Six on Saturday - 5 September 2020

The Prop is intending being first in the queue for some plant bargains this morning.  We are with you in spirit...looking forward in dipping in and joining others in this weekly get together.

With a small garden I find beauty in the detail.  Early morning is a good time to spend looking, observing and enjoying.  Atfter the string of gloomy days the light is uplifting.  

(1) Even before they have time to open the Eschscholzia californica, best known as Californian poppy, is the great golden yolk in the bed. All this from one seedling, aka self-sown, close to where they had been growing the previous year. In the evening light it also gives out a pleasing warm  glow.

(2) Another pretty small flower, with petals all tousely, and you should see her when she is wet, is the tall stemmed and wonderfully scented pink: Dianthus superbus.  

Taking a longer view towards the gravel area

(3) It wasn't the wonderfully metallic looking flowers of Eryngium Giganteum Silver Ghost that held my attention,

 but one of its leaves, starting to degrade gracefully.  

How plant material degrades in the garden and what it looks like is very much a matter of taste.  They say you ought to leave plants as they give structure etc during the winter.  Whether it was my mood, or was it not wanting to be reminded that the 'not summer'season' will soon be on us, I took the secateurs to the whole clump of Eryngium Tetre Petra. I found the greying stems and browning flower heads jarred with the fresher flowers surrounding it.  However the Giganteum may fade silver grey and be a little like those galvanised sculptures of seed heads one can buy to stick in borders. Can I be persuaded?

This week several of the pot grown plants have been repotted.

(4) The Sempervivums in their recycled bonsai pans, which I love to look for in junk shops, are spilling over the edges. and have too much old decayed leaves around the bases of spent rosettes.  The cream pan is one I replanted earlier this year, and is fine for another year.

This mass of old decaying leaves is a no no as damper wetter weather creates a soggy substrate.  The gaps where the old flowering rosettes were removed are also not exactly attractive either.

Fresh healthy rosettes have been replanted in very gritty soil, together with some slow release pellets. A finish of grit on the surface helps the plants over the winter. Three done, three more to go.

(5) Other pots which will spend the winter inside in the conservatory have been subjected to  a similar treatment:  Ledebouria socialis endemic to South Africa is another small potted plant, ready for the re-potting treatment..  Earlier this year I had repotted some out in new soil, but my old pot had become unattractively congested, with bulbs climbing onto the shoulders of other bulbs.

With a few sorted out there were many other destined for the bin.  However, reading that they may survive outdoors in milder areas, I am giving them a go, just to see how they fare.  On previous occasions, I have carefully nurtured bulbs for members of my gardening club, and only a few were passed on...obviously only a few takers, so I shall pass on keeping pots going to give away this year.

Haworthia venosa subsp. tesselata was also very congested, it was last repotted in 2017. A few perfect rosettes were chosen to be repotted in my one and only special pot from Whichford Pottery, bought on a visit there several years ago.

(6) Finding solutions: 

Last week Gill asked for details of the labels and markers, which I gave in reply, in the comments section.   I have to admit to having more plants than would be normal for a small garden, which means too many plant names to remember, hence the many labels. I like to know their names, even when gardening just on my own. It is not a sign than I have too many plants , but that I have found a simple 'aid'.  

I used to be able to remember plant names wonderfully, but have always found a problem with people's names, by the way.  Sadly plant names are falling into the same black hole, but I have them all on a database, with various notes, and pictures too.   

I love it that on Gardeners' World, gardeners with various disabilities are presenting and showing ways that they are able to enjoy gardening.  It showed me that I ought to think of solutions.  It is after all the enjoyment of gardening, and the sharing of that pleasure and plants, that is my main aim. I started to feel embarrassed when visitors used to ask me the name of plants, and was starting to fear questions, and avoid the embarrassment by not inviting friends to come round.   Now I label plants, and label the plants that I intend to give away too...though they may have 'recycled' or up-cycled' labels. 

But isn't gardening all about finding solutions: right plant right place, learning about what conditions a plant does best in, why a plant is ailing etc...each and every gardener is working out solutions, maybe you would like to add to these in the comments.