Six on Saturday - 22 October 2022

It has been a very varied week weather wise, starting dry, sunny and very warm, but with a change to rain during the last two days.  All very good for the garden.  

We have a change this week in that Jim has taken over the 'guardianship' of Six on Saturday and I can't better this in the opening of his Six on Saturday this week:

'The trick is selective vision, walk around and see the flowers that are hanging on, the autumn tints, the evergreens coming to the fore; while being blind to the decay and chaos. I’m very good at it, I’ve had a lifetime’s practice.' Jim Stephens.

Here are my Six on Saturday:-

1. The Cyclamens that used to be in pots, which they 'outgrew' have settled in nicely in the garden. 

The various leaf shapes in silver will light up the garden during the gloomier days.

2. Just beyond the gravel garden the Chrysanthemum Picasso is looking stunning.  I love the neat shape and will be cutting it for a vase this coming Monday to guage its quality in a vase over a number of days.

3. Sorting out some of the smaller bulbs ready to plant out, and writing labels is the start of bulb planting this autumn. Crocus Chrysanthus Advance, Crocus Chrysanthus Goldilocks, and Crocus Versicolor Picturatus were planted this week, half in nice pots to have on the show shelf, and also in old plastic pots ready to plant out in the garden in the spring when I can tell where there are gaps and where the colour will work best. 

4.  Anemone Blanda 'Blue Shades, and White Splendour needed soaking. All these small bulbs were purchased from Pottertons when they visited the Bishop's Palace.

The larger corms  were A. blanda 'White Splendour'.  With space a premium, dormant but potted up bulbs are being stacked.

Even the little Chionodoxa Sardensis are all in pots now.

5. I thought that was all the bulbs potted, except for the tulips which will wait till cooler weather.  However I went and won some 'Narcissus Pebble Mill'.  Some special bulbs were donated to our club from the Narcissus Society, for whose show our club helps each April.

These were bred by Clive Postles and described as

"A rare large white trumpet - 115mm - from Clive Postles with a double triangle perianth which is balanced with a flared and cylindrical corona."

From what I can gather it is an early miniature daffodil.  I am hoping to swap a few with members who picked up other cultivars which were separated as different prizes in the raffle.

6. My friend  Kay originally gave me Pulmonaria Sissinghurst White, as well as the Primula Wanda, which grow very well here and are a delight early in the year. Having moved and having laid out her new garden, Kay has reserved an area for plants given by friends, and asked for a particular plant that I featured recently in a vase.  It was a pale delicate white scabious, and being the very stylish designer that she is, is using a palette of white, yellow or blue of course with lots of greens. I am afraid it will have to wait till seed time next year, to sow and develop new plants.

In the meantime the Pulmonaria was duly dug up, sections separated, a piece put back, and together with pieces of other select plants they got posted off Tuesday.  

Further to that the clumps of Tiarella Spring symphony, and Astilbe Chinensis var, pumila in the same bed were also tackled, with bare root divisions being passed on to local gardening friends.  I didn't want the faff of potting them up in the 'rubbish' stuff that now passes as peat free compost, and I delighted to hear they are already planted in gardens. 

That's my lot for this week.  Its looks as if it is going to be fine here today: hurrah!