Six on Saturday - 17 October

 The best of late summer and  autumn plants are unusually still making a great contribution to the garden. For more Sixes, follow this link to Jim's post to find out what the Maestro and others have for for us all to enjoy and learn about.

1.The succulents are still outside. Small flowers on small succulents Crassula x rupestris f. marnieriana – Jade Necklace only bought a few weeks ago is now in flower, and of course in pride of place on the garden shelf.  Soon it will have to come into the conservatory.

Crassula x rupestris f. marnieriana

2.  Crocus speciosus 'Oxonian' is bringing up new flowers each day.  A real treat is to look into its delicate  goblet shape to see the intricate orange anthers. 

Crocus speciosus 'Oxonian'

3. Salvia microphylla 'Cerro Potosi' is one of those salvias that can form a pretty large woody shrub.  For now its bright magenta flowers are such a show, for just a few days before the Chrysanthemums come to perfection the star of that border, and the humming bird hawkmoth still patrols the flowers.

Salvia microphylla Cerro Potosi

I had a look up on when and how best to prune this and Rosie Hardy has a good explanation of the how and whens. Rosie Hardy on looking after Salvias.

4. Just when one wonders whether late summer is the time for intricate flowers this little Serratula tinctoria var. seoanei, planted at the edge in a couple of places surprises me. 

Serratula tinctoria var. seoanei

 5.  I was cheeky enough to ask , and lucky enough to receive seed of a fabulous form of Cyclamen mirabile 'Tilebarn Nicholas' just over a week ago.  We have lots of cheeky squirrels digging up the garden throughout the day, so when I planted out the seed, covered with a layer of gravel, I had to cover it with an improvised 'keep out of here' upturned mushroom crate as they soak up water from below.

Cyclamen mirabile 'Tilebarn Nicholas' 

Afterwards the seed trays were placed in the dark and hopefully as this is fresh seed, they should start to emerge in a month's time.

6.  Other seeds are ripe for the picking such as this beautiful Ammi majus. I love the form of dried seedheads and hopefully I shall be able to grow more plants from this seed head.  Three young plants were given to me by Ben, son of a good gardening friend.

Ammi majus

Just as I was cheeky enough to ask for seed, I am happy to send seed out, click on the link to see the current seeds available, and now there is this Ammi.  Since I am raising funds for the British Heart Foundation, maybe a small contribution to the BHF, to cover the postage would be lovely, if you are willing.  However even if you just come across this post within October 2026, and would like to support this worthwhile cause, without wanting seed, I would be delighted.  

After two lots of 7 days exercises and 2 rest days, I find it so much easier to move my large pots and sacks of compost, so these exercises are helping me in the garden.

Six on Saturday - 10 October 2026

 Lets get on with it, it is already nearly time for lunch, but I wouldn't let myself take photographs and dawdle around outside or over the wording for today's Six.  For beautifully worded posts the place to head to is over at Jim's.

1. Just by looking at the leaves on this gorgeous Aeonium Medusa, I can tell that the cutting has taken.  Obtained as a cutting from Piccolo Plants.

Aeonium Medusa

It won't be long before all the garden succulents not under the front canopy are moved to the conservatory.

2. Had a communication from my son this week about his Crassula Buddha's Temple.  The long and the short of it, the one I gave him years ago is now too long and has a community of scale insects. He suggested for his Christmas Present he would love a replacement maybe in a nice pot.  It was only when I agreed that he decided to ditch his one, as he likes this succulent too much to be without it.  Outside this pot full when cut down would yield the cuttings, which will be rooted in time for Christmas.

Crassula 'Buddha's Temple'

3. I love autumn and the colours that are emerging this late in the year. 

 

Symphyotrichum novi-belgii 'Purple Dome'

I divided this last year and all the divisions are doing well.

4. Another plant that I really ought to divide and move is this Chrysanthemum Chatsworth.  It is being rather overwhelmed by Rosa Canary Bird which also needs a little pruning. Going round the garden for SOS is a useful way to take stock of what needs to be done.

Chrysanthemum Chatsworth

5. For me and this garden the pale pink flowered Sedum 'Frosty Morn' is finally coming into its own.  I cut is rather too harshly only just before the heat and the drought. After the rains it bounced back and is looking fab and attracting the bees. The stems are not so big and heavy and there are more smaller stems, which suit me well.

Sedum 'Frosty Morn'

6. Another plant which has bounced back and a month beyond what her name implies is Japanese Anemone 'September Charm', which only recently made a come back, despite earlier scorched leaves that I had cut back.

I'm late because I made myself packet up the seeds for a couple of people who asked and are yet to receive the seeds they asked for. 

Seeds left: Ompholodes Linifolia, Tropaeolum tricolor, Miscanthus nepalensis, Tagetes Cinnabar, Tulipa sprengeri,  Eryngium 'Silver Ghost', Eryngium Planum Tetra Petra. If anyone fancies trying some let me know.  If you haven't already got my email, find me on Facebook and private message me, or if you have Jim's or Gill Heaven's email ask them for mine.  Offer of seeds is limited to SOSers or friends.

From my garden at the start of October 2026- Six on Saturday

I was absent for SOS last Saturday being in Ireland, and was able to make comparisons between that very green and pleasant land, and the relatively parched areas coming across Wales and back home: here it has hardly rained.  Just as you think there will be nothing more for the garden to offer, somethings rise to the fore.  I am joining  in with Jim and others to sharing Six things from the garden.

1. I was concerned about the Sternbergia lutea over the summer as it got so hot and dry where they are located in the front garden.  I need not have been worried and on our return the three little clumps were green with a few flowers left for me to enjoy, but I missed about half of them.

Sternbergia lutea

Whilst in Ireland both north and south, I was looking forward to seeing what people grow there, for we have our SOS friend Pádraig who frequently shares Six from his garden. Yes from the coach and also when we were walking, we could see extensive 'gardens' around their beautifully kept homes, but it consisted mainly of very very green lawns right up to boundaries often with no trees or planting except for the odd clump perhaps of Hydrangea. I know there must be some exceptions as there are many notable plants coming from gardeners on the other side of the Irish Sea, Maybe there are gardeners tucked away in pockets, and perhaps Pádraig is one of the leading vanguards with regards to planting. Maybe there is not so much of a culture of gardening as we enjoy in England.

2. Also now out in flower in the front garden is the clump of Nerine bowdenii subsp. wellsii which may have struggled with the lack of watering: it hasn't seen a hose or watering can, only the infrequent showers these last few weeks.

Nerine bowdenii subsp. wellsii

It is a treat to go round the garden after having been away for over a week, and these two plants were very welcoming. Both of these were gifts from my plantswoman friend Hilary.  She is coming round during next week, and I hope they will still be looking good for her.

3. Just how far should an embrace go and for how long?  The little terracotta chap is now almost entirely embraced by the curly stems of the rosemary, once again in flower, so not only an embrace but a scented one, and during the day the humming of bees. The Rosemary has almost outgrown its spot, and I have been 'succession' planning with a well growing cutting taken maybe a year ago.  I'll plant it up in a large pot and next spring decide where about to plant it.  On the whole I rarely replant the same sort of plant in the same spot, preferring to refresh the soil with an addition of compost etc and planting something different. 

4. Last week I showed  Persicaria 'Golden Arrow', so this week I am showing another of the Persicarias that have bounced back. With purple, cream/silver and green leaves and the name Persicaria runcinata 'Purple Fantasy' there will always be a little space for this  psychedelic looking plant.  It has to be kept in check though, so often yielding plants to share.

5. A few weeks ago I posted about Scilla hughii, as I was curious about the little bulbils/bulblets  I found on the roots.  I'm happy that three have survived, and have started to put on some growth.

Three Scilla hughii bulblets

The 'mother' bulb is definitely showing signs of further splitting  with two crowns and I also noticed that there is another bulblet starting to grow on the outer perimeter of the pot, from one of the bulblet I left on the roots when I repotted it.

Scilla hughii forming a double rosette 

This may be the contender for the spot where the Rosemary is currently growing.

6. Earlier this week I went to a talk held by the Wells and District Wildlife Group called 'Learn to Love Slugs and Snails' given by Nathan Orr, Mendip Hills National Landscape Nature Recovery Ranger.  Except for admiring their form, there was not much understanding or love lost between myself and those slimy creatures that nibble and gnaw.  Have I turned into a lover of those molluscs? It is another creature in the garden to observe and only a couple of days after the talk, with a few light showers during the night, I found this beautiful slug. I followed it for a little while and in the time it took me to fetch a little more washing to put on the line, it has disappeared. I haven't yet been out to check any damage on the Kale plants given to me by Alison, which may just swing me back to my previous position if they have been decimated!!

Other wildlife which thrilled me this week was 'my frog', hummingbird hawkmoths, 'my robin' and several other visiting thrushes, so for now, maybe the slugs, snails and I can coexist, as the slugs will be busy breaking down all the autumnal detritus. 

Arion Rufus

Being of the 'older set' but still gardening, walking and cycling, and wanting to continue with these for many more years, I have taken up the Strong Woman Challenge being run during October,  with any funds raised going to the British Heart Foundation.  I hope to keep up the exercises even beyond the month as I would really like to be strong enough to garden for a long while yet, open jam jars, and run up and down stairs!

This is the link if you would like to support me:

 https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/strongwoman2026-noellemace