Six on Saturday - 2nd July 2022

Back after a break

Yes, my first #SixOnSaturday since way back in November 2021. Many flowers have been and gone since then, a new larger greenhouse has been constructed, and a bed that I'd not tackled for the 38 years I've been at this address has been dug and replanted. It did, as I predicted, give up some of the huge chunks of glazed bricks and concrete which some previous owner burried throughout our garden, wheelbarrows of them. I need to tackle more before I get too much older and creakier as each is a huge and exhausting project. This week's #SixOnSaturday, in the series inspired by The Propagator, starts with a major success.  

1) Hydrangea macrophylla "Zorro"

Zorro featured on 10th July last year and was stubbornly pink alongside Mum's pompom hydrangea. I have been on a mission to see if I could get both to revert back to blue as I'd seen both blue when I first "met" them. Even though both were in pots of erricaceous compost, and only being watered with rainwater, both were pink. I resorted to a product which claimed to help restore the blue colour. It has worked beautifully with Zorro but mum's plant remains pink, possibly very slightly less pink than the last few years. My present theory is that Zorro was blue more recently than mum's, and that therefore there may yet be hope for mum's if I continue the treatment. I'll be back next year with the news. Meanwhile, Zorro is putting on an absolutely fabulous show with its blue flowers and striking black stems. My only challenge with it being in a pot is that it is now taller than me and I'd need stilts to appreciate its full spleandour. Hey ho.  

2) Oxalis

I acquired my first oxalis a number of years ago. It was outdoors in the garden centre so I put it outdoors in my garden. It did that perennial thing - flowered, died at the end of the next year, returned the following year and, most importantly, didn't get eaten by slugs and snails. So I bought some more. This one sits on our exceptionally sunny kitchen window sill - completely the wrong place according to the experts - and is a gorgeous mound of dark purple shamrock leaves and pretty pink flowers. I gather it is usually grown as a housplant in the UK, so I guess that's global warming for you. 

 

3) Sunflower

Here I am in my sixth decade and this is the first sunflower that I've grown from seed and which has not been eaten, decapitated or otherwise destroyed by unknown forces. I'm sure this one, too, is at risk, but it has been in the garden bringing jolly joy for a fortnight now. It is a record. The seeds for it and, yes, others, came from a gardner's club seed swap. Knowing that the parent was grown locally gave me hope which has been rewarded. 

4) Unlikely survivors

Purchased as bedding plants in 2021 and inserted into just about the most high maintenance - small hexagonal frame, needs watering regularly - space, these have nevertheless overwintered only to come back for a second year. Words fail . . .   

5) Lemon in waiting

I acquired my first lemon tree in 2020. I overwintered it indoors - bad mistake as the dry heat resulted in significant leaf loss. It survived, went outside last year and produced a few lemons. Last winter I over-wintered it in a greenhouse by the house. Leaves remained attached, as did the unripe lemons. Then, after I thought that it was safe to put it out, I put it out - bad mistake n.2 as the shock of the outside resulted in near total leaf loss. I did not give up. Right now it is covered in lovely new dark leaves and very many headily-scented flowers. I am hopefull that fruit will follow.   

6) Propogation central

The challenge with the bottom half of the garden is that it is surrounded by very mature trees. Anything I plant directly into the ground immediately competes with tree roots for water and nutrients. Add raised beds and compost and what you get is a raised bed full of tree roots! I've gone from feeding expensive plants to slugs and snails to feeding local trees. Meanwhile, my tiny greenhouse by the house was overflowing with cuttings and has been a very successful location for maturing tomatoes. I decide to clear one of the raised beds down the bottom, get it level, and install a second larger model. I'd originally thought I'd treat myself to a very fancy new greenhosue but after a frustrating exchange with a potential supplier, went very low budget with a larger version of the zip-up one by the house. A "feature" of our garden is that nothing is level, Telegraph Hill is, well, a hill, and we are on the side of it. Job one - see if you can create a level surface in a sloping garden. Even though what I'd purchased was a very cheap model, I decided I'd try to protect its frame. We try to re-cycle things and to do that, we store things that "might be useseful". In amongst the stash we had the wood that had been used as shuttering when we had our front path laid, and some offcuts of stone from when we had the steps replaced. We also had some old radiator bricks, and the slats from some old wooden venetian blinds. I created a frame for the greenhouse base (to stop it rusting) which itself is laid on the radiator bricks and infilled with gravel (to keep the wood from rotting any time soon) and the greenhouse frame is attached to the wooden frame using pipe clips. Two of the stone offcuts form the centre floor and gravel fills all the gaps. And those venetian blind slats I hear you ask? I've used those to form shelves for the lowest level of the greenhouse. Oh, and the whole thing is now rammed full of cuttings and some of this year's tomatoes.

That's all for this week. This weekend is deadheading and shrub pruning. Check out the participant guide if you want to join in.

Six on Saturday - 23rd October 2021

Leaves, seeds and propagation

It's the time of year when I not only mow the lawn, but also the paths, effectively using the mower as a means of chopping up and hoovering up all the fallen leaves prior to adding them to the compost bin.

This week's #SixOnSaturday, inspired by The Propagator has a leafy theme.  

1) Teasel seedhead

I'm liking the rather striking seedheads and am looking forward to seeing them over winter, especially if we get a frost.  

2) Varietad Fatsia Japonica

With leaves bigger than most dinnerplates, this variegated fatsia provides year round interest. Here, it is poised to flower, providing some much needed food over winter for polinators.  

  

3) Propagation time

I've had mixed success with cuttings, but enough success that I still give it a go. I particularly concentrate on things that work in the garden, which aren't fodder for slugs and snails, and which are useful for filling gaps here and there, or for replacing plants that have gone leggy. This little group includes some Artemesia "Powis Castle", Erysimum (don't know variety name but it produces flowers that have orange through to purple tinges) and some Salvia. The Artemisia and Salvia both have deliciously fragrant leaves. 

4) Variegated Phormium

We got our first phormium in 1993. It grew and grew and grew, it "walked" from the back of the border to the front and in the end, we had it taken out. I reckon I got about fifty viable plants from the original and since then I have used them as architectual backdrops at the backs of borders or in pots. The best specimens are perfectly fan shaped. I now keep an eye out for further offspring and remove those and pot them up for passing on. The leaves on this one are fantastically stripey and look great in a gentle breeze as they dance about. 

5) Mahonia

This is another plant that provides year round leafy interest This variety is called "soft caress" and doesn't have the spiky leaves of the more common variety. As with the Fatsia, this is poised to flower. When it does it produces gorgeously scented flowers which are loved by the polinators, and then lovely black berries which are devoured by the birds.  

6) Virginia creeper

The virginia creeper is providing loads of colour this year and the birds are still feasting on the berries.

This weekend's jobs include dividing and potting up some houseplants, and perhaps some more cuttings. It also includes pulling out some brambles which I spotted as I was taking pics for this week's Six! Meanwhile, the cosmos flowerbuds are getting bigger and bigger and I'm hoping will burst onto the scene soon. 

That's all for this week. Check out the participant guide if you want to join in. 

Six on Saturday - 16th October 2021

Repeat flowering and seed saving

Well, it's a dreich old Saturday morning here in south east London. The rain is soft and gentle, the best sort for watering the garden but not so great for ticking off my long list of things to do out there. There's nothing for it than to get on with my thirteenth #SixOnSaturday post, six things going on in the garden this week and inspired by The Propagator. I'm doing so from a seat looking out onto the garden where the annual comedy act that is the pigeons attempting to wrestle the berries from the virginia creeper is playing out. 

1) Geranium sanguineum var. striatum

This dainty geranium has produced another flush of pretty pink flowers. I like its slighly more compact habit, and the dark, grey-tinged leaves.   

2) Rosa "climbing iceberg"

This is possibly the third flush of flowers from this rose. It has responded well to pruning and tying in horizontally so I'll be doing more of that next year in the hope that it will finally cover the trellis behind it, giving me a scented wall of creamy white flowers in the process.

3) Cosmos

I have this cosmos courtesy of a plant swap session at one of our local gardening club meetings earlier in the year. It has taken absolutely ages to come into its own and now has a profusion of tight buds, a few of which are finally starting to open up. I'm hoping they all bloom before the frost comes. In case you are wondering, no, that isn't a cosmos leaf in the background, it is that of a Japanese anenome which is in the same pot. 

4) Geranium Rozanne ("Gerwat")

This is my first year growing Rozanne and it has delivered brilliantly on the promised "long flowering" front and is still going strong having first burst onto the scene in May. I have one plant growing alongside and through a Euphorbia characias "silver edge", just visible in the LHS of the image. The two work really well together highlighting a common bluey-grey tinge.    

5) Cucumber

I think my cucumber growing days are probably over, certainly if I don't end up getting a greenhouse. I grew two types this year and with seven plants I have had precicely five cucumbers. The one pictured here was one of two from some seeds from my next door neighbour - he'd ordered a self-polinating variety having had little success the previous year. Despite masses of flowers, only two have turned into fruit. This one was picked last weekend.  

6) Morning glory - seeds for next year

I grew Morning Glory for the first time last year as a result of a seed swap amongst our local gardening club members. I was thrilled with the results and saved lots of seeds which I planted up this year. They've done wonderfully again, so I'm harvesting the seeds for next year, and for friends. This is where I think those little dessicant packages that come with lateral flow testing kits might come in useful as I'm hoping they'll capture any moisture in the seeds. As well as the saved seeds, they actually also grew well self-seeded.    

The rain is easing now and I'm hoping to get out to put some wood preserver on the the wood that has been cut for the next pallet project - another planter.

That's all for this week. Check out the participant guide if you want to join in.

Six on Saturday - 9th October 2021

Seeing Red

After a bit of a gap, and on a pretty foggy Saturday morning here in south east London, here's my twelfth #SixOnSaturday post, six things going on in the garden this week and inspired by The Propagator. There's a red theme this week

1) Chilli Peppers

I grew peppers for the first time this year. I have absolutely no idea what type they are as the packet they came in was simply marked "Chilli Pepper Seeds" and was part of a Mexican-themed party box from work to spice up our otherwise online Christmas Party. There were seven seeds from which I grew six viable plants. All have produced chillies whose size and shape suggests Padrom, Apache or Jalapeño.   

2) Salvia "Hot Lips"

Hot Lips has got her lips back having started the flowering season with pure white blooms.  She continues to flower vigorously. The plant is placed by a path and I love the scent that the leaves release when you brush by it.

3) The plant formerly known as Sedum

This year has been a good one for the sedums in my garden. The original plant has been much propogated through spring division and at this time of year give fantastic displays in shady and sunny borders alike, with the intensity of the red deepening over time. They are hugely prone to flopping and so next year I'm planning to grow some through Peony support cages. I've been surprised how good they are as cut flowers so at least the very flopped ones have had a second life in a vase. 

4) Tomatoes

I grew two kinds of tomato this year, Tigrella and Gardener's Delight. I had so many successful seedlings and many went to neighbours or appeared on local charity stalls. I tend to keep some in my little greenhouse and then grow the remainder outside. This year all the outside ones suffered from blight and had to be destroyed. Those in the greenhosue fared much better and all the fruit ripened nicely. Yesterday I picked the last ones and the plants have been chopped and added to the compost heap.    

5) Cotoneaster berries

This is the time of year when cotoneaster comes into its own, with the rich red fruit contrasting the small glossy green leaves of the plant. The birds love the berries. 

6) Cyclamen

With their perky flowers and distinctively marked leaves, cyclamen for me signal the onset of autumn. One plant has, this year, produced a large number of offspring which I'm now attempting to grow on.   

The fog is lifting and the forecasted sunny day looks like it will be delivered, so we are hoping to get the bikes out and gently trace the Thames Path.

That's all for this week. Check out the participant guide if you want to join in.

Six on Saturday - 14th August 2021

Introduction

One consequence of the exceptionally wet period we've had recently is that my water buts are all full, something I dont' think I've ever known in August before. That's the good news. Not so good are signs of early blight on the tomato plants that I'm growing outdoors in my veg area in a part of the garden which is becoming increasingly shady because of the surrounding trees. The rain has made that part of the garden very humid which is the most likely cause of the problem. On a cheerier note, I'll welcome you to my eleventh #SixOnSaturday post, six things going on in the garden this week and inspired by The Propagator.

1) Agapanthus Silver Moon

Another first for me. This was an impulse buy when I visited the Secret Garden, a garden centre in Crystal Palace. I was attracted to the foliage which is variegated. I'm glad I went with impulse rather than sense - I have another pot of agapanthus plants which have never flowered so I'm not entirely sure why I thought this might be any different. Anyhow, it has rewarded my inpulse. 

2) Butternut Squash

I'm growing Butternut Squash for the first time this year. I have two plants which I'm growing vertically. I'm intrigued by the exceptionally hairy stems and flower buds. Despite looking very healthy and reaching a height of about six feet, the flower buds are still tight. I'm hoping that with the current warmer, dryer and sunnier weather that we've had over the last week, and which is promised for next, might persuade the flowers to mature.  If not, then I'll have some good material for compost.

3) Water

In addition to the pond, we have a few bowls which we keep filled with water for the birds and insects. This one has a stone in it which helps bees, wasps and small birds reach in to drink. It doesn't stop birds of all sizes using it as a bath - everything from robins and tits right up to pigeons and magpies spashing around, sending water flying everywhere. There is a seating area nearby and sometimes when I'm sitting reading the birds will come down to bathe which is lovely to see so close at hand.

4) The lawn

The part of the garden nearest the house is largely lawn framed by borders all of which gently slope upwards towards the summerhouse. We like it that way because from the house it enables us to see the sky, the birds and the wildlife and the borders blend in with the woodland behind giving a sense of borrowed landscape, a real treat for London's travel zone 2! It is not manicured grass and other than a regular mow, an occasional edge trim, and rake towards the end of the year to thin the moss, it gets no special treatment whatsoever. Over the years it has settled to a combination of grass, white and pink clover, daisies and buttercups. One corner has gradually been colonised by bluebells and primulas and throws up a lovely spring display before being mowed towards the end of May. I regularly let it go for a couple or three weeks so that the bees can have a fill of the clover. From a distance when freshly mowed it looks immaculate, that is, until a squirrel decides to excavate a long-burried peanut!

5) Canna

I know, Canna two weeks in a row. Since last week a second bloom has started to emerge from the plant that previously reflused to flower for two years. I'm holding out hope that there may be a third. 

6) Hydrangea paniculata "Bombshell"

Another reluctant flowerer which has redeemed itself this year. I planted this two years ago out the front of the house following some re-modelling of the area. It flowered the first year and did zilch last year. This year it is back. I love how the flowerheads start off a delicate lemon colour, then go creamy white before taking on a delicate pink tinge. 

That's all for this week as there is a lot on the "to do" list. Check out the participant guide if you want to join in.

Six on Saturday - 7th August 2021

 Introduction

Well, it's a pretty soggy Saturday here in SE London. Even with that, there are still new things popping up in the garden. Without further ado, then, I'll welcome you to my tenth #SixOnSaturday series, inspired by The Propagator.

1) Nasturtium

Wonderfully easy to grow from seed, reliably undemanding, and always colourful, I'll often poke a few seeds into little blank spaces. This is a tumbling one with variegated leaves and I absolutely love it. 

2) Japanese anemone honorine jobert

I love these late summer flowers which pop up as other things are starting to fade, particularly now that I've got them under control. Their original planting place was at the back of a border and before I started paying serious attention to the garden, they'd spread not only to the front of the boarder but under the path and to a neighborouing border! Some digging and dividing later, and they are now back where they should be. Meanwhile, new plants have been established and placed elsewhere in the garden for that late summer interest. 

3) Erigeron

Another discovery via a member of our gardening club. Jolly little daisies which start off white and then fade to pink. It seems to have a really long flowering season. I have one scrambling through a pot along with some Bidens and the combination is very jolly

4) Pest control

Say hello to one of the night pest patrol brigade. Our garden is home to a veritable army of toads - I counted at least ten of different sizes recently. Given the size and number of slugs and snails that I still find, the toads are in no danger of going hungry. We re-established the pond a few years ago and it is very pleasing to see younger generations of toad out and about.  A few years ago we had one that took to over-wintering in the outside loo. It gave me the fright of my life when I first encountered. Thereafter, we co-existed quite happily. 

5) Canna

This has not flowered for two years, despite careful overwintering, and masses of lush deep brown leaves. I'd threatened it with the compost heap if it did nothing this year and lo, two huge stems are emerging as are these fantastic orange flowers.  I'm not sure they will get to reach their full splendour in this rather persistent rain but I'll keep my fingers crossed. 

6) Buddleja 

Another late flowerer is the Buddleja. This one one is the common "davidii". I've taken this close-up pic which shows how each of those large conical flowers is in fact made up with lots of tiny flowers each with an orange centre. No wonder the butterflies love them. 

That's all for this week. This weekend is looking like a perfect one to catch up on the ironing! Check out the participant guide if you want to join in.

Six on Saturday - 31st July 2021

Introduction

Welcome to the ninth #SixOnSaturday series, inspired by The Propagator.  Six things going on in my garden this week. The combination of sun and recent rain has resulted in rampant growth and so much of the garden activity of late has been pruning and tying back along with a lot of dead-heading to prolong the flowering season. For me, "productive" gardening week is sometimes measured by the fullness of the brown bin - stuff that I can't easily compost. So much pruning and weeding has been done this week that it has filled two! In between the showers, lovely things are still happening. Here are a rew of them: 

1) Montbretia

Ok, so for many, this is an old fashioned standard.  As it happens, it is for me too as it brings back memories of our childhood garden. That this gets the top spot this week is because it failed to flower last year and I thought it was a gonner. The thrill, therefore, of seeing the emerging flowers is heightened this year.  

2) Seedheads

Too many of the wonderful alium seedheads suffered following stormy downpours. This, therefore, is anothe survivor and I love its structure.  

3) Platycodon "Baloon Flower"

This innocent plant is exceptionally special to me. I took care of it in 2014 in the last weeks of my mum's life and it, along with her blueberry and her hydrangea are now in my garden and continue to thrive.   

4) Teasel

One of the volunteers at our local community garden, Common Growth, offered teasel seedlings to the community last autumn. I took a few, knowing that they attract goldfinches which, until now we'd not seen in the garden. They are vigorous and the bees absolutely love the flowers. I'm looking forward to offering the dried seedheads for the now resident clutch of seed-loving finches. 

5) Bronze fennel

Another attractive seedhead. 

 

6) A sense of more 

Here is the platycodon and montbretia beside the garden path. Our garden is long and straight but we've provided a "sense of more" through curved paving and rich planting.  

That's all for this week. Check out the participant guide if you want to join in.

Six on Saturday - 24th July 2021

Introduction

Welcome to the eighth  #SixOnSaturday series, inspired by The Propagator.  Six things going on in my garden recently. There's a bit of a focus on produce this week. 

1) Courgette "Black Beauty"

Courgettes can be frustrating to get going. First of all, the seeds need some warmth to germinate and I've frequently ended up planting two lots of seeds before anything has come up. Second, once they've reahed the point where they are ready to start being productive, you need both a male flower and a female flower to be out at the same time. The female fruiting stem can be identified as it has a small swelling just below the flowerhead. I typically plant three plants in the hope of encouraging  male and female flowers out simultaneously. It hasn't yet quite worked out like that this year and I'd already had five female flowers come and go - five nascent courgettes that weren't to be -  before the first male appeared. Even though the garden is awash with polinators, I nonetheless try to give fertilisation a little hand using a bird's feather to transfer pollen from male to the fruiting plant. All is not totally lost with the unfertilised fruits as generally I'm able to pick them before they start rotting and either chop and add to cooking, or thinly slice, pickle and use in salads. 

2) Summer fruits: strawberries and blueberries

There is something deeply satisfying about being able to pick your own breakfast. The blueberry was one of three potted plants that I rescued from mum's garden after she died in 2014. The strawberries are now in their second year. Both are producing beautifully intensely sweet fruits which go wonderfully with a bit of cruncy museli, some greek yoghurt and a good strong black coffee, all consumed sitting on the patio in the sun whilst listening to the birds chuntling in the backround. 

3) Lemon

It is nothing short of a miracle that the lemon tree, acquired last summer, survived the winter.  My "greenhouse" is  a small plastic affair that I use for seedlings in spring, and for over-wintering a potted Canna. Instead I decided that I'd bring the lemon inside, placing it beside a sunny door. At first it loved it, throwing up new shoots and flowers. Then, despite retular watering with rainwater, it started dropping leaves. Eventually it stabilised. It is happy now that it is back out on the patio getting a regular water and citrus feed. 

4) Crocosmia "Lucifer"

Lucifer is out and looking stunning with its deep red flowers dancing atop tall stems. I added supports this year which are working well which is good because the main clump had previously been rather unruly, flopping in the slightest wind or rain. . 

5) Clematis Princess Diana

This clematis is now in its second year and I have it growing up an obelisk in a part of the garden that faces east and is deeply shaded by towering sycamore trees just the other side of the fence. It is putting on a great show this year and appears not to have been as affected by greenfly as it was last year. 

 

6) Spirea Japonica Goldflame 

This was another impulse buy, this time at our local market. I was actually attracted by the golden/red young leaves which have now turned a lovely lime green and are topped with fluffy pink flowerheads. More to add to the "plants with year round interest" brigade. 

That's all for this week. Check out the participant guide if you want to join in.