Six on Saturday - 16 March 2019

Whereas I am new: second week on this Six on Saturday, The Propagator who started this meme and his followers have been offering insights into their gardening weeks for some time.  Spoiler alert:  I have just found that he has Tulipa Sprengeri at exactly at the same stage as mine.

I have been spending the week, in between or even in the wind and rain, enjoying the fresh air and pottering around.  A few weeks ago I was being drawn into the false sense that spring was well on its way.  It seemed to gallop along, but now the plants are counting time.  It's quite a good thing really...why have the wonderful spring plants flourish and finish in just over a week.  Meantime, I have been rearranging my succulents.  

This week's Six on Saturday are six succulents, which spent the winter in the conservatory, there are others.  With all the gales we have had during the past week...these have been lazily sheltering behind glass.

1.    Since I first acquired this succulent it has changed its name to Haworthiopsis venosa subsp. tessellata (Veined Haworthia).

It was last potted up in 2017.  This little plant in my very best half pan: Whichford Pottery, is probably my favourite succulent.  Its very long flower spike is really amazing, but mostly I pull them off.  During the summer it is best not to have it in direct sunlight for more than a couple of hours or so.

2.   The next most impressive succulent is this 'self branching' aeonium: Aeonium Velour.  I first saw one like this growing in my 'Honeyman's' garden in Kenilworth, and begged a cutting about three years after I had first admired it.  This plant is about five years old, being the daughter of my original one.  It is now rather large, and on occasion I have dropped it, whilst moving it, this one has already 'given' a few rosettes for propagation.

I do like succulents...mind you cacti with spines, although admired in other collections, gives me the shivers.....I once fell into a big cactus when I was young, and remember having to pick out all the spines.

3.  This other self-branching aeonium, which is totally green all the year round, is a real favourite.

I first bought this one in 2010 on a visit to the Isles of Scilly.  In this pot there are four plants a generation or two later.  I had all the Aeoniums planted directly into the border in the front garden last summer.  They did very well during the long hot and dry summer.

With a little heat on only the coldest of the winter nights, they have spent the winter in the conservatory.  This plant has a mainly hidden character:  it gives off a beautiful and subtle smell for an hour or so just after midday....that of honey.  I think it must be Aeonium balsamiferum.  Mr S loves this one.

4.  Everyone will recognise Aeonium Schwarzkopf with a mixed lot.  All these were rescued for the winter.  To get this one to branch the best tool to remove the shooting tip is a finger nail.

5.  Last year I must have had over 50 Echeveria Elegans in the front border.  I just love propagating this one, and all these and more came from just one plant originally.  I had first seen this in a garden, and was given a little plant.  When it was time to uplift these, many were shared around, but I think I have kept at least half a dozen....Here are three of them in one of those little galvanised troughs which probably came with tete a tete from a supermarket.

6.  The last of the six for this week's post, is another long standing favourite:  Crassula Buddha's Temple.  I've probably posted more about this succulent over the years than any other.  Back in 2014 it even flowered.  Last year, I finally ditched the second generation plant, and went for new cuttings.  Again the plant must have yielded over thirty cuttings distributed around anyone of my gardening friends locally who were interested.