Six on Saturday 21-07-2018

Still no hosepipe ban here, so at no small cost bill-wise I have continued to douse the borders liberally with the needful. It is working in that the borders actually look pretty lush, and there’s even a decent amount of colour in the sunny borders. I must be doing something right. More on that in the next Border Patrol. For now, it’s time for another Six on Saturday, in which gardeners from the four corners of this celestial sphere wax lyrical about Six items in their garden. A flower, a pest, a favoured tool, a harvest, a failure, anything at all. Join in!

Here are my Six for this week.

1 – Coleus. Grown from seed this year. This plant is often used as a house-plant but I’m growing as an annual in patio containers. The foliage is the main attraction, coming as it does in technicolour variations.

2 – Blackfly.  The hot and dry weather conditions must suit our aphid brethren, I am seeing much more blackfly this year than in previous years. The broad beans were badly affected, and now I see them on dahlia stems and clematis too.  I’m using soapy water applied via a spray bottle. It seems to reduce the volume significantly, although doesn’t eradicate them.

3  – Tithonia ‘Red Torch’. A first for me this year, these annuals grow to 5 or 6 feet high, although I have heard some reach 8′ depending on the conditions. Until recently there was a lot of greenery but no flower action. Just in the last few days they have put out buds and finally flowers. A vivid orange-red, they certainly glow in the borders. They will compete with the nearby helenium for impact.

4 – Wisteria. A second flush. A first for the wisteria in my garden, it normally retires gracefully after the first set of flowers is done. I’m not sure if this is due to the hot and sunny conditions, or if it simply a factor of age – perhaps it is now established enough to always go again.  There are not as many flowers this time, perhaps 10%, but welcome enough.

5 – Rose ‘Rosy Madder’. Another second flush. This is the rose that opened my eyes, or rather nostrils, to the benefits of a rose with a good strong perfume. I’m looking forward to seeing and smelling this one again soon.

6 – Rain.  Not much rain, and of no real benefit to anything, but rain nonetheless. It’s been about 2 months since it last rained, pretty unusual for a British summer.  Yesterday it rained lightly then dried up almost immediately. But at least we have had a reminder of how it works, perhaps there will be more soon.

That’s my Six, what are yours? Join in! It doesn’t hurt. Just write your post, pop a suitable link in the comments down below and maybe mention this blog in yours. Simples.  Telepathy works too – just scrunch up your face and really think your Six out into the ether. Failing that, you can also use twitter, facebook, instagram etc, just remember to use the #SixOnSaturday tag.

Have a fab weekend, may it rain at convenient times, and don’t forget to check back in as more links get added.

I’ll be back next week for another #SixOnSaturday.