Six on Saturday - 13 November 2021

With slightly more time to spare, and a reduced resolve to get on with other hobbies, I have been flicking through periodicals and magazines.  Although not a gardener himself, I find myself reading out snippets to Mr S. He is quickly learning to 'speak the speak' just as we can for football such as 'Well its was a game of two halves, and if the team had not come together and scored that extra goal, it would have been a draw'. As an example a couple of extracts  from Gardens Illustrated November 2021 applies to my garden too and maybe to your?

"Plants are allowed to place themselves, shifting the pathways through natural processes of self-seeding and creeping growth" in reality plants are getting out of hand and you were warned that once you planted Briza Maxima you would never be without it, but did you listen?

"Rather than gaining a settled permanence, the community of plants remains in a state of flux; the key word is change." When I planted that shrub it seemed right but now I need to move it, yes if you compare the garden year to year or even throughout the same season,  you could get giddy, except for the layout cos it would be too hard to change that! And I've bought some new plants and need to make space for them, so that plant will have to go, Oh no, it can get moved to the front garden.

Clever words and strap lines, collect them and use them: suddenly your garden will be magazine worthy even if to this point, you were slightly embarrassed.  The wordsmith probably gets a higher renumeration that the plantsman person, however if the two are combined: Magic!  Which is why I keep reading and enjoying my gardening magazines and books. 

1. The Elephant Bush is happier in the conservatory than on the kitchen window sill, but as it gets cooler it may need to migrate back into the warmth. Diana, one of my blogging friends in South Africa inspired me further with uses for 'Spekboom's  succulent leaves as a garnish on 'Spagbog'. Portulacaria afra goes by many names such as  Elephant Bush: Dwarf Jade, Pork Bush.  This is a variegated version. Diana posted about Elephants eating this plant with some great pictures of the Elephants browsing a stance of these shrubs in South Africa.

Here the garden fairy realises that a trip to SA can only now be just a dream, so it is wonderful that there are other ways of enjoying the beauty of that country through some of the plants, books and film footage, and of course blogs and articles on line.

2. Sedum or that other long name but living up to its cultivar name of 'Autumn Joy' is hanging on.

3. Phlox bifida Ralph Hayward I find is a short lived plant in my garden.  To insure future seasons each year since it came I practice 'succession planning' planting and soon after flowering take cuttings.  At least I have one good plant, but since there is another one in the gravel gravel garden, I thought I would allow this one a little top dressing and got a little carried away using some interesting stones I had in my collection.

I hope it will be worth putting on the shed display shelf next year, as this is what its mama looked like in May this year!

4. By being late in flower this year, the Hydrangea continues to give joy. I don't know the variety but this one is from some prunnings which I picked up from the gardener at the Palace one winter a few years ago, who said that at this time of the year I probably was far too late.  I had three plants until recently, but decided to dig up and despatch the one which caught the late sun as it struggled through wilting each afternoon. Hopefully those remaining plants will be more resilient.

5. It was time to say goodbye to those three begonias that have given such a fine display planted below the
Fatsia Japonica Spider's Web.

6. Saved before they got sodden, the pan of emerging Dianthus cruentus seedlings has now been moved to the shed in a position as close to the window as possible.  It may be one of those pans that get moved in and out depending on the likelihood of rain.

Whether you are a 'wordsmith' or not, the main thing that holds us Six on Saturdayers together it an interest in plants, our own gardens, and a curiosity to know more, and form a community under the direction of The Anchor Man: Jon The Prop.  Of course, your curiosity may lead you to delve in, even if you have better things to do with your time to contribute.

Inspired by Jordan Bourke's Fig, Almond and Cinnamon Sourdough

When I last visited the library my interest was peaked by a book entitled 'Health Baking', and a quick flip through let me know that this book ought to come home for a lengthier perusal. 

I have out at the moment Vanessa Kimbell's School Sweet Baking, but for my current mood am finding that a little too intense.  Jordan Bourke's Healthy Baking is more to my taste and has some delicious looking ferments and ways to use whole grains in mixed dishes with vegetables.  

Using just a few of the delicious dried figs, which I almost always have in stock, as well as some whole almonds on my open shelves, the Fig, Almond and Cinnamon Sourdough recipe is the first recipe I am baking from Jordan Bourke's book 'Healthy Eating'.  I followed  the recipe except I omitted the cinnamon and in its place used some crushed cardamom seeds.

I also halved the dough to make two 500g sized loaves.  Made with a mixture of white and whole grained spelt, it makes a delicious breakfast bread which we had fresh the first day and toasted this morning.  There is only a slight sweetness so this bread also goes very well with cheeses. 

From his website I found this Panfried Chickpea Fritter recipe which will be on the supper menu in the coming days. 

Six on Saturday - 6 November 2021

 This week the first frost of the season hit the garden.  Nothing seems to have been affected, but we did have the lovely fern shapes on the top of the conservatory.  

1. Before the frosts one and only Dahlia David Howard was cut down earlier in the week, and since it was growing in a large pot, for now, I have just brought the pot into the shed.  Please would someone explain if I should take it out of its soil and 'dry it out' then put it back in some damp soil/sand or whatever, ready to spend its few months rest. As we haven't had any rain, the soil in the pot was already on the dry side.

2.  I have been resisting buying bulbs or anything new to grow on for the spring, as I want to grow more from seed.  Over the last three years bulbs have been planted in the garden, but as we were walking past our small independent nursery where I tend to pick up pots, I thought I would support them by buying a little packet of bulbs.  We were walking, and really could not manage any more as I had gone to buy feet to prop up my pots so they don't get waterlogged over the winter, freeze and shatter.  Half of the bulbs were damaged/wizened/mouldy.  Usually at this price I would not have bothered to return or make a complaint, but I have decided to be less timid.  By the time I had cycled back a 'student' was covering the lunch time slot, so I said an exchange would be fine.  This time I decided to open the packet in the shop.  The same thing happened.  Rather than throw two packets away, and I get my money back, I felt the kindest way forward was to suggest that I choose the best 6 Cabanna Tulip bulbs.  They have been planted, and I shall report back sometime next year.

3. Shadows and morning light offer up aspects of the garden which are easily overlooked.  I  had to be quick to go out and catch the shadow cast by the Cyclamen Hederifolium which had pleased me so much over breakfast.

4.  Turning around I caught the sun shinning through the last remaining blooms of the little patio Rose.  I had to check the name and what a coincidence it is called 'Shine On', new to the garden this spring.

5. Meet Verbena bonariensis 'Little One' which is a souvenir of my visit to Beth Chatto's garden.  It will add a little height in a diminutive sort of way to the gravel garden.

6. I am still fond of the little Viola Tricolor which I grew from seed sent to me by Jim.  Some of the larger plants were trimmed back, and I am pleased to say they have bounced back.  I ought to look for seed to save to sow again this spring. Violas is a good small plant to pop into gaps after the early spring flowers are over.

And Violas are edible and a delightful little garnish which help make a salad lunch quite pretty. I do like an edible flower and we are still eating our own lettuce.  My plate was piled high with lettuce, this was Mr S's place where I have to bury both the green and purple leaves under the beetroot!

Even though I am writing this a little late in the day, having had various issues with connectivity...I wish all my gardening friends a good week, and if you have time, you won't be disappointed by what awaits you on The Propagator's site, as you find not just my post linked into his, but many others too. 

 

In a Vase on Monday - The last of this year's roses

With gusts on the increase, and a need to trim the rose trees, the remaining buds on Rose Grace were put together and graced our main daytime sitting area over the weekend.

Starting with tight buds on the Thursday,  with more open roses, the arrangement was a delight.

The red chillies which were the last of the harvest from the garden plants are now nicely dried, but remain in place as a bright accent in the centre of the table. 

My neighbour Val offered me some of her purple flowering Verbena bonariensis, which I planted up in a border, but I cut the flowering stem from the seedling to allow it to bulk up for next season.  Together with some ivy fruits picked on a recent walk down our lane, and the flowering tips of Persicaria Red Dragon, a second posy was also ready to show this morning. And on the theme of 'upcycling' I added another item Chamaecyparis pisifera ‘Filifera Golden Mop'that would have otherwise ended up earlier in the compost heap, as will both these arrangments in a couple of days.

I'm joining in with Cathy and from her garden she will have set her arrangement, no doubt with excellent props.

Laverne Socks No 2

 I haven't picked up my knitting needles since I finished these socks in July.  What with one thing and another, but now it is cooler, and I have received the hint that I am not sitting down enough, it was time to look through my knitting bag, sort it out and think of something interesting to knit.

When I came to pack these socks away, I found that I had knit the same pattern back in 2016.  There they were nestled up in my stock of new socks box. 

I've decided to move along and knit some wrist warmers to send to my sister.  I'm trying out a pair to judge the construction as I would like to knit ones that are longer in the arm for her.  I found a pattern on Ravelry called Spatterdash which I am attempting, but may well try different patterns after all, they are probably a little quicker to knit up that socks, and will make surprise Christmas Presents.

With all the challenges to use less fossil fuels, but the importance of keeping warm and comfortable, I think that wool will be making a great comeback, not that it ever fell out of favour in this household.