Six on Saturday - 29 August 2026

At last we are having some rain:  it is as if the soil is sighing in relief and exhaling this wonderful smell called petrichor. Yesterday even with threatening rain I went out to do a little gardening enjoying for a short time the feel of drops landing on my back, through my thin tee shirt, until it started to get heavier. More than happy I tidied away my tools and went inside.

1. It will soon be the season for moving Aeoniums back to less open situations even if it is to shelter from the rain.  They are in fine form as this Aeonium ‘Schwarzkopf’ shows,

Aeonium ‘Schwarzkopf’

2. At the Taunton Flower festival not long ago,  I very much admired a certain Aeonium on the display, but sadly they had sold out.  I 'cheeked' Tom, suggesting that such large plants could easily spare a cutting, and that I would pay of course. I was invited to the back of the stand and shown some of the pieces that had inevitably been knocked off during the journey, and I selected one of them.  I am pleased to say that I believe that Aeonium Medusa seems to have overcome any trauma, and is settling in well. From what I have read Aeonium Medusa it is a mutation of Aeonium Velour so should have a similar naturally branching form, which I particularly appreciate on my Aeonium Velours.

Aeonium Medusa

3. I went past my friends shop, called  Thomas D'Arcy Garden House and right in my eyeline was a delightful pot of Achillea ‘Paprika’ (Galaxy Series). I had recently watched a gardener's world on iplayer which featured John Cullen and his National Collection of Achillea, it was on  Gardeners' World Episode 19 of the 2026 series. I was only going to say hello to Chris, but came away having spent my 'sweetie' money for the week.  It is now planted out in the garden. The earlier flowers got somewhat bleached by the searing sun.

Achillea ‘Paprika’ (Galaxy Series)

4. One of my little pet enjoyments in the garden is to try and propagate almost anything that grows.  It is a close call and probably goes joint first with cutting things.  A few weeks back I cut back really hard the Helianthemum Golden Queen growing in the gravel garden, and now it has bounced back beautifully and growth will have hardened off well by the winter.

Helianthemum Golden Queen
forming a neat cushion after hard prunning

I thought the same ought to be metered out to the ones growing round the seating circle, so a similar strict back and sides were carried out this week.  More cuttings were taken and here are the two results, with the first round of cuttings nicely growing away in the foreground, and the new ones in the second pot behind.  

5. Bergera koenigii, the leaves of which impart a delicious curry flavour to indian dishes, is giving the gravel area a rather tropical look as the plant grows a good crop of leaves.  Next spring when it starts into active growth, I intend pruning it to maintain a bushier form, rather than it continue to grow skyward.  I read up about the best time to do it, and it wasn't now! 

6. It was a very sad time at the start of the week, as I decided that it was time to remove the apple tree D'arcy Spice.  It has been beset by squirrels for the last three years at all times of the year, and not one single apple has reached anything near maturity.  I am constantly trying to frighten off the squirrels, and after spying five squirrels all in the garden at the same time, I decided I had had enough! Growing fruit has been a disaster in this garden, with pear trees, apples trees and rows of strawberries removed over the last few years.

Getting the roots out was taxing in the dry soil, and several bags of compost have been spread over the area. I am now contemplating what best to plant in that area. The 
Japanese Umbrella Pine Sciadopitys verticillata is a contender to be moved from its pot to somewhere in that area, but I think I shall wait till the soil settles a little, and plant it out in a few weeks time. 

If you have read to the end of this post, you obviously enjoy reading about gardens and gardening, so let me suggest your follow the link to Jim's 'Garden Ruminations', where if like others you would like to join in this sharing of things from our garden, you can read about how to go about it. Jim's Garden Ruminations is where similar posts to this one join in.