What's up in my gardening domain- Six on Saturday 13 September 2025

Yes we have had rain, and thunder and lighting and those plants that have survived the long drought are bouncing back nicely, some are even thinking this may be spring as they come out of semi dormancy. As usual this is linked into Jim's early morning post, where you will find various approaches to six things from our gardens.

1.  This picture of one of the most successful decorative Origanums in the garden shows how it has extended a little too far across the path. and after six years it is time to dig up, divide, revive and move elsewhere, plus plenty for sharing with friends.

Origanum Bristol Cross

As plants mature and reach their full size, I often find myself wishing I had chosen a different place to grow them, and at the same time discovering a different plant to go in that place.   

2. When moving and dividing plants I often had to resort to an old bread knife.  However I have been thinking of treating myself to a tool, a particular one that I have been considering for a number of years: a hori hori. I wanted to be able to handle them to decide which would feel the most comfortable. Rather than buying online, yesterday Mr S and I went on a trip to visit Niwaki Headquarters, and suffice it to say Date Day will be remembered for a long time: each time I garden.  We then went on to visit Old Wardour Castle. 

I found several things and also my snips that had been sticking were sorted out and I learnt a few tips on maintenance. Yesterday evening I got out my old Niwaki secateurs and gave them a good clean and sharpen.

3. As we are starting to have several days with showers, many of them quite heavy, it is time to move the succulents off the conservatory shelf.  There are some in other parts of the garden too and they will all go into the conservatory. The ones by the front door under a canopy can stay out until it get much cooler, it is the daily drenching that needs to be avoided.

4. Looking back over the new plants I have grown this year I can report that the Coleus, well just two of them this year have done really well.  It seems that they grow and grow and the size very much depends on the size of pot they are in.   Coleus Flamethrower Serrano is just coming in flower, but quite honestly it has been a really colourful addition to the garden even without those.  Of course I haven't seen what its flowers look like so am perhaps a little presumptive. I shall take a few cuttings to overwinter somewhere around the house, and hopefully next spring will be able to find a couple more cultivars to add.

 Coleus Flamethrower Serrano

5. This is one of my favourite potted shrubs in the garden and it really comes into its own in low sun  when everything else starts to wind down and right through the winter too.  Last year I noticed that it was slowly shedding twigs and starting to go brown and I had to tease out lots of dead growth: it was really on the decline to the extent that I thought it was dying.  I repotted the Chamaecyparis pisifera var. filifera into a larger pot with new soil, perhaps it was last autumn or maybe even early this spring. I am happy to report that there has been a real turn around.  This was a lesson to me that plants just can't keep on growing in the same medium in pots for years on end. 

Chamaecyparis pisifera var. filifera

6.  Hands on propagation is something for which I enjoy getting my eyes and nose close to a plant which needs increasing.  As you handle plants especially during rain the smell of the earth gives an added dimension to gardening.  Petricor is the name scientists have given to this smell, and on Monday whilst I was out in the garden with large clouds piling up, I enjoyed gardening whilst there was thunder and lightning overhead until the rain started and having a good drenching was not on the list of things to do in the garden. I had gone out to divide the pot of Limonium bellidifolium.  I had promised Hilary a piece and I also wanted to remove what looked like some Rhodohypoxis growing through it.

In amongst the foliage I found a large snail hunkering down (RIP).  It is sometime ago since this plant was lifted from the gravel garden, and divided and planted into this pot.  Some divisions are now back in the gravel garden, and I am trying some at the edge of the path. I bought this plant during my visit to Beth Chatto's garden in 2021. 

I know the season is moving on as there is less gardening time in the evening.  There is less gardening time too because we have decided we were eating dinner later and later, on account of my loosing track of time on the days I decide to 'play' in the garden after tea time, then get called back in some time later, with the cry 'are we having dinner tonight'?  I like gardening and I like cooking, but my hunger noises don't kick in when I am in the garden!