Saturday 27 March 2021

Six on Saturday - 27 March 2021

The clocks change tonight, and that means even more hours in the garden. I have now changed to making our main meal mostly at lunch time.  With all the zooms in the evening, this suits our current days, and it means we get to eat at a reasonable time too. Although I am waiting for our Amelanchiers to bust out fully, daily walks have become blossom watches.  For some sedentary blossom watching, a peep at some of the posts and indeed The Prop's blossom, following down the rabbit hole will be worth while. 

1 Sometimes a plant 'will grow on me', for now I am rather underwhelmed with
Tulipa turkestancia, When it is cold and sunless the flowers close and with the outer petals a pale grey green they are indistinguishable from the leaves.  Maybe when it gets a little warmer, and I can 'bond' with it by getting close up, my opinion may change.  Already I am finding tulips to order for next year...but I shall give this one two or three seasons  to 'improve'. Maybe when the sun comes out and shows me its yellow centre?


2 Another bloom which only gratifies when the sun is out is little clump of pink Anemone blanda Pink Star, of which I bought two and planted them out in the garden last February. It sulks if it is too cold or cloudy, as it has been quite often over the last week. Only one clump came up, the second has quite disappeared as have all the blue ones I have planted over the last few years.  All the blue ones that I planted over the last two or three years have disappeared. I may have just chosen the wrong place, or something has eaten them, or they have inadvertently been removed by me.  Frankly I am not that fussed!


 3.  I have just rescued this plant by removing the pile of leaves that was surrounding it and under which its stems had become soggy and damaged: Corydalis cheilanthifolia.  I blame the hedgehog for this as it has made a big pile of leaves against it and the stone wall behindI think it is time to propagate this one and have it in several locations to see where it is happiest. I shall try and capture some of the seed rather than dead head it. After mid-summer last year, I started to get some unusual flowers.  Having consulted 'Bleeding Hearts, Corydalis and their relatives' by Mark Tebbitt & al, I read that "in shady situations, under stress, or late in the season, it may disappoint you with small cleistogamous flowers, which lack a spur".  


4. Primula Lilac Lace needs tlc and regular division to keep it going: here in a mixed tub at the foot of a clematis, these extra little bits, which were surplus were planted rather than chucked last November,  are proving the point; aren't they are small and dainty.


5. For now my new Cyclamen repandum is just outside the back door, where I can admire it each time I look out.  In the narrow side alley it only catches a little light towards late afternoon, when its elegantly twisted long and slender petals seem to glow with deep but delicate self assurance.  I wish I had bought more!




Echeveria Elegans
seems to be at home, on the stone conservatory table. The advantage of propagating this easy succulent is that you can experiment with all your surplus plants. From time to time I just immerse the whole lot in a bucket of water, then drain it off. There is very little soil.  A clump of Echeveria Elegans has survived in the ground in the front garden, and has managed to come through all the rain, and several days of freezing temperatures, albeit with a few darkened leaves.Yesterday fell down the rabbit hole of the internet and found the person after whom this plant was named. the 18th century Mexican botanical artist Atanasio Echeverría y Godoy. I also found that it is not a 'tropical' plant  and grows at high altitude and often on cliff or vertical slopes, which explains its need for good light levels.

Enjoy the spring in your gardens and if in the southern hemisphere the autumn bounty.....














17 comments:

  1. I have several of these tulips, but year after year they get tired and I will have to renew them. Besides, since they are almost the first ones, I suspect the slugs will feed on them !?
    I love your Echeveria on this lava stone !!

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    1. Well said Fred regarding the tulips, I won't replace them, and they can take their chance. They will most probably disappear, and I shan't mourn them. I'm on the look out for other stones. I found this one under a table at a Fete many years ago. I suspect it was brought and they thought no one would buy it. I offered £2 and love it.

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    2. I have an old one from the Etna volcano, when I was young. Maybe I could create something like this ??

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    3. What a great idea Fred. Is there a cavity you can use, or would you be able to drill one. Otherwise to keep it safe a little gravel garden with some succulents in a pot, with the stone placed in it may be an option.

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  2. It is tricky if something doesn't wow you. I have a few plants that I'm not sure are earning their keep. The Primula Lilac Lace is very striking.

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  3. The echeveria is amazing growing in the rock. Plants are so amazing.

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  4. I've often mulled over tulipa turkestancia in the bulb catalogues Noelle but have never put them in my shopping basket 😄 Interesting to hear your thoughts on it. I love the way the sunlight is catching your cyclamen. Email on it's way to you very soon xxx

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  5. Your Corydalis cheilanthifolia looks great, despite being buried by leaves (or maybe because of it?)! Mine is looking a little lacklustre at the moment, but I've a got a couple of seedlings coming along that look much better.

    Lovely photo of the Echeveria, I never tire of their flowers.

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  6. There have been years when I've had so much Corydalis cheilanthifolia it's seemed like a weed, then others when none appears at all and I think I've lost it. It's pretty in both leaf and flower. If any of my Cyclamen repandum set seed I would happily send you some. It's as easy as any of them from fresh seed.

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    1. Thanks for the offer of the seed on the repandum, I'll take you up on that. Quite keen to have some cross fertilisation as I think it gives not only for interesting but healthier little colonies. Pity about your corydalis, if I have spares later in the year, again happy to share, so will let you know. That is one also which seed keeps viable for several years, so I shall see if they set, that may be a better option.

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  7. Interesting to read about your echiveria and how you are growing it (it looks great in the rock) - I have one in the Coop but am possibly overwatering it so will check out its requirements further. I get the occasioñal T turk. appearing but they certainly seem to be less reliable than other species tulips

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    1. Mine do best with about three waterings over the whole of the winter period.

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  8. Lots to talk about here, it is amazing how much difference a little sunshine can make on our and our plants demeanour. I love those little pink anemones, hopefully they will show off a bit more in the coming days. And thanks for doing the research on echeveria for us, and a fine specimen too. Do you feed it at all, if so how? Take care Sis x

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  9. The echeveria in volcanic rock looks really great and I'm not surprised you've put that cyclamen by the back door - what a stunner and it looks wonderful in the sunshine. Have a great week, Gill.

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  10. I just put a little slow release fertilizer in the very gritty and sandy medium. Then it is watered by dunkingin a bucket with week solution of tomato feed. It is then drained well before going back into the conservatory. About three waterings on warm sunny days about three times over six months, when the leaves tell me the plant is thirsty.

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  11. Yes... um...er...the Tulip is not easy to like. I find most tulips in that bracket,but I think if I were the breeder/discoverer of turkenstanica I'd have mislaid my notes.
    On other hand, Lilac Lace is a real beauty.
    Enjoy your extra eveni g hour, a chara.

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  12. The way you have planted that succulent is lovely. We have them too, and I mistakenly thought they were indigenous to South Africa -- clearly not so.

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