It’s already chilly out first thing, I wonder how long it will be before the first good frost. Yesterday was the Autumnal Equinox, so at least in the Northern Hemisphere, we can say that the nights are officially drawing in. I might have to concede that Summer is over. Still, time for this week’s edition of Six on Saturday. Six things, in the garden, on a Saturday. Could be anything. A good flower, a pest, a success, a failure, a project to be done. Anything at all in your garden. Why not join in?
Here’s my Six.
1. Salvia ‘hot lips’. I have lusted after one of these all year having tried to propagate from a neighbours plant. I failed, but recently managed to buy one for bargain price. I have, of course, taken cuttings so hopefully I’ll have a few next year. It is more or less done flowering but here’s why I like it. That, and the smell of the foliage, very reminiscent of Ribena.
2. Cosmos ‘rubenza’. Still lots of flowers on this one plant – the only one of any note from this batch of seeds that survived to make a good plant. I’ll be trying again next year.
3. Dahlia ‘bishop’s children’. These have been flowering gamely for months. I last featured them in a Six post in July, they are still going strong with plenty of new buds. Frequent dead heading is required to get a continuous stream of flowers. Some have dark, almost purple, foliage, some have your basic green, and there is a variety in the flower colour.
4. Daffodil bulbs. I’m a bit of a bulb magpie at the moment – I can’t resist. These two sacks were on offer in The Range, 150 bulbs for £8 total. I look forward to seeing these come through in the dark cold days of February. I look forward to planting them a little less.
5. Collected seed heads. It’s that time of year. I harvested these pods and seed heads last weekend, they have been drying off in the shed ever since. I will extract and store the seeds this weekend.
6. Chilli ‘Razzmatazz’. I ended up with 10 or so of these plants, I must vary my chilli seed purchasing for next year. Anyhow, purple chillies! What’s not to like? I’m going to try to overwinter a couple of plants, apparently they will fruit even more next year.
So that’s my Six for this week. What are yours? If you’d like to participate, please do, just add a comment with a link to your post, and maybe add a link back to this blog to your post. For more details, please see the participants’ guide. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!
I’ll be back next Saturday with another Six.
Salvia ‘Hot Lips’ has overwintered in my sister’s garden in North Devon and gets huge. I have some bright red dark leaved forms of Dahlia ‘Bishops Children’, all the seedlings came out the same colour! These have successfully overwintered in my North Devon garden. I just love your Cosmos ‘rubenza’, I have grown ‘Dazzler’ this year which has been great. No six from me this week as I was away, but ideas on what to do next Saturday.
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Is the party still on? Or am I standing alone among the saturday night dregs?
Here’s my six: https://thepropagatorblog.wordpress.com/2017/09/23/six-on-saturday-23-09/
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Aha, wondered where you got to. Yep you are a party of one now, maybe helping the host to clear up on the morning after! By the way, the link you have given is to my blog post not yours. Just add another comment with the right link. 🇮🇳
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My Salvia ‘hot lips’ has a few all white flowers at the moment, but I had to check if the leaves smelled of Ribena – and indeed they do, how amazing… my ‘radio red’ is similar too, but ‘wendys wish’ doesn’t smell of anything to me. Here are my six for today: http://www.parabola.me.uk/blog/2017/Sep/saturday-six/
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I made it. Here are my six: https://sweetgumandpines.wordpress.com/2017/09/23/six-on-saturday-11-in-haste/
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Never in doubt.
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Nice selections! The dahlias are my favorite but chilis are right there with the dahlias at this time of year. Someday I’d like enough room to grow out a whole packet of the Bishop’s children. I can’t imagine any combination which wouldn’t look good.
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Cheers. I think I ended up overwintering maybe 10 tubers tops, so I didn’t have many plants that made it from seed to garden. I grew some more this year from cuttings so I have plenty now, front and back gardens. They are a good do-er, I think.
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So were the Bishop’s Children bought seed or saved from Bishops? I’ve been pleased with plants from seed I saved from one of my named varieties, see blog. My six are https://gardenruminations.wordpress.com/2017/09/23/six-on-saturday-2392017/
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Bought seed. 1 packet. I also raised a few from cuttings this year. I might let one of my bigger blousier dahlias run to seed this year, give it a try.
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My six for today: https://fromourisland.wordpress.com/2017/09/22/six-on-saturday-september-23-2017/
Now to go read the others!
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A return Six from Carolee over at herbal blessings. http://wp.me/p6wwxj-1y4
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Gorgeous chilli peppers! Here are my six for today: https://thepaintinggardener.wordpress.com/2017/09/23/six-on-saturday-september-23/. They’re a little heavy on roses, but that’s what I’ve got right now.
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Who could possibly object to roses.
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Will you over winter Bishop’s Children or start again next year? You have some lovely selections! I sorted all my seed out today, making room for new, I can’t wait to get sowing again. I’m also trying to over-winter some chillis. What are these purple ones like? Hot? Anyway here is my effort, hope you enjoy it. https://offtheedgegardening.com/2017/09/23/six-on-saturday-still-waiting/
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I overwintered a few tubers last time round but mow I have more,having taken cuttings in the spring. I’ll lift some and leave some in. I’ll probably get away with it especially if I mulch em. Haven’t tried the chillies yet. Must pick some.
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I’ve got tuplips to plant. Still more to order and a border to extend to plant them in but I don’t think i’m going to match your quantities!! Here’s my blog this week. http://wp.me/p97pee-4K Enjoy and happy gardening wherever you are based.
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I’ll confess to a little buyers remorse. Have another 80 tulips on the way.
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Start doing the back and knee exercises!!
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It’s so warm here, with temperatures in the 90’s and a forecast of at least 10 more days of the same. Totally forgot about planting bulbs! Thanks for the reminder. Here are my six https://auntjoannblog.com/2017/09/23/six-on-saturday/
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It is distinctly autumnal here in the south of England. 55 tops today, in old money. First Six post, right?Welcome!
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Thank you! I’m enjoying and learning from you.
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Agree John you can’t beat a few salvias in the garden, still waiting for the bulbs to come, I may of ordered too many but that’s what we tend to do isn’t, great 6 again though Jonathan 😀
Here’s my little effort this week https://thomasdstone.blog/2017/09/23/6-on-saturday-230917/
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Salvia Hot Lips is a funny plant – if it’s too hot or too cold it forgets to put the makeup on and flowers plain old white. Mine have spent most of the summer sans makeup. I’ve added a few other supposedly hardy varieties to the bed so hope for more variety next year. My six “new” dahlias have done ok this year so I’ll get another six next spring, probably the biggest, blousiest cactus types I can find. Enjoy planting those bulbs; hope you’ve got knee pads. 🙂
My six is over at https://rivendellgarden.blog/?p=2512. Some genealogy is involved.
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I love that about Hot Lips – in summer when everything’s bright you get the red petals and then in Autumn they calm it down to match the more muted tones in the garden
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My hot lips also makes all-red flowers at odd intervals. It currently has a mix of all-white and all-red flowers with just one or two of the bicolored.
I had never thought of its fragrance in terms of ribena before, but I just crushed up a few leaves and took a sniff and…yes, it is definitely reminiscent. Another reason to like it.
Not sure if I will get six posted today. Might have some time later this afternoon.
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Hmm well. This one is new to me but has been bi-coloured throughout. We’ll see next year. I have heard that it can’t make it’s mind up if the weather is off.
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