Six on Saturday - 9 August 2025

I wonder what takes the place of the garden and love of plants and gardening in non gardeners?  Can be it something as fickle, which has ways to enchant and ways to cause angst?  Even something completely uncontrollable such insects or weather or disease can stretch ones feelings whether is is pleasure or pain?  This is a rhetorical question.  It is Six on Saturday so to a few observations to link in with others over in Jim's Garden Rumination post.

1. What is not to like about this glowing fiery nasturtium.  I first admired this one in a friend's garden a few years ago that autumn was given a few seeds, and I was delighted that they came up in the garden despite spending two winters in my seed box under the stairs.  The colour is not easy to capture but they literally glow in the early morning sunlight.

2.  We have had a little day flying moth flit around the garden over a number of days, and I finally managed to find it when I had my phone in hand.  

Jersey Tiger Moth

3. This week saw my dearly beloved finish the external shed refurbishment, and I am particularly pleased with some of the little improvements such as replacement of the rusty hinges for marine quality stainless ones, and also a lovely escutcheon.  Two more coats of paint and the guttering was dismantled cleaned down and the waterbutt reassembled. The internal refurbishment is to take place once the weather cools down. The shelf is back in place, no paint needed there, and plants put back.

4. I may have mentioned that I was disappointed in parts of the garden. Possibly this time it has been my fault, but I have learnt lessons which hopefully when applied will make it a better summer garden next year.  On the way back during a little excursion yesterday we happened to pass East Lambrook Manor Gardens. Somehow I had, it seems quite wrongly, thought the gardens having changed hands had ceased to function as before.  As we saw a sign outside I begged a little forray to see if they had any plants which I could add to fill in some gaps. Even though we didn't have time for a garden visit.  I can confidently report that East Lambrook Manor Gardens are open, and they did have some good plants.  I was delighted that Ellie, the person on duty in the garden filled me in, and I shall be sure to return.

All four plants were planted last night: two Dahlia Karma Sangria, and two Agastache Bolero.

5. I had a clump of Persicaria amplexicaulis 'Golden Arrow' which honestly had looked like it had decided to 'kick the bucket'.  It just could not hack the dry clay and extreme sun. However now that it has been dug up and has its roots in muddy water in a bucket, it has come back to life.  It will be tried in a couple of different parts of the garden to see if another area would suit it better.

Persicaria amplexicaulis 'Golden Arrow'

6. Last year I bought the grass Miscanthus nepalensis, and my SOS Sis was sent some seed.  I kept a seed head back and this was sown earlier this year straight into the ground.  Given the unpredictable seasons ought I to pot these very small plants up and maybe overwinter them on inside the shelf by the window?  It will depend if there is room!

Miscanthus nepalensis seedlings

Another week of dry hot weather is ahead of us......