We continue our gentle descent into Autumn, with cold clear nights and warm days, but today it is beautiful weather. I have not yet had any frost, that typically waits till mid-October round here, but it has been cold enough to keep the greenhouse door closed overnight and some fleece cover has gone on some of the veg. #1 Child was deposited safely at University in Nottingham last weekend. I’d like to say it was an emotional parting but really, he couldn’t wait to get rid of us! Such is life. Anyhow, time for Six on Saturday – Six things, in the garden, on a Saturday. Could be anything – a flower, a tool, a plan, a failure, a pest, foliage, a close-up, anything at all. Join in!
Here are my Six for this week.
1 – Seedheads, Cosmos sulphureous – I picked these off the plants after some rain last weekend and left in the shed to dry. On inspection yesterday, they had dried out nicely and opened out. Each of the dark spiky articles sticking out of the seedhead is the end of a seed. They either drop out, or can be eased out with a gentle tug. The one on the right has been stripped of seeds. I will have plenty of seed for me next year and will send the rest off to the Hardy Plant Society seed scheme.
2 – Dahlia, ‘Bishops Children’. In my head, the name for this flower is always accompanied by a parenthetical “naughty Bishop”. I grew these from seed a couple of years back, this is their 3rd summer in the ground. I must grow some different dahlia from seed, these were very easy. They get to knee high, in several colours ranging from yellow through orange, red and purple.
3 – Geranium ‘Orion’ – One of several hardy geraniums I bought in a recent rescue bench purchase. It is popping up the occasional last flower. I need to find somewhere to plant it and its friends. Judging by my recent survey of the borders, I should have plenty of places for it.
4 – Nicotiana sylvestris (again…) – I grew these from seed last year and decided I didn’t like them. I clearly didn’t clear them or deadhead effectively, I have some that have self-seeded. I didn’t intercept them when smaller as I had planted some angelica nearby and assumed that’s what they were. In fact they are smothering the angelica, so they will be removed. Maybe after they have finished flowering.
5 – Polystichum neolobatum, Asian Sabre Fern. One of 15 I bought earlier this year. It is small now, but should get to 60cm eventually. It is hardy and evergreen, so should form a permanent feature in the top tier of the living wall where it now lives.
6 – Crocus bulbs. The autumn bulb frenzy has begun. I have taken delivery of some tulips, snowdrops and these crocuses (croci?). They are a mixed bag of 100 that I will spread liberally in select areas of the garden. I’m not sure precisely where – some may go under the lawn, some in pots, some at the edges of borders. The snowdrops and crocus need to go in before it gets too cold, this weekend maybe; the tulips will wait until November. I don’t have any crocus or snowdrops in my garden, so this is the start of something that I’ll develop over the years.
Those are my Six, what are yours? Do give it a go, just publish your post and drop a link into the comments below, and maybe mention my blog in yours. I look forward to reading them all and will do my best to comment in due course.
Have a fabulous weekend, good luck with your gardening to-do list, and don’t forget to check back in during the day as more links get added.
I’ll be back next weekend with another #SixOnSaturday.
It’ snowing up here! That is a lovely photo of the Geranium. No six from me normal service will resume next week.
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Fab, although you seem to have commented on a post from last month!
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Eh really?
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i’m very sorry I’m late because my scheduling didn’t work 😦 but it was our first wedding anniversary too – here it is – hope it’s ok some wedding flowers too 🙂 love Bec
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No apology necssary, congratulations
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thank you John 🙂
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I love the look of the fern and it’s so lovely to see the sun shining in your photos, or at least it looks as though it is. I know I’ve bought Orion at times but goodness knows where it’s gone to. Lovely blog.
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Yes it was nice and sunny on Friday when I took these photos. Beautiful early autumn day.
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I grew some yellow Cosmos this year, they were very variable. The best is a big plant covered in flowers, the worst didn’t have a single flower. The rest were somewhere in between. Is that usual?
Here is my six for the week: https://www.parabola.me.uk/blog/2018/Sep/six-on-saturday-29th-sep/
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Hello Everyone! Late, but here are mine!
https://thepotter973907073.wordpress.com
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Evening!
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I can’t wait for my bulbs to arrive either! My favorite this week was the Asian Sabre Fern. What is the Rescued Bench project? And I loved your Border Patrol too. I may need to revamp my borders, again! I had two SOS today because I wanted to keep up with the travels in order. Ha Ha! https://thecadyluckleedy.com/2018/09/29/six-on-saturday-in-nice-france/ and https://thecadyluckleedy.com/2018/09/29/six-on-saturday-in-portofino-italy/
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The rescue bench? That’s just what I call the area in my local garden centre where they put the reduced price plants. Aka pity bench.
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Oh! I thought it was a bench that people donated to to rescue it from demolition! Ha Ha! The way my mind works!
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I’ve been collecting a few seed heads today but my cosmos are still flowering away! What lovely weather we are having! Long may it continue.
https://oldhouseintheshires.com/2018/09/29/six-on-saturday-its-officially-autumn/
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Oh yes still plenty of flowers,just evidence of my inadequate dead heading!
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No six from me this week as I haven’t managed to get out into the garden due to it being full of building ‘stuff’. I do manage a few minutes every evening to reassure the plants especially those with ladders and planks of wood leaning against them. Collateral damage so far: one fuchsia broken and one geranium trodden on. Luckily I have more fuchsias and this one was in the wrong place anyway and I am sure the geranium will survive. Good luck with the bulb planting. Crocuses are lovely to have in the ground. I have bulbs sitting waiting for the builders to finish so I can get out there and start planting!
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I hear you. This time 6 years ago the entire back garden was a builders yard as we had the house more or less rebuilt but bigger.
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It is amazing how much stuff is strewn across the garden, but they have been very good with the plants on the whole.
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Love that fern! Is it evergreen? I agree about dahlias from seed, so easy and you never quite know what you are going to get, which is great! Here is my contribution, hope you enjoy it https://offtheedgegardening.com/2018/09/29/six-on-saturday-happy-holidays/
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Yes, fully hardy and evergreen to boot.
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Geranium ‘Orion’ is an excellent rescue plant. Fancy leaving that one to be adopted! The sale benches are quite full at Bents Garden Centre at the moment, but I didn’t see any geraniums. They had just cut those back and left them on their full priced benches.
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Yes wyvale did the same but they obviously didn’t sell like that. I’ve been keeping my out for a few weeks.
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Hi everyone. I’ve cheated this weekend, but hope you can tolerate this! https://theoptimisticgardener.wordpress.com/2018/09/29/cheat-6-on-saturday-29-09-2018/
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Cheating eh? We’ll see about that…
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Oooh! Don’t tell me off…. 😉
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Still waiting for my bulb order to arrive, although I have picked up a few bags of Narcissus, snowdrops, and Puschkinia at the local garden center. Planting will wait until the temperature and humidity drop off a little.
After seven weeks away, I finally got a Six on Saturday put together.
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Hello! All well after H. Florence?
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Yes. Thanks for asking We had one exciting morning of flash flooding when the storm moved north, but nothing like the coastal areas. The normally trickling stream covered the gravel road leading into our neighborhood, but it dropped within a few hours (leaving much of the road surface scattered through the woods)..
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Excellent, glad go hear it.
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Enjoying the fern and bulb conversations above. The worst thing is digging into a bulb…! I hope to plant a bag full of bulbs next week, BEFORE my bulb order arrives. Never enough bulbs!
Today we have a plant sale and I’ll be taking them some orange Crocosmia and perhaps an anemic yellow wallflower.
My (generous) six: https://fromourisland.wordpress.com/2018/09/28/six-on-saturdayseptember-29-2018/
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I haven’t quite managed to plant any today. Tomorrow perhaps…
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Looking at everyones dahlia’s I feel I should give some a chance next year. This weeks six planning the patio. https://30daysofwildparenting.wordpress.com/2018/09/29/six-on-saturday-29-9-18-patio-plants/
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Yeah sod peace, give dahlias a chance.
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So many gardener bloggers participating this week so early in the day! It’s going to be a perfect weekend over here… for gardening and for racing! Good luck with yours!!!
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Yes you too. My back is giving me grief,I hope it loosens up while I’m running. Weather is fab here as well, it should be a nice run,the race is in the grounds of Windsor castle. I am expecting the queen herself to cheer me along.
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Well. If she knows you’re running of course she’ll be there!
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I’ll accept the duchess of Sussex as an alternative.
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Hello everyone,
It’s great to see the seasons changing in all these beautiful gardens.
I love those seedheads and the bag of bulbs is a great reminder that it’s time to get planning and planting for spring… But I’m taking stock before cracking on, and so here’s six from my Somerset garden on a sunny Saturday morning.
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Taking stock is a good idea.
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I’m tardier than usual with my posting as I had a child with four lots of homework using my computer! Interesting to hear you share you seeds at the HPS – I’d like to look into that. Here are my six including a radical prune of a guava plant.https://www.teabreakgardener.co.uk/my-gardening-week-six-on-saturday-29-09-18/
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It’s a great scheme. Worth looking at. Last year there were over 2000 seed varieties listed. If you donate you get to choose extra seeds!
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Lovely fern. I want one. I can only dream of the blissful state that waving my daughter off to university would bring about. Only another decade to go. Here’s mine: https://timhewittgardener.com/2018/09/29/six-on-saturday-29-9-18/
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Blissful but expensive!
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Here are my six. Still very wet in the garden hence the photo of my boots.
https://doesthisfontmakemelookfat.com/2018/09/29/six-on-saturday-these-boots-are-made-for-gardening-september-29-2018/
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We had proper rain last weekend but it’s been beautiful autumn weather since then.
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Oh rats! I was going to feature my self seeded Nicotiana (Lime Green) this week, but decided to save it for next week. Like yours, it’s hung in from last year. Maybe I’ll show it, maybe I won’t! A lovely six. I’d put the geranium in next to the dahlia, but then next year they probably won’t flower at the same time! Inspiring to have grown the dahlia from seed. Here’s mine https://wp.me/p97pee-iq
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Don’t let my weedy white nicotiana stop you!
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Six on Saturday! I’ve just discovered your blog and think it’s a lovely idea. Here in Tasmania in the far south of the Antipodes (temperate gardens), it’s spring and I’m just taking stock of what I need to do for summer and what’s to come. Today, in my little townhouse garden I planted 1. Lamium 2. White dicentra. 3. Viola Hederacea 4. Lace fern 5. Italian parsley 6. Cosmos bipinnatus ‘Sonata White’. As you can see, I fancy Sissinghurst and white gardens. Thank you for a great blog!
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Hello Prue, thanks. if you ever feel inclined to share your Tasmanian garden we’d love to have a nose around!
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Oh thank you for the offer. I actually did a post on yesterday’s garden in The Matchbox, but its just pictorial and much more than six! I got snap happy!
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Hi Mr P, funny thing about offspring. They seem to cut the apron strings with such ease, but when they need you suddenly….. I like your six. I don’t think you said anything about the top photo which is smashing. I have had no luck with crocuses: must be the wrong kind of climate. Here are my six: http://janesmudgeegarden.com/bounteous-sos-september-29/
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Yes i should have said. The top photo is a close up of the centre of the dahlia.
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‘Orion’ is lovely! Here are my six from Trengwainton Garden, Cornwall https://gardenvisitor106455000.wordpress.com/2018/09/29/six-from-trengwainton-garden-cornwall/
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Yes I’m looking forward to getting it planted and seeing it do it’s thing. I might divide it first…
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Morning Jon! Nice Six, especially the 2 pictures of the fern and dahlia. Benefit from having a kid at University who hates alcohol … I’m sure everything is fine with the car and at late-night parties …
Here is mine : https://fredgardenerblog.wordpress.com/2018/09/29/six-on-saturday-29-09/
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“Hates alcohol” = “doesn’t like it yet”.
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😄Maybe someday… I started when I was 20 too… ( “avec modération” as we say here)
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Avec modération is not something British students are known for. Mind you, I think this generation is more sensible than mine was. Booze is more expensive now for a start!
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Oops, like Christopher Robin, I forgot something. https://lorahughes.blogspot.com/2018/09/wicked-unrest.html
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I wait ’til my cosmos sulphureous (which you & Fred helped me to ID) seed heads get a spiky hairdo before I take the seeds. Probably means there’s some massive self seeding going on at my place. Never imaged a place in all of the UK that didn’t have snowdrops! How singular of you, but so glad you’ve remedied that situation. And that fern . . . I once thought ferns rather boring, but have slowly remedied THAT situation. Lovely Six. Hope #1 kid is doing well. How’re the sibs taking it?
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He is doing fine, having quickly discovered that excessive gin consumption is not conducive to wellbeing in the short term. The others are living vicariously via his Instagram and Snapchat blah blah feeds. I daren’t look.
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Wise.
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Morning Jon this week yet more succulents and a rampant Erysimum https://sedumsdahliasandhayfever.com/2018/09/29/six-in-saturday-29th-september-2018/
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Rampant! Sounds very kinetic. Look forward to it.
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I planted my New Croci last week. Will plant last years crop soon..
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Did you lift your crocus bulbs?
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Only the ones in pots as I wanted to use the pots…
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Got it ok.
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My fern book describes Polystichum neolobatum as a “true aristocrat” and I’ve never heard of it, let alone seen it for sale. Onto the wanted list. Still haven’t got my bulb order in, must crack on with that. Here’s my six: https://wp.me/p6bCCa-1Fg
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I got it from an Irish supplier. Shadyplants.ie
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I’d almost rather you hadn’t told me that, it’s sure to be costly.
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You’ll thank me later.
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Great Six as always. Love the glossy leaf of the fern. I’ve several to plant in a border I’m going to change around but the annuals in there are still looking too good to strip out. Seeds and bulbs – all that potential! It makes me feel so positive.
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Yes my head is turning to next year already. Can we just skip the next 4 or 5 months?
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My first time doing Six on Saturday. Love the dahlia!
https://basia329.wordpress.com/2018/09/29/six-on-saturday/
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Hello! Welcome to the gang, hope to see you again soon. Look forward to reading.
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You are an inspiration. Here in the Antipodes, the humid temperate/sub-tropical part, much of your gardening wouldn’t work. Nonetheless I enjoy your offerings. Best wishes.
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Hello Fran! Thanks, it is interesting looking at gardens in a different climate. In fact, we’d all love to have a nose round your garden. Why not join in?
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Hello! I’m a fan of your Orion, being a sucker for magenta and purple hardy geraniums in general. Just bought a nice group of Anne Folkard on a sale table, but not sure you have that variety there, Fall is in the air here on the west coast of the U.S. Glad we have something beautiful to look forward to… My Six –https://gardensatcoppertop.com/2018/09/29/six-on-saturday-september-29/
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I have become a big fan of hardy geraniums in the last year. A good do-er.
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https://wordpress.com/view/gardensatcoppertop.com
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That fern is lovely. I started off well with my bulb planting a number of weeks ago and then bought some more packs and haven’t decided where to put them yet. I suspect I’m going to end up accidently digging up most of the first batch as I can never remember where I’ve put the things https://onemanandhisgardentrowel.wordpress.com/2018/09/29/six-on-saturday-29-september-2018/
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Yes that is a challenge with bulbs. Last year I marked alliums with a piece of bamboo cane. Groups of bulbs I marked with a plant label like the other plants. Gives me a clue at least. If you want to be really organised, a bulb plan is a good idea. Have never got around to It myself.
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oh I love the fern! I also included seedheads because they are just so beautiful and delicate. I also love the brown heads of hydrangea flowers as they slowly decay and you can see the webbing structure of the flowerhead. Bulb frenzy hasn’t quite hit us yet but I see a sack of daffodils in our future 🙂 My six are here and thank you for another wonderful post! http://www.cottagenotebook.ie/grow-six-on-saturday-lets-celebrate/
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Morning Nadia, it’s a beautiful morning here, perfect for gardening. Instead I need to watch U16 football.
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I did not know that anyone grew Cosmos sulphureous anymore. I have not heard that name in years. I do not remember much about it. It seems like we grew it as a short term perennial, but I really donot remember.
Naughty bishop!
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First time I’ve grown it this year. It is a little different from the more muted colour cosmos typically grown here. It flowers profusely and they are a vibrant colour. I like em.
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I suppose they are a bright color. I think of them as soft yellow, but that is because I compare them to other yellow or orange flowers, rather than to other cosmos, which are pastel colors.
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tonytomeo.com/2018/09/29/six-on-saturday-beat-box/
Okay, so mine are not as pretty as the rest again. There are only three so far. There are no flowers in my downtown planter box right now, and I wanted to feature the planter box.
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Let’s try this again.
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Love that dahlia and the slightly risqué name. Your geranium is very vibrant too. It’s definitely the time of year for border surveys. I have lots of gaps. Here’s my six this week:
https://carrotsandcalendula.co.uk/2018/09/29/six-on-saturday-last-fling/
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Morning, yes good to reflect and adjust.
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Good morning. It’s a beautiful start to the day here and although our garden is clear, the cemetery we back on to is “white over”… rather pretty! Glad #1 grandson is safely settled – I bet the house seems much bigger without him! Here are my, rather predictable, Six-on-Saturday.
https://grannysgarden229242407.wordpress.com/2018/09/29/six-on-saturday
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Morning, chilly but very sunny and bright here. Our rate of food consumption is certainly lower…
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