Six on Saturday - 4 January 2020

The Prop has some seeds, some bulbs and other things of interest:  with gems of information from his post and others:  here is my Six on Saturday.

With short days, and less suitable weather for gardening, I indulge myself: loosing myself in books. 

We have had dark and dank days, days of rain, and finally a little dry weather....

"A mist day, a moss day, a day of rain that never quite fell." 

'The light in the Dark: A Winter Journal' by Horatio Clare

1 Moss growing

Moss is feeling quite at home on the top of pots 

The Sphagnum moss used to decorate the surface of the Sarracenia is also thriving...does it look as if it needs repotting?

Little patches of moss picked off the roof by birds need picking off the drive most days, or else they take hold on the tarmac and help it to break up.

2 New Gloves

For the first time in years I have reached mid winter without cracked fingers.  I have been wearing gloves inside and out..  They were my special present: warm, comfortable, and a joy to use even in the damp and cold.

3.  Planning ahead...

I have a little pile of reading and this is one of my current books borrowed from the library.  The topic seems perverse given how wet it has been, but last summer it hardly rained at all here.  I really do like to establish borders that require little watering.  I am sure that I shall find some inspiration in Beth Chatto's Book for the gravel area...

some summer bulbs are already emerging such as this Allium Schubertii

and the Cyclamen cilicium grown from seed are sheltering under a rock overhang

Leaves appear in autumn with or after the flowers, dependent on the amount of rain, oval to heart shaped, sometimes with shallowly scalloped edges, with a green ‘Christmas tree’ centre surrounded by a broken paler green or grey-green area, underside reddish-purple, 1.5-6cm long, 1.5-5cm wide.

The seed was gathered from the side of the plant bought last year, but I wonder whether they are a resilt of a cross, or whether they will develop the patterning as described above on the Cyclamen Society webpage.  I must check the mother plant!

4 Still in Flower

A Penstemom but which one? Rich Ruby?  It has lovely red stems

5 Reds shine out in this weather

I've cleared away the old tatty leaves on this Poutlon Pride Rhubarb bought last year from D T Brown.  They describe it as the longest cropping rhubarb.  I've allowed it to build it during its first season, and given the mild weather it doesn't apear to have stopped producing new leaves yet.

The other Rhubarb Poulton's Red has 'disappeared', hopefully to reemerge in a couple of months time.

6 Sheltered Spot - Temperature above -3 C

Here is the much posted Fuchsia microphyilla 'Silver Linings'.  Through this weekly gathering under the Prop, contributors' generously share their knowledge, I now follow several and read their regular posts.  In his blog: Garden Ruminations,  this week Jim explained that several groups of Fuchsias go on flowering so long as the temperatures don't fall below -3C.  It must be mild indeed at this end of the garden.  On boxing day these was a small bumble bee visiting this bush.  It then went onto the flowering rosemary bush nearby. Note the little pink primula first collected in the wild about forty years ago!