Six on Saturday - 6 May 2023

I'll be posting this, then preparing for the Coronation..ie getting into suitably respectful attire, and sitting down with Mr S to watch the TV.  The Quiche Smoked Salmon and English Asparagus Tart was made yesterday, and other tasty morsels to keep us vitualled during the day.  I had a day of baking yesterday but at the same time received several gardening friends as they arrived to pick up divided plants.  I've been busy this week and decided to ditch the tall growing Thalictrum as it had been growing in the spot for a number of years, and I am ready for a change, new planting as yet to be decided! Several other divisions of emerging plants admired by these callers are hopefully now planted in their gardens.

1.  Growing auriculas is a fairly easy and pleasing preoccupation.  I seem to need preoccupations to keep me going.  Topics of interest come and go, and sometimes return.  For me the interest in growing auriculas started when  growers of auriculas who won Chelsea Gold Medal gave a talk at Kenilworth Gardening Club many years ago,and I was lucky enough to be given a piece of the  'Clouded Yellow' which was slip off the the RHS Gold Winner, the Queen's coins were required of course!  I think it is because 'Clouded Yellow' used to be at its best when we had our local shows, explains why it won several prizes for a few years on the trot.  Of course the plant was an excellent one but I am no expert grower.  Each autumn I used to pot it on and plant up the divisions to make new plants. 

Primula auricula 'Nessun Dorma'

Auricula 'Nessun Dorma', which again was bought years ago, first featured on my blog in 2016.   Instead of reducing and removing all the offsets when I repotted it last year, I chose to leave side shoots but pot on in a larger pot.  When I came to buy my plants this year it was a little late, and choices restricted, so early ordering is advised, so I shall choose another half a dozen slowly and with excited deliberation to complement the ones I have. Spares after division are passed on to my local gardening friends who also share this passion. I have already potted up a three rosetted flowering Nessun Dorma and delivered that to Sally Gregson, and have agreed a nice swap.

The Primula auricula 'Two Steeples'  has  a yellow centre and reddish brown outer.  I like the way the colour is darker towards the centre. This is one of the new ones this year.

2. If you are going to hang out fairies' smalls would they look like these, only if they are pure white!

Dicentra spectabilis 'Alba'

Last year I moved a couple of self sown seedlings to a shadier border and this year they are flowering just a couple of years after germination, which I am delighted with.

3.  This particular Geum plant was given to me by Maggie, a year of so ago, and is now flowering for the first time.  

I also realise that I bought a very congested pot last year in the autumn which I split with Alison..Oh well!  I shall be comparing pictures, but with just the first flower out on the later plant, they look very similar.

I couldn't resist zooming in to this Geum. I think it may be Pink Petticoats. 

4. You may love this plant, or wish it wasn't so prolific, as I do for most of the year, I reduce the amount soon after flowering, but for now when it is in flower, and the bees visit, it would be unfair not to include it. I acquired it years and years ago before all the named varieties and just know it as the purple leaved Ajuga.  Several forms grow wild in the area, so it is well suited to the garden.

5. Parrot tulips doing their thing: this is the second 'shift' of tulips, the species are now over.

6. Ferns unfurling, and unfurled, I just love them. SEveral pictures but just one topic so squeezing these in as My Special Coronation Six Pack for Six on Saturday.

There is a third pot similar to the above two, but the old chap hasn't yet emerged from its bed of moss.

At least we haven't needed to have the watering can out here this week, but there have been some spells of great gardening weather.  I shall be popping over to link my post to Jim, who is the standard bearer for this weekly write up about six things in the garden.  The rest of us tag along with a wonderful colourful mix.