fig tree and have now planted it.  Since then I read that Fred has a very productive tree and I am looking forward to getting tips on growing great fruit successfully. This year I received separate lots of figs from two friends and was impressed by the quality and sweetness of the fruit.  Hope I live to enjoy many years from this one.

Fig 'Brown Turkey'

5.  A few weeks back I went the Summer HPS lunch, this was the first time I had been to such an event, mainly because the other annual events had been a little too far away from home.  After lunch we brought the plants we had to share, and there were some wonderful ones too.  Before this I had on my list a rose that I had wanted to grow for a number of years, and which my friend Kay had in her garden in Kenilworth.  Although she has now moved, we had some discussions about the possibility of my growing it against the back wall, and her advice was go ahead.  It was on my list to buy as soon as the work with the trees was completed.  There amongst the plants was a good sturdy Rosa banksiae 'Lutea'. Was that 'serendipity' again?  I nearly didn't go as I was on 'model railway' duty, but Mr S managed to find someone else to help him.

6.  I really cannot find room to squeeze much more into the garden, and I know there are bulbs everywhere, but I couldn't resist a few small purchases at the Rare Plant Fair last Sunday: a couple of ferns, and a handful of Crocus 'Dorothy' bulbs.

Fern Cheilanthes lanosa (grey felty) - Fern Asplenium x ebenoides

In a Vase on Monday - Cooling down

 It seems the weather is cooling down a little, well it was until the sun melted through the clouds this afternoon.  I joined friends this morning from the WI walking group and had a very pleasant walk when it felt comfortable to wear trousers.  Now I am back, I'm ready to share the flowers I picked last night, yet arranged and photographed early this morning.  I am linking in with Cathy for this post.

I am pleased to say that Munstead Wood is thriving after moving it into the conservatory border.  Joining are blooms is Chrysanthemum White Gem 21fm and Alchemilla erythropoda. This Alchemilla is half the size of A. mollis, with longer blooms in proportion.

That is all I can say for the flowers, the vase was my mother's. collected by my father on his visit to Japan over 55 years ago, and a special 'treasure' for me now.

As for reading, with all the hot weather, it has been something I have enjoyed.  

The Marriage Portrait was sent as a gift by my friend Mandy, a wonderful surprise!  Out came my Italian Guide Books, and of course various links on the internet gave me background on the period, names for parts of costumes etc.  Maggie O'Farrell really kept the suspense going, I enjoyed this fairly gruesome tale, and got the feeling of the period and position of women in 16th century Italy. I certainly would recommend this one.

Next month our book club are vising The Wells Literary Festival where Donal Ryan will talk to us, and therefore the reason behind our choosing The Queen of Dirt Island. It took me some time to get into this book, punctuation with no speech marks seem odd. After a few 'chapters' by this I refer to the short two sides of a page with a Title which stand for chapters, I started to enjoy the format and found the author's or rather the cadences of the characters' voices.

Father Frank by Paul Burke is our read for October and I have already finished that one.  What a hoot!  As I read it in the evenings, whilst everyone else were on their phones, with my sister and partner staying over, they would glance over in my direction as I tittered or laughed out loud.  Later my sister borrowed the book, and she too thought how amusing it was.  

Finally I am just reading through Flower Hunters which I ordered from our lending library, after being shown it by my gardening friend Hilary, who with other books had this one as a birthday present.  I would highly recommend this well researched book.  I am just on Carl Linnaeus, and am already captivated and recommend Mary and John Gribbin's book.

Six on Saturday - 9 September 2023

 How hot and stifling, I want to feel cool again! Meanwhile yesterday I sat out of the sun and thought about the pictures I have taken and wrote the first draught of the weekly post for Six on Saturday.  I am joining Jim as usual on a morning here with mist but temperatures still very warm.

1. In the middle of the gravel garden this week's number one plant is the clump of  Allium senescens ssp. montanum var. glaucum, it was sold to me as Allium senescens montana glaucum, but having seen it growing in Derry Watkins' garden and in her Special Plants Nursery, I am going with the name she uses. This is a dwarf perennial late flowering allium forming an interesting clump of spiralling twisted grey leaves with round heads each with many lilac flowers each one a bee magnet. I like the way the heads are held high above the low growing foliage.

 Allium senescens ssp. montanum var. glaucum

It has been in this position for three years and after flowering I shall divide it to increase my stock. Division can done either in the spring or the autumn.

2.  I was about to take more cuttings and I could not find my pocket knife.  I don't even know how long I have had it: years and years.  To think of all those plants in the garden and which I have given away that started off as cuttings using this little red handled knife.

What is it that makes something special? Is it that one has had it for a long time?  If it is lost to what lengths does one go to find it?  When does one start to mourn its loss? How soon does one give up and look for a replacement?  I had started to look for my  knife, already mourning its possible loss, and really a foldable pocket knife is not that pricey, so why was I upset? 

Maybe I am a little different from the run of the mill, but I like my 'things'.   I spent a couple of hours looking for it, checking all the pockets, the car, the shed, and even emptied the full green waste bin to see if it had accidentally been thrown away when I had been showing someone how to take cuttings in back garden.  Mr S joined in the search too. During all of this  I had a faint recollection, that I had put it down somewhere unusual and wondering at the time why?  

Anyway I have found it:  at the bottom of the cupboard under my half used neatly folded clothes. 

It has had a clean and a sharpen, and will hopefully always be put back in its proper place after each use and hence not get lost. Wouldn't it be good if there was a notch to attach a lanyard to? 

Only when I found my knife was able to put in the name of the manufacturers and found a modern equivalent. I would pay for one of their lovely wooden handled knives if I had to buy another knife,  but I am more than happy with my perfect little red knife which fits my hand perfectly.

3. Another very pleasing form from this year's crop of Hardy Chrysanthemums from Halls of Heddon is Chrysanthemum Chatsworth (21C).  The flowers are held well above the growth and I look forward to checking them out soon as a cut flower.

4. I have been in love with the Ginkgo Tree for a very long time, it was love at first sight.  In print I love the art around this tree and its leaf shape.  I only wish I had bought one years ago.  I have found one which will be just the right size for this garden.  It is a short grafted plant of Ginkgo biloba 'Mariken'. A good description of this form can be found on Gardenia's site. I have also found a list for the National Collection of Gingko biloba and cultivars.

Ginkgo biloba 'Mariken'

Of course it deserved an attractive pot, and I found this slate one up at my local nursery.  There was a bit of a hiccup over the initial contact by email, but my patience has been fruitful, and I got all the information I asked for and a picture of the plant they would send to me. The service I had from Vicky at Lime Cross Nursery has been first rate.

5.  Sending out a delicious scent during the warm evenings is this Dianthus.  One evening I watched a humming bird hawkmoth visit the individual flowers: magic, sadly no camera was handy then. The warm dry weather seems to suit this flower, which otherwise in rain looks like wet hair.

Dianthus superbus

My friend Jean has gleaned a few Dianthus seed, and didn't tell me what the variety was, suffice it to say from three seed, two fell out from the seedpod, only one went into the pot. I think it must be sort of D, superbus as well. It was still in its seed pot when I took this picture, now the pinker bloom with markings has been removed and the plant is settling nicely in the garden soil.

6. Self sowers as beautiful as this late flowering nasturtium are always welcome if they are in the right place. I no longer sow any seed and just wait for plants to appear.

With windows flung open for all long as possible after dark, we had a visitor on Thursday evening which at first I thought quite pretty, but with some nice variegated boxes which I hoped to cloud prune eventually, I think those poor plants' days are numbered. Last night we had three Box Tree moths in the living room.

I shall be visiting the Rare Plant Event at Wells Bishop's Palace tomorrow, the garden is packed but will I come home with anything?  We shall see.........

In a Vase on Monday - cooling down

Now I wish it wasn't so hot!  We went for a nice walk this morning, and the temperature was 26 C when we got back before lunch.  In the sitting room, where we tend to rest and cool down after a walk,  the arrangement belies the temperatures outside, and I dare say the sun will cause burning on the rose petals on the blooms in the garden. We have no aircon or fans, but close the double glazing and draw curtains and shut blinds on the sunny side. It does help.

The container today is the smaller of my two pewter tankards, and besides the arrangement is a piece of the interesting twig of magnolia  saved when I visited my friend's garden.  The pale cream rose is Rose Home Florist Timeless Cream which is slightly less pink than earlier in the year.  The Aster is the Italian Aster 'King George' and since the Pittosporum Tom Thumb needed a little pruning, it was useful for filling out the arrangement.

I'm joining Cathy as usual, where others who make arrangements from garden grown flowers join up each Monday. 

Six on Saturday - 2 September 2023

Summer is gently giving way to autumn: I've noticed a change as the Amelanchier starts to colour and shed leaves, the sun is lower and daylight is growing less, after a few days of poor light with heavy overcast days, what a welcome us gardeners feel towards a few days of brighter settled weather. Yes we were promised that but this Saturday morning it is overcast.  On the bright side I saw a nice flock of small birds visit the garden including a pair of blackcaps for the first time in a long time. 

Along with the gang of SOS I'm joining Jim as usual on his blog called Garden Ruminations.  

1. For some reason this Chrysanthemum was a magnet for the slugs, though it has come back nicely.  Chrysanthemum Starlet (21f) is described by Halls of Heddon from where I got several different Chrysanthemums this year, as a light bronze single spoon with several layer of petals.  It is shortish and may get moved if it survives the winter, which I hope it does and it is described as hardy. 

Chrysanthemum Starlet (21f)

2. Chrysanthemum Bravo has been in bloom since the start of August and is still going strong.  It is a nice crimson but it isn't quite in the right place either! I need to consider where this should be moved to and make notes ready for next year.  

Chrysanthemum Bravo

3. Jim quite rightly mentioned this delightful little Persicaria, which has thrived with the increased rain and cooler temperatures here in the shady border.  I grew they from seed kindly sent by Jim. As if we don't all think of Jim each week, each time I see this lovely lot of beautiful leaves, I give thanks to Jim's kindness, Growwild Nursery describes it as follows: ' It is perennial, dwarf alpine species brought back from Nepal by plant explorer, Edward Needham. It came to us as P. runcinata 'Needham's Form' but we have never been happy with this species' name and, after many attempts over the years, we have finally found that its true identity is Persicaria sinuata. Forms a neat carpet of unusual foliage with small, charming tiny pink, round flower heads.'

Persica sinuata

Kew describes it as an annual but here in my garden it is definitely a perennial, growing as a deciduous herbaceous plant. Should I write to them and let them know, it is probably just a typo?

4. The Persicarias have really done well in the garden this year, and only in its second season this one is looking in tip top condition. After the first flush of good leaves, I chopped it right down and now there is a flush of beautifully patterned leaves.

Persicaria runcinata 'Purple Fantasy'

This week I dug up a really large stand of Persicaria Red Dragon, divided, and shared it amongst several friends.  That one was the 'daughter' of the original one received years ago and in my previous garden from Cathy of 'Rambling in the Garden' who is also the Queen of In a Vase on Monday, where I like to display things I have grown in the garden. Of course I have a smaller plant and several soon to be well rooted plants, ready for sharing next year.

5. I like a little spot of yellow in garden, and so did this slug.  I was on the floor in the Conservatory doing my early morning exercises and spotted this slug in the middle of the courgette flower right across the garden, it really did stand out against the yellow.  Slugs can travel remarkably fast, and I had to look carefully as it was already on the homebound shift for a day's kip by the time I could get there. It was despatched!

6.  Rosa xanthina 'Canary Bird' is flowering sparsely but has been attracting a variety of insects including this hoverfly . This species shrub rose usually flowers only once early in the year.  I was really pleased to get it earlier this year, as I used to have one in a previous garden and loved its early blooms. It is going to grow quite large eventually and gradually I shall have to move plants to give it room, but will be sure to find some low growing plants probably cyclamen to grow under its arching stems, as well as snowdrops and other spring bulbs. 

You may like to read Rosie's short 'interview' with me plus a few pictures.

I  already have a new special ready to post about next week...for now I am quietly contemplating it.