A small Somerset Garden - Six on Saturday - 25 July 2026

Each Saturday we have a little get together over at Jim's and share (perhaps) six things about our gardens.  At the start of the week I was despondent in the face of the heat and drought which continues here in Somerset. However, looking round the garden, since I have found six things, why should I be?  Are we going to give in?  We need perhaps to change the way we garden, or the plants we have, for is it not about being outside, tending to our gardens, even if we have to do so in the cooler parts of the day, and if necessary keeping the thoughts of the next seasons' potential in mind?

Six things from the garden this week: 

1. Currently one of my favourtie Origanums in flower is the delightful little Origanum 'Buckland'. Since last year when I last mentioned this Origanum it has made good progress in the gravel garden. 

Origanum Buckland

This was one of the plants I was concerned about when we had all that rain earlier in the year.  And now the 'drought' has a  hold, I am delighted to find that certainly in this well drained area, it is one of the plants that has proved itself.  Currently I can't find any available on lists, so I am going to try to propagate it just so that I can make sure of its continuity in the garden.

It has soft velvety textured leaves and from the bracts the small tubular flowers attract numerous small bees and very small wasps even in this hot dry spell.

 

Origanum  'Buckland' close up

2. When my friend Maggie moved into her new home, there was a tall white phlox which drew the admiration of several of her gardening friends.  When she was remodelling the planting, several of us were lucky to get a portion.  This year it grew taller than last year, but it too has proved itself quite resilient to the dry weather.  It hasn't wilted yet and is quite erect, so another keeper and indeed it will be split to offer a couple of plants for next year.  The Hummingbird Hawkmoth has been visiting each morning pausing and uncurling its long tongue to sup from individual little flowers.

3. Over a month since I last showed Origanum 'Emma Stanley', her bracts continue to elongate and form a colourful point in the gravel garden. 

Origanum 'Emma Stanley'

Back in 2021 I wrote an article about the Origanums in the garden for the Somerset Federation of Gardening Clubs, but that did not include Origanum 'Buckland'.  Since then I lost Origanum 'Kent Beauty' and a couple of ones not mentioned in that article.  Since Origanums have been such a success this year, I shall be on the look out for more to add to the collection.

4. Last week I showed the poor dried out Astilbe and in the course of a few days I was feeling that the empty spot had to be filled, so the Pelargonium 'Salmon Angel' was released from its pot for a stay of a few months. 

 

Pelargonium 'Salmon Angel' in the pot

Again these flowers, and what a great number, are attractive the insects. Originally bought from the lovely Derry Watkins of Special Plants, it is easy to take cuttings, or I should say the cuttings take easily, so many will be taken to overwinter, as I think I shall have to consider moving over to these more dry and hot weather tolerant plants, for spot planting.

5. I had to visit Asda in Taunton a few weeks back, to collect my new glasses, and they happened to have a few multipack plants.  I succumbed and clumps of the blue Ageratums and some mixed phlox.  Some went into the garden and some in pots.  A little bit of colour for sure.  I used to consider Ageratums something old people grew, what a prejudice about plants!!  Maybe that is very true, now I am .... I am enjoying them. Another prejudice I have had is about 'ultra processed plants', but in moderation I am allowing myself a little treat!

Mixed planting

6.  Over to the otherside of the garden the Bay tree is heading for the skies again, with the Clematis viticella 'Purpurea Plena Elegans' climbing though its foliage.

Earlier in the week, I had been wondering whether I ought to select more purely foliage plants to weather the summer, but this week, just looking at the large number of varied butterflies, moths, bees etc coming to the flowers, what I shall be thinking of is actually making sure there is the greatest number of dry and heat tolerant plants that have numerous flowers.  I might not necessary go out of my way to buy them, but make sure to select the right plants already in the garden, increase them and place them to where some of the other annuals have surprisingly given in such as the nasturtiums.  That is not to say I shall try again with the nasturtiums as I just love their bright cheerful colours, and they are so easy from seed, easily saved each year.