Six on Saturday - 30 May 2026

 What a week of heat and sun, roses have moved forward at double quick time.  The following is going to be linked into Jim's post where other gardeners posting six things from their gardens link in.

1. It is as if three weeks have passed in five days the roses jumped from being just starting, and are already past their peak. Quelle domage! I'm not a hot weather fan. 

I am already dead heading Patio Rose 'Shine On', Rose Grace and Rose Munstead Wood in this conservatory border.  Along the back fence Rose 'Open Arms' and Rose 'Ghislaine de Feligonde' on the side fence are fully open, and Ghislaine is somewhat bleached.  

2. Tropaeolum tricolor is one of the unusual plants in the garden which I enjoy growing and follow its many stages with interest. This year it stayed outside all winter, and when it was placed just outside the conservatory, I enjoyed watching the early bees visiting. I had not noticed this previous years, but then we had a very mild spring here with lots of different bumble bees in the garden.  It is the first time that the plants which I had bought as tubers have set seed. In its native habitat it is fertilized by humming birds, which reminds me of the Hummingbird Hawkmoths which were feeding on the Salvia in the garden on Thursday.  

I took this picture a few weeks ago of  Tropaeolum tricolor and it shows the little green seeds on the fading bloom.

Tropaeolum tricolor setting seed

During the week, I placed the plant on a large piece of garden fleece to catch the seeds as they dropped.  It will be some time before sowing time and maybe you would like to gen up on how to do this, and then let me know.  I shall have other seed to offer later on, and aim to send out seed some time in September, but will start a list of takers in my garden book.  

Tropaeolum tricolor seed

3.  Have I mentioned before that I do like poppies.  I let seedlings  come up around the garden of all sorts of different plants, and weed out what I don't want.  This one was growing close to the apple tree, and I think this one must win the prize for the largest ever grown in the garden.  There will be enough seed for all the bread making this coming year, and what a shame it is not one of the prettiest.

4. It was the blackbirds, pigeons and the squirrels on the wall in the part of the garden often called 'Gooseberry Corner', that alerted me to check out Gooseberry Invicta.  There was definitely evidence of 'others' having picked fruit already.  I set to, wearing my thick cotton fisherman's smock and my best 'protective' gloves, and picked 5.75Kg of fruit from my one and only Invicta Gooseberry.

5. A plant doing very well, but not quite in the right place, is this Zantedeschia aethiopica or Arum Lily.  Because it is within the drop zone of the Holm Oak, given the winds, its lovely blooms got filled with the staining spent catkins as well as thick brown oak leaves.  This picture was taken just before the drop a couple of weeks ago.  Now I would cry just to look at them,

Zantedeschia aethiopica or Arum Lily

I think a major reshuffle of plants and editing of plants in the garden is due.  

6. The drop zone for the Oak due to the hot weather and strong winds from the east early this week spread the catkins much further and as far as the gravel garden.  Last year I placed some of the South African winter dormant Rhodohypoxis there, and despite the wet winter, they overwintered very successfully. A soft brush will be needed to remove these or else I shall pick these off by hand, and then rake the gravel with a small hand tool to clear all the leaves and catkins.

My work this coming week is just to get the garden back in order, deadhead and water....

In a Vase on Monday - The Florist Roses - 25 May 2026

It is really hot today, and after getting up early and throwing open the windows just to refresh the house, before closing them and the blinds and curtains on the sunny side of the house, which normally happens just after breakfast, I went for my usual early morning tour of the garden.  The first roses are fully out on the four Home Florist Rose Shrub collection with a lot more buds to come.  Early this morning I picked three one each from 'Timeless Pink', 'Timeless Cream' and 'Timeless Charisma'.

Rose Home Florist in a Vase

These remind me of my Parents who grew in addition to all their tropical plants and flowers, rose trees and the roses were a great attraction for bouquets in the tropics.  My father was a botanist entomologist and plant pathologist and run the growing side of things, whilst my mother was the business woman and florist, helped of course by a number of talented people. 

I myself favour the more relaxed form of domestic gardening and flower arranging.  When I was once looking at the rose bouquets from David Austen and saw 'Florist type roses' rather than their more floppy stemmed varieties, I thought they also sold those type of rose trees, it got me searching, but their roses for their bouquets are sourced from Kenya, so loads of air miles! A  few years ago the 'Timeless Collection' came to my attention, and their blooms really are like the long tall stemmed roses you buy as cut flowers. In bud and open too, they are superb, and the rose shrubs strong and healthy. To get the large terminal rose I find that a little disbudding helps.  I used to love helping my dad do this job on the flowers destined to be used as cut flowers.

These roses with strong thornless stems are in a large white jug, together with Sedum Hylotelephium  erythrostictum 'Frosty Morn', aka 'Alison's sedum', and some flowers from an unnamed heuchera. The heuchera has pretty leaves too, but not featured here. Since it so hot I have included the old elephant and my Mum's little crystal watering can.

Yesterday was definitely a 'getting out the deckchair day'. I has worked in the garden till lunch time, and afterwards started on my current Reading group book: apt really as it called The Gardener.  This month's book was my choice.  I do like her style of writing, topics and have read several of her other books.  Even only three chapters in I love it.

The previous two book were also interesting and worth reading: The Wrong Sister by Claire Douglas and The Names by Florence Knapp.

I'm linking this with Cathy's post called 'Stately Spanish Galleon': the creator of 'In a Vase on Monday'.

Six on Saturday - 23 May 2026

At the start of the week, it was cool the sort of temperatures that make you want to do some heavy work in the garden , and now it is as if we been thrown under a solar lamp,  It was like that on Friday afternoon, but this morning it is cool again.  Perhaps it will warm up.  To find out what other gardeners are up to, Jim's post is the place where several of us link in. 

Here are my six for this week:

1. 

Ladybird poppy with a fine white edge to the petals

What's not to like about poppies? Last year the Wells WI 'Blooming Fun' group visited a private garden in Bristol, which was delightful.  I particularly liked that the owner went to find scissors and an envelope when I asked whether I may have a couple of seedheads from his Ladybird Poppy.  I sowed some seed in modules last autumn, and the came up rather like mustard and cress. I kept moving the sown seed in and out of the shed so that they got cold but not too wet .  I didn't thin them out, but planted the whole plugs in various places, primarily to hide the dying snowdrop leaves. I think just the fittest plant in each small section has grown up. Around 90% of the first flowers to open have this fine white edge to the petals. 

2. Last year I received some aquilegia seed from Catherine Wood who is a Six on Saturday contributor.  There are four different types, with more than enough seedlings, and some seed kept back just in case they failed, still left in envelopes. Later this week, I will need to pot them on, both for myself and I am sure there will be more than I need, to share with others later in the year.

3. Was it three or perhaps four years ago that I took cuttings from my friend's rose tree which her husband winds through their front boundary railings? Sue doesn't have the name anymore.  However it is rather lovely and someone may just recognise the rose and perhaps let me know if my hunches are right.

Even from where the squirrels nibbled the top shoots, more shoots are emerging. From Google Lense and the description of the plant, I feel it may be Rosa Alberic Barbier. Let me know what you think.

4. Last year, I grew Omphalodes Linifolia, a small plant of which my friend Alison brought when visiting.  I liked it so much, I saved seed and took care of little seedlings so that I could have several plants this year. Another name for this plant is Venus's Navelwort, I'm not sure whether it is the flower or the seed that inspires this name.

This is a view of the border with some of the poppies and Omphalodes.

5. Toona sinensis 'Flamingo' or sometimes commonly called Chinese cedar was on the point of being given away during the week, as several friends came round to pick up divisions of the dwarf bearded Iris Fuzzy, and other divisions which interested them.  It was left behind, and has been finally 'allocated' a spot in the garden. We shall see if it thrives or flounders!

Toona sinensis 'Flamingo'

It certainly wasn't happy in its pot!

6. I had to dig up my large clump of Iris Fuzzy and hence divide it.  It was ready for it really, and in addition to my replanting it, it provided plants for six other gardens.  Close to where it was growing I now have room for a recent purchase.  I love a plant that changes through the seasons and is evergreen plus I rather like Pittosporum.  It is therefore not surprising that I picked up this Pittosporum tenuifolium 'Bannow Bay' from my friend's plant shop Thomas D'arcy 'The Garden House'. It was not at all rootbound, so I hope it will send its roots nicely into the surrounding soil.

Pittosporum tenuifolium 'Bannow Bay'

It is one of the smaller pittosporums, and hopefully will get established in time to brave the winter.

I could have shown you more roses this week, but I need to keep some things for next week.  It is a small garden but I try to cram in as much as possible by spreading interest right across the year. 

I've just watched a great video about growing roses from cuttings, and since I lost one of my two Rose Grace shrubs last years, I shall prepare some more.  I do love my rose bushes and they are now coming to the fore, so it may well be a rose week next week.  More home work about choosing and growing roses I feel. 

 

Holiday - Secrets of Buckinghamshire - Day One: Hughenden Manor

 We feel that we have landed on our feet recently, having found a local coach company who organisers a wide choice of holidays that we enjoy.  With no driving except on some occasions such as this one, when we drive to their depot, we are both able to enjoy the countryside on our journeys, and I can see over the hedges. On this long weekend, we visited Hughenden Manor, Bletchley Park, Waddesdon Manor and Oxford.

We are not long back from our holiday, and looking through the pictures I took brought it all back.  On our outward journey our first visit was to Hughenden Manor which was once the country home of the Victorian Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli.  There was so much to see both in the building itself, the grounds and the church. What an amazing man: Disraeli has so many facets. It is definitely on our list for a return visit, and  I'm looking to read one of his books soon too.

Hughenden Manor - Statuary

We started with the grounds, and enjoyed the classical statuary along the main lawn, the formal gardens, as well as the walled garden. Even from when we stopped with the coach, I was particularly impressed with the apple orchard and how well the trees had been pruned over the years. 

Hughenden Walled Kitchen Garden

Looking at the estate map and the time we had before our Introduction Talk, we decided to walk down to  St Michael and All Angels which as many older churches, was restored during the Victorian Period.  Unusually for a Prime Minister,  Disraeli is buried here as he left instructions that he wanted to be buried quietly at Hughenden alongside his wife Mary Anne. When visiting the house later we came to read about their close and supporting relationship.  

Coincidentally only recently I found out that the 19th of April was celebrated for many years as National Primrose Day, marking the death of Prime Minister Disraeli, and although it was not form for the Queen to attend a Prime Minister's burial, she did visit several days later to pay her respects. Since both her and Disraeli's favourtie flower was a primrose, it was a primrose wreath which she sent from Osborne House for his funeral.

Inside the house as well as the furnishings, there was a room dedicated to Disraeli's literary endeavours, and I rather like this strapline.

May I add is that for me the best way to review things and enjoy them later is to post on my blog! With many visits to other sites for further private reading.

Hughenden Manor has been occupied over the years by a number of people. Thanks to a exhibition in one of the wings the story of  the top-secret mapping unit codenamed Hillside which only emerged in the early 2020s,  was well worth visiting and fascinating. The property was requisitioned by the Air Ministry in 1941, and over 100 men and women worked there.  There were touching descriptions of the effects of the work on the cartographers. The manor’s secret wartime role was only revealed when a volunteer guide overheard a visitor telling his grandson about his wartime service there.

Top secret unit codename Hillside exhibition 
Target Maps

The creation of these maps and the many copies printed helped to improve targeting of bombing during World War II.

Books I would like to read: Mr and Mrs Disraeli: A Strange Romance

Plump Breakfast Buns

 We were out of breakfast buns this Friday, so for our special Friday morning breakfast I made spelt thick/fluffy pancakes with bananas in a toffee sauce zinged up with a squeeze of lime.  We are not easily deterred from 'Friday Bun Day' and that is now postponed till Sunday.

Floating around on my desk has been a printed out recipe for Perfectly Plump Hot Cross Buns by Darryn Bruton, from Bakery Bits.  This recipe was floating around in my head, and I felt they would make an excellent breakfast bun, especially as I had missed out on baking my own hot cross buns this year. I hadn't read the recipe at all,  really, until getting down into the kitchen with the sheets.  The first hurdles was that it was written with a mixer in mind, and that the Tangzhong was made with Crème Fraîche.  Did that deter me? Did I give up?

Plump Breakfast Buns

I liked the ratios of fruit, and in this batch I used chopped crystallised lemon peel, sultanas, dried cranberries, and currants.  For sure I shall use a Tangzhong when making other sweet buns.  I kept back a little of beaten egg as egg wash, meaning I didn't use more than two eggs in total, no crosses were added since the moment as passed, and I didn't glaze with extra sugar and apricot jam, since they were heading for the freezer, neither shall I glaze them when getting them out. I'll fold the printout and place them in one of the cookery books called 'The Book of Buns'! The reason is so that I can find it quickly next time I am looking for a recipe for fruited buns.