Saturday 15 May 2021

Six on Saturday - 15 May 2021

1.  Last autumn, I  added Thyme 'Jekka' to the gravel garden as I found its form interesting.  It is quite prostrate spreading out in every direction.  Now that it is in flower it proves itself worthy of a single solo appearance set off nicely by the gravel, and up to now used purely as an ornamental.


Thyme 'Jekka'


2.  I've bought my last lettuce from the greengrocer for some time.  At first I shall pick a leaf here and there, but I also ought to get on to sow a few more seeds to have plants to follow on from these.  


3. It is that time in between the spring and summer flowers, but with a little bit of rain this week, the plants have perked up considerably after weeks of drought.  I watched the flowering stems of the Sicilian Honey Garlic, Nectaroscordum siculum. slink around, and contort themselves as if sinewy snakes, and then the rain came and it is as if the great snake charmer played the tune which caused them to stand on their points.  They grow near the tip of this peninsula.


4. Rarely seen by me as it grows on the fence on the windowless side of the house, but much appreciated by my neighbours is Clematis Montana Warwickshire Rose.  




This was originally one of those Morrison bargain small clematis, nurtured carefully, but now starting to give a lovely display.  I love the scent of this one, and find its dark foliage very attractive.


5. This is a small herbaceous perennial, which I have brought with me from several gardens ago, and even when not in flower has some neat nicely pattered foliage:  Tiarella Spring Symphony has so many flowers open at the moment.  If I dead head them all, after a short rest I'll get a second flowering.


I have another Tiarella Mint Chocolate which has more dramatic leaf marking with a raised textured surface, but there is a little apricot in it its flower colour, but it is placed a little away on the other side of this conservatory bed. I see that there is one called Angel Wings, which I shall definitely be on the look of for at future shows and garden festivals.

6. Over in the shady border, I have recently planted a new primula to me: Primula sieboldii Spring rose.  It is rather bowed down with all the rain.  If it does well, I may well have some more cultivars as part of my Christmas 2021 presents! I think Penny's Primulas will be where I order from.


and just look at the structure in these beauties:

Athyrium Otophorum v  Okanum 

This fern has been pot grown for several years now, and repotted last year. Its  beauty can best be admired close up, and it suits the tall pot, though I think it would look a lot more dignified in a stone pot rather than an old plastic one.

Gradually moving towards to the 'despatch department', but noted a couple of days ago by Mr S for its lovely flowering stems is Carex Ice Dance.  This Japanese Sedge may well have to dance to somewhere more permanent, out of its first pot, if I am to please him inside. Or maybe it ought to have a better pot.  


On my early morning pavement walk , slugs and snails are slithering home.  The rain has brought them out, so I shall be out assessing the damage in the garden later. Many SOS gardeners will be out getting on with all those urgent tasks today, but not before linking in with the Prop, or maybe they will wait and rest after their tasks and take their time to link in.

18 comments:

  1. A lovely selection this week! I like the structure of your bed and path in photo 3, really well designed and harmonious. The Clematis is a beauty and I love that Carex Ice Dance, how lovely it is.

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  2. Lots of lovely plants. I really like the unfurling fronds of the fern and the frothy flowers of the Tiarella Spring Symphony.

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  3. I do like the #3... is it a Hakonechloa in the pot on the left? something else?

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    1. You are spot on Fred. I have two indentical pots each side of the sitting circle filled with Hakonechloa macra Albo Striata, and also a third pot sitting on the larger gravel area by the house. Ought I to say I like it?

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    2. Yes ! on my wish list too... it will be Hakonechloa albo aurea

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  4. 'Jekka' looks a most attractive herb Noelle and the bees must appreciate her too. You will enjoy those lettuces and your mention of them has reminded me that I must sow some more salad leaves this weekend. We did well to escape molluscs in the dry April but May has seen the arrival of night time patrols with a torch in hand. It's pouring down again here today.

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    1. At last we are getting reasonable amounts of rain.

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  5. I love the look of lettuces when they're small! Is Lollo Rosso one of the ones in the picture? It makes a nice looking plant as well as being tasty.

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    1. No the lettuce is Gilaad. I get my seed from MoreVeg and love to try some of their very varied list. https://moreveg.co.uk/epages/bd0b9b93-06b9-4b49-9efb-f179fdacfbdd.sf/en_GB/?ObjectPath=/Shops/bd0b9b93-06b9-4b49-9efb-f179fdacfbdd/Products/LETGD

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  6. A lovely selection of plants. The thyme Jekka does make a good low mound and the Clematis is looking very good. I've seen a few tiarellas in the Sixs this week and last and I think I will have to get myself one. I've not grown them before.

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    1. I so recommend Tiarellas personally I rate them above heucheras at least for a small garden. But there are some wonderful leaf colours in the heucheras...

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  7. We were talking about putting a montana on my new fence this morning and I now have the perfect variety to look out for. I wish you hadn't put in the link to Penny's Primulas; I think I've probably killed enough Primula sieboldii's but I just saw her Epimedium list......

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    1. That montana has attractive leaves too a good dark foil for other shrubs or plants growing nearby. Enjoy your epimediums.

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    2. My friend Sally Gregson wrote The Plant Lover's Guide to Epimediums, and just lives 'over the hill'. She has some nice Epimediums and also Hydrangeas.https://millcottageplants.co.uk/ Moving soon though so you would need to be quick to have some epidmediums from her.

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  8. Lovely selection, I forgot to include my Tiarella in my 6, yours is very pretty. I will be very happy when the rain stops, I have had far too much already and paths and beds are flooded! Your Primula sieboldii are further on than mine, I'm still waiting for the buds to open.

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  9. I think the tiarella I was admiring here yesterday was Spring Symphony - must check. The thyme looks especially lovely in its gravel setting. Here too I am enjoying the unfurling fronds of ferns of all sorts, including athyrium - it's so worth cutting off old fronds!

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    1. Yes Cathy, this one is Spring Symphony. With a small garden, there is no room for old fronds, if you understand what I mean!

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