Six on Saturday - 28th August 2021

Remembering and celebrating

After a week's gap, welcome to my 12th #SixOnSaturday. Ostensibly six things going on in the garden this week but in reality, a bit of a "dear diary" for gardeners, particularly so for me at this time of year. Eight years ago last week I lost my mum to cancer. She was a passionate gardener and made the most of her little plot in Chelmsford cramming it with flowers, shrubs and with a little plot for veg that was fantastically productive. Some of her plants were in pots, three of which are now in my garden. Not long after her death we embarked on some hard landscaping, renewing the fencing, paths, and the summerhouse roof. It seemed an appropriate way to spend what I inherited from her estate, and I know she would have absolutely loved the results. 

1) Hard landscaping

We reckon that the hard paths and patio areas were laid out fifty or sixty years ago. We are on the side of a hill and on clay soil and over the years the inevitable movement had resulted in a lot of cracking and tilting. Paths had become treacherous and the bottom part of the garden had fallen completely out of use and into the hands of the ivy, sycamore and ash saplings. Mum's money enabled us to declare "out with the concrete" and in with block paved surfaces and retaining walls. Here's a little before and after, and above is one of our seating areas, one we call "the Gin Seat" (pic taken at 18:30 so you get the idea). 

2) Hydrangea

Mum's hydrangea has been in several spots in the garden over the years. its current location is just through the arch so that it is visible from the house, and it greets you as you move from the first very open area of the garden to the more secret and secluded area beyond. As with "Zorro" featured on 10th July, I've failed in my daughterly duty to keep it blue despite giving it ericaceous compost, feed, and nothing but rainwater.  Nonetheless, now with its head in the dappled sun and the base of the pot relatively sheltered, it is thriving.

3) Platycodon

You saw this first on 31st July. It outgrew mum's pot and is now in a larger one. It sits beside a monbretia (as mum would have called it) and they both flower at the same time. I love the combo of the purple and the orange. For both plants, their flowering time is relatively short and both are gradually coming to an end. The original pot now houses the Canna which is now throwing up blooms three, four and five! 

4) Blueberry

The third of mum's pots that is now with me is her blueberry. It is doing fantastically well and there is really nothing more rewarding than popping out first thing and picking fresh blueberries to have for breakfast. 

5) Fuschia

Another plant that takes me straight back to my childhood and our family garden. I know they are very common but I still marvel at the elegance and detail of the blooms.  

6) Buddleja weyeriana sungold

I came across this one last year thanks to one of our garden club members. It has really pretty round yellow flowers rather than the more usual flower spike. As with the more common variety, the flowerheads are made up of many tiny tiny flowers.  

As for the "celebrating" part of my title, the garden received an extra special tidy since last time as we prepared to welcome a few of our friends to help us celebrate my other half's 70th birthday. Thankfully the weather held out enough to enable us to enjoy the fruits of my labour and we all had a great time.

Here's the participant guide in case you want to join in. Thanks as ever to The Propagator for the inspiration.