Six on Saturday - 24 October 2026

With the first two storms of the season Austen and Boelo bringing squalling showers but no damage, I feel lucky to be able to have six things to show from the garden, which get shared over at Jim's. Yesterday here Austen was less severe than they forecasted but today Boelo is impacting us more than expected, with a couple of pots blown over.  Down in Cornwall where out leader Jim lives it has been more grim, but we shall all meet over there and 'ruminate' over six items from our gardens.  Nothing quite like good gardening conversations.  

1. One of the delightful little alliums, the last to flower in this late season is Allium thunbergii 'Ozawa' originally bought from Edulis Nursery when they were at The Bishop's Palace Wells in September 2021.  This form only grows to just under 15cm and is quite content in the gravel garden. 

Allium thunbergii 'Ozawa'

I remember before planting it into the gravel garden, dividing it  into tinier clumps and planting the pieces just a couple of cms apart and the feeling at the time that I may have left it too late in the season and risked it dying from its wounds in autumn weather. I am pleased to say to each piece still thrives five years later. There will come a stage when it will probably need dividing, but I will make sure I erect some metaphorical Japanese Shrine for prayers to be said at before sterilising the Hori Hori and performing the division.  

2. There has definitely been some rain this week, and autumnal colours are creeping in. Strangely this Ginkgo in a pot which has been watered is turning golden but the one which was unwatered in the garden is still green.

Autumn colours starting

3. I had a fight on my hands this week caused by my own silly fault.  Earlier on this year after I acquired Actaea Brunette, and having been entranced by the mixed planting in pots in my gardening magazine I combined the Actaea with Hakonechloa macra 'Aureola' and a few violas to make a pretty combination. This week I looked at the pot and decided the Actaea Brunette would best be placed direct in the soil, and the separated Hakonechloa in its own pot. Firstly it was the devil to get the growth of only 4 months out of the pot, then I tried at first gently to tease out the separate roots, which were fairly easy to identify as they were a different colour and form, but they were quite intertwined. The lesson to be learnt was not to grow together in the same pot, plants which I intend to separate and keep. I wonder about the maintenance in those fancy mixed plantings? Are they just a 'salad' of plants brought together, to be discarded later like bulbs.  What a waste!

4. Fancy cyclamen: I was probably punching well above my level of knowledge and dedication when I obtained seed from the Cyclamen Society two or three year ago.  I ordered several different types and as they do labels faded, several pots failed etc.  Thankfully on the CS's Facebook page dedicated Cyclamen enthusiasts gave a few suggestions.

Cyclamen intaminatum

Cyclamen graecum

Cyclamen cilicium

Labels will be written and pots correctly identified. Lesson: grow only one or two different types of special seeds each year, and check labels each season, probably planting in different shaped pots.

5. For the seed which I sent out a few weeks ago, how many of you have sown the Poppy Ladybird yet?  I sowed these on the 11th October, covered them with an old chopping board and uncovered them every two or three days.  I think it did the trick.

 Last year I left them growing in their modules and without thinning placed them in the garden in the spring.   I have just one of two that are growing in the garden having fallen from the plants.  Some seed has been kept back to sow in situ in the spring. It will be interesting to compare the flowering times  next year, and whether is has been worthwhile growing in modules or not.

6. Certainly looking amazing, and thriving despite the summer drought, is the fab small flowered hardy Chrysanthemum Picasso. I must admit to giving the three clumps the odd watering can of sea weed feed  during the season.

Chrysanthemum Picasso

I wonder if I shall have six to write about next week? If less, I shall keep them by to bunch up together another week, and enjoy a week off whilst I complete my last seven days of the Strong Woman Challenge.  I am not far off the target I set myself for raising funds and thanks to friends and family who have helped.  This week new exercises learnt have been Goblet Squats, floor wide 3/4 press-ups, Sit ups, Upright row with weights, Walking Lunges with weights, Arm curls into shoulder press last three with 2x 2Kg weights, and Bodyweight bicycle crunches.  

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