Back from holidays, back to work for a week, normal service is resumed. Still a novelty round these parts, earlier this week we had some proper rain. It has rained on rare occasions since May, but not for long and not heavily. This rain was heavy and lasted for hours. Good, useful garden rain. Useful to the point of not needing to spend hours watering myself. That kind of useful. The forecast for the weekend is drab. Grey and overcast, but dry. Excellent gardening weather! Before all that, time for Six on Saturday. Six things, in the garden, on a Saturday. Could be anything! A flower, a pest, a failure, a disaster, wildlife, a plan, anything at all. Join in!
Here are my Six for this week.
1 – Clematis ‘Rebecca’ seed head, Having flowered profusely, this clematis has produced the usual seed heads. Up close, they are almost as fascinating as the flowers.
2 – Strobiles, or hops. The flowers of the hop plant are the part used in the brewing process for some types of beer. I have two of these plants now, one a division of the other, both growing up fences or trellis It’s a dwarf variety so doesn’t get above 6 or 7 feet.
3 – Gazanias. A while back I was kicking myself for not planning the patio pots. After the tulips died back, I hadn’t organised anything to go in the many pots I have knocking about. I half solved this by buying a few trays of annuals, including these gazania. Inertia got the better of me again, I only managed to plant about half of them up. Still, the patio is looking a little livelier now.
4 – Helenium autumnale. I have a few clumps of this around and about, generated by dividing the original few plants that I grew from seed. In past years they have been about 4′ tall, and with colours ranging from bright yellow to a mix of orangey reds. This year for reasons best know to the plants, they are a good 6′ tall and all are bright yellow. Perhaps they’ll colour up over the coming weeks. We shall see.
5 – Weeds. For a while the hot dry weather was keeping the weeds at bay on the drive in the front garden. A few weeks back I rigged up the irrigation system which waters the planters at the front of the house. The weeds have reacted with enthusiasm to the resulting leakage and are busy recolonising the drive. My usual remedy is to get the hoe and chop them off. They grow back again, but it only takes 10 minutes to clear out. A job for the weekend.
6 – Calendula ‘Snow Princess’. Probably not at its best in this photo, these were grown from seed this year. I don’t normally bother with annuals from seed, but this year have grown a few. I’m not convinced by these, not sure I’d do again.
Those are my Six, what are yours? If you’d like to join in, please do, just publish your post, twit your tweet, face your book, insta your gram, whatever, then pop a link to it below in the comments. If you also mention my blog in yours, that would be splendid. For more details, check out the brief participant guide.
Have a super gardening weekend, don’t forget to check in during the day as more links are added.
I’ll be back next week with another Six on Saturday.
Entertaining as ever! Here’s my Six for this week
https://pruneplantsow.wordpress.com/
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Happy Sunday! 🙂
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Sure is! Busy weeding and tidying.
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I am just crazy for clematis seedheads! I really think they are more beautiful than the flowers (although I love the flowers, too). My six come from the neighborhood this week, and I’m somewhat late posting (also forgot to comment here, pleasantly lost in looking at other people’s postings for the past couple of hours . . .) https://myownlittleallotment.wordpress.com/2018/08/19/six-on-saturday-august-18-2018/
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Hello again! Look forward to reading.
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Hello, hello! It’s only about 3:00pm on the west coast of the US, but somehow I feel tardy! I’m eager to read all the great posts this weekend to view others’ garden delights. Here’s my group — DAHLIAS, every one: https://gardensatcoppertop.com/2018/08/18/six-on-saturday-august-18/
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Afternoon! Still Saturday here, just about.
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I’m unfamiliar with most of those flowers, but I’m intimately acquainted with all those weeds. My six is, once again, about my squash and my latest revelation: https://stoneyknob.wordpress.com/2018/08/18/six-on-saturday-a-tale-of-two-or-three-squash/
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Weeds are a pain but goes with the territory. I don’t mind a bit of weeding actually. Therapeutic.
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I agree!
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I love seeing what everyone has in their gardens. I’m going to plan for next seasons by looking back and see what will look good in the Autumn and Spring.
Here are six from me, but not mine.
https://gardenersfridayforum.blogspot.com/2018/08/six-on-saturday.html
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Hello Linda. Yes it’s good to have a nose around. I have an ever lengthening list of plants to get…
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You seem to have settled back well and enjoying the garden. Here are my Six-on-Saturday. https://grannnysgarden229242407.wordpress.com/2018/08/18/six-on-saturday
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Yes all back to routine. Sort of.
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I hadn’t realised the Clematis seed heads could look so stunning!
I’ve broken the rules (again) this week, so here’s my Not-a-Six-on-Saturday – http://allotmenteering.co.uk/?p=324
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These ones are especially good. Not sure why.
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Your Heleniums are looking good. No open flowers on mine yet, despite being ‘Sahins Early’.
I planted a dwarf hop last year to accompany a Clematis up an obelisk. It looks okay but I’m a bit worried about the suckers that are coming up. I have visions of it coming up all over the place next year!
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Huh. My sahins started to flower weeks ago. The hop will spread a bit but not too bad.
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I also love Clematis seed heads – they’re much more intricate than the flowers themselves! Here’s my Six this week – we’re also happy to have had rain!
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Hey Chris. A distinctly autumnal feel to today’s weather.
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No SOS this week been enjoying Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly to much. Normal service next week.
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Excellent, enjoy!
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Glad to here you got over to the Isles of Scilly; magic place.
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An amazing place Jim. Will definitely be going back. This time longer..
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We’ve had that kind of useful rain too the last couple days – truly a blessing.
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It’s about time!
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Gazanias are wonderful, cheerful flowers. I love the clematis seed head with its serpentine swirls. Will you make some beer? Here are my six: http://janesmudgeegarden.com/sos-august-18/
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Nah can’t be bothered with making beer. Have some in the fridge already, made by pros (machines) in a craft, erm, factory.
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I’m so glad that I am not the only one fighting the pavers vs. weeds war. I just read a blog post about polymeric sand as a solution. Not sure if that is the answer for me. While I think about it, the spurge continues its assault.
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What does polymeric sand do? Is it a herbicide or something?
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I bought one of those Gazanias last year, but left it outside and the snow got it 😦 They are very bright and cheerful flowers. It feels like autumn here, grey and cloudy skies, rain showers, cool temperatures, and windy! Bring back summer!
Have a good weekend in the garden Prop xx
https://cornwallincolours.wordpress.com/2018/08/18/six-on-saturday-mid-august-edition/
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Yes you too.
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Patio washing… maybe.
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Here are my six. https://doesthisfontmakemelookfat.com/2018/08/18/six-on-saturday-now-i-know-why-august-18-2018/
Now I’m out to work in the garden before it gets too hot. Will read all the new posts later in the day.
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I am having a slow start to my weekend. Out in the garden shortly. It won’t get above 70°f here today. A distinctly autumnal feel to the weather.
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Love reading all the comments and enjoy your wit!! Here’s my six https://wp.me/p97pee-hz I’ve gone for my last clematis flower rather than all my twirly whirly seed heads. Like you some of my plants have grown to a great height – and in my garden they are now sprawling as I didn’t stake them. Interesting with the yellow heleniums – we will never know why! They look fab nevertheless.
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Morning. Famous for my shining wit, me. Something like that, anyway.
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Of course I love your clematis seed head photo! In this summer’s heat I see plenty of these beauties, but sparse flowering. Not the best year for clematis I’m afraid. Lots of crisp stems had to be removed.
My father used to tell tales of picking hops in his youth back in Alsace. Lots of work but low pay as they paid him by the weight of his baskets.
Today’s Six appear here: https://fromourisland.wordpress.com/2018/08/17/six-on-saturday-august-18-2018/
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Hmmmph. No-one pays me to prune the hops in the garden. Agree on clematis. It was better than last year for me as most of my plants are very young, but not as good as it might have been. As is so often the case with gardening, there’s always next year!
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Six star plants from me that seem to be doing very well in the garden this year
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Morning!
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That seedhead’s not one I’ve seen before – my clematis are all fluffy. Does it bush out later? Really like it. And the gazanias – one of my fav annuals. I think I have the same calendula in my garden & really love it. They all a variation on how brown the centre is. Some’ve been quite small – is that why you don’t like it? – but I’ve had some nice bushy ones w/tons of flowers as well. And I’ve been so wanting a hops – the smell, you know – but didn’t want another monster in the garden. Now you’ve taken away all my reasons for not buying another plant,. What an enabler of my bad habits! http://lorahughes.blogspot.com/2018/08/2-pumpkins-3-questions-4-glads-5-maybe.html
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That’s my primary purpose. No such thing as too many plants! One dwarf hop will cover a 6’x6′ fence panel or trellis.
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I love growing annuals. From seed to flower in a matter of weeks. I like your calendula – I grow it amongst my veg and it usually self seeds so watch out – it may reappear next year whether you like it or not. No six from me as I’m heading to Cornwall. Hoping to fit in some garden visits.
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Morning Katharine! Yes unjust grouching. No doubt I’ll grow more next year. Have a lovely time in Cornwall.
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Starting to get my neighbours clematis seeds growing through the fence. Lovely silver balls. My six https://30daysofwildparenting.wordpress.com/2018/08/18/six-on-saturday-18-8-18/
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Why thank you! Oh, I see. Your neighbour. Ahem.
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I have one that’s been in a year that is pitiful. Two more this year are taking off, whereas neighbours has become a beast in one season overflowing over my fence. Got a climbing rose my aide coming up through it. Should look nice eventually.
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Yes they take a couple of years to get going. First year sleep, second year creep, third year leap!
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At least your Heleniums are not sad and shrivelled like mine. We’ve had Gazanias every year for ages, none this year, and while you are thinking of giving up on annuals, I have a growing list (from SoS posts mostly) for next year. Judging anything on its performance this year is a bit unfair.
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I have watered the helenium a lot. Probably why they are so tall! I am just moaning about annuals. I shall do more next year, guaranteed flower power unlike many perennials which can take an age to get going.
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The helenium look very impressive. I may look out for the dwarf variety of hops. We have the standard variety of golden hops (initially dug up from my mum’s garden) but it gets too big and I’m constantly trying to keep it within bounds. It may have to go next year. I like the calendula! https://onemanandhisgardentrowel.wordpress.com/2018/08/18/six-on-saturday-18-august-2018/
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Good luck with getting rid of the hops! It’s a big old root system.
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Hmm, that will explain why it’s coming up in several places now along the bottom of the fence these days. Let battle commence!
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Hey, those are like my gazanias, except healthier. However, my weeds are MUCH healthier. Are those clematis seed clusters common? The native clematis makes impressive seed structures, and I know that some other specie do; but I would think that the fancier cultivars are too extensively bred to produce viable seed. It seems that they would not put so much effort into seed structures if there were not viable seed within.
Is Six on Saturday losing participants?
Here is mine – https://tonytomeo.com/2018/08/18/six-on-saturday-out-with-the-old/
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I reckon the seeds are good, yes. Might well be different from the parent if grown. Re participants, numbers may well have dipped over the summer, folks are busy with other stuff.
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Oh, of course. It is not as if gardens tend to themselves.
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I love your gazanias on the featured picture! I didn’t grow them this year but I regret. And great clematis seedhead picture !
Soon the homemade beer? 😁
My Six is here : https://fredgardenerblog.wordpress.com/2018/08/18/six-on-saturday-18-08/
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I have thought about making beer actually! Then I remember I can just buy it!
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Yeah I’m first! Gazania, helenium, hops and seed heads I love. Weeds, not so keen. Must rush off to Rosemoor and Rusty Duck tells me I have to be there very early (breakfast on the way) https://offtheedgegardening.com/2018/08/18/six-on-saturday-wise-words/
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Quick off the blocks this morning Gill! Enjoy Rosemore. You must tell us if they have Moreroses.
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They did! 😀
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