It has finally turned nippy out, last nights temperature dropped below freezing. It was a bit of a struggle to summon up the enthusiasm to go outside and take a few photos, but I managed. In my garden at least, it is slim pickings for interest at this time of year but I have managed to scrape a half-dozen together for this week’s Six on Saturday – Six things, in the garden, on a Saturday. Could be anything – a flower, a weed, a job to do, a success, a failure, a project, anything at all. Join in!
Here are my Six for this week.
1 – Staghorn sumac. Strictly speaking this is in next door’s garden. I don’t like it much, I prune a few overreaching branches from time to time. It is a sign of how total the lack of colour is in my garden that I am prepared to include this. The strange flower things are red which is not obvious from this photo.
2 – Wisteria bud. It will soon be time to give the wisteria its second prune. It is a very prolific plant, I noticed as I was taking this photo that just this year it has invaded the neighbours apple tree to the tune of about 20 feet.
3 – Angelica Gigas. Grown from seed this year this plant should come into its own next year, growing to 5 or 6 feet. The flowers are a purple umbellifer affair. I’ve not grown these before so am looking forward to seeing what they get up to.
4 – Dwarf hop. Not a dance step, rather a climbing plant. It’s dwarf only in relation to its much taller cousin – this one gets to about six feet. It is all dried out, I will prune it back this weekend.
5 – Nandina domestica. This shrub is a bit plain jane in the foliage department, it is not flashy like some nandina at this time of year. It is, however, permanently in either berry or flower or both.
6 – Eurybia divaricata. Formerly Aster divaricata but no more. Native to the eastern US, commonly known as white wood aster, it is shade tolerant. I grew these from seed this year, the resulting plants are dotted about. I wasn’t expecting much this year and in general they have lived up to my low expectations. One plant though has made a small effort, sporting two somewhat faded flowers. Next year I hope they will all be festooned with white flowers in August or September time.
Those are my Six, what, pray tell, are yours? If you’d like to join in, just publish your post and pop a link to it below in the comments. If you also mention my blog in yours that would be swell. For more details and for other ways to take part, please have a read of the brief participant guide.
Have a super weekend, hope you get out in the garden at least for a while. Don’t forget to check back in as more links get added during the day.
I’ll be back next weekend with 2018’s penultimate #SixOnSaturday.
I am very interested to see your Eurybia divaricata from seed as I’ve been eyeing up the plant online after seeing them looking wonderful at RHS Hyde Hall this year. Where did you buy your seeds from? Your Angelica gigas looks very healthy, I will look forward to seeing the flower next year! Here are my Six: https://wp.me/pM8Y1-7hx
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The seed came via the HPS seed scheme.
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Love the Nandina! It is one plant you can just about always count on!
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I’ve never heard of a white wood aster so I looked it up. It’s native to the eastern US and it likes dry shade. Perfect for my yard! I ordered a packet of seeds from a nursery on Etsy. Thank you for the inspiration!
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Great! Good luck with the seeds.
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I’m jealous of your Nandina. I have two. For the moment. One has a couple of red leaves. Everything else is green and berryless. And always has been. Check that sumac below ground. You may come to dislike it even more if it starts suckering in your borders. Having finally beaten the new WordPress editor (by going back to the old one), I’ve managed a post this evening over at https://rivendellgarden.blog/?p=3936.
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The sumac is hemmed in by 12 in concrete gravel board buried on the fenceline. Should be ok.
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The link to my Six doesn’t seem to be working but the post is at the top of the recent post list. I’ll try again just for good luck
https://thequiltinggardener.wordpress.com/2018/12/15/six-on-saturday-15-12-18/
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In the autumn I always get Rhus typhina envy, those leaves, the candlesticks!!! Then I remember how much it suckers. Love the Nandina berries. Do the birds eat them?
https://thequiltinggardener.wordpress.com/2018/12/15/six-on-saturday-15-12-18/
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No the birds seem to leave them alone.
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For good reason. They’re toxic.
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Here is my SOS! Be back in a bit to read them all………I’m dealing with no hot water at present!
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Ooh not a good time of year to be without hot water.
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Yeah and I have a house full of folks coming for the Holidays starting tonight! OMG!!!!’n
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Love those nandina berries, worth growing it for those alone. One of the problems of growing from seed is that sometimes it is a wait until the plants are up to speed. I am a fan of that aster (yes I said aster!) I’m sure it will be stunning next year (or the year after). Here are mine, keep warm! https://offtheedgegardening.com/2018/12/15/six-on-saturday-if-you-think-i-am-going-out-in-that-youve-got-another-thing-coming/ Now what has everyone else been up to ……
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Yes despite being generally impatient I seem able to accept that I most likely won’t get a worthwhile show in first year.
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I like the Nandina domestica. If it always has berries or flowers would it grow well in a pot as part of a display?
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You can get smaller varieties. Mine is 5 or so feet tall, bit big for a container is say.
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Afternoon. Still recovering from the works Christmas party on Thursday night anf it is Baltic outside, Looks like another blog free week from me this weekend
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I lied. This was a bit if a struggle I have to admit with a 2 day hangover and the freezing weather. sedumsdahliasandhayfever.com/2018/12/15/six-on-saturday-15th-december-2018-brass-monkey-edition/
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Good work!
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Glad you have some greenery left to show us. It’s all neutral colors here and that’s really pretty ugly unless covered with the beauty of snow. I’ll have to remember that next time we get a few inches.
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Yes it is fairly drab here too. Must get some winter interest in my garden.
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Please put up some garden snow pics when it happens!
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I love Rhus typhina, Sumac! Great shrub/tree. You can just cut them to the ground if they get too big. I think the spice is made from their dried and ground seedheads. Here’s mine:https://timhewittgardener.com/2018/12/15/its-beginning-to-feel-a-lot-like-six-on-a-saturday-15-12-18/
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Maybe I’ll nip next door and cut theirs down to the ground…
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I thought your wisteria bud was a slug! The white wood aster is so pretty, I hope it does well next year. I am completely taken by nandina domestica, googled it, saw it’s common name is heavenly bamboo, had second thoughts but then read on and was reassured.
It’s on the wish list. Here’s my link https://wp.me/p97pee-kh
I’ve also addressed a grave omission – I couldn’t understand why your blog wasn’t coming up in my reader header – but it seems I wasn’t following you! How could that be? All is well now 🙂
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What!!!???? Outrageous.
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I have loads of sumac (and the room to let it spread, thankfully)
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…and love its red autumn leaves and berries (from which tea can be made) i included it as well this week!
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They do spread themselves about. Glad I don’t have one, don’t have the patience or space for that.
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Very much not shorts weather here.
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I’m interested in the sumac. We have a very nice spice called sumac. Do you think it’s the same thing? Your Nandina berries are jolly and Christmassy, perfect for a decoration. Plain Jane? No such thing!
Here are my six:http://janesmudgeegarden.com/rain-and-dust-sos-december-15/
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Not sure if it’s the same sumac.
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Is the sumac Staghorn the same as rhus typhina? In this case it’s the same as mine and it was all red until last week. The frost has changed its color to a brownish red now … A little jealous of your Nandina berries … mine has only red leaves and no berries in 2 years … weird.
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Yes that’s the one. It’s called staghorn because the branches are velvet like a deer’s antlers.
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good to know (the resemblance)
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Here are my Six for this Saturday – I will be back later to read all the SoS blog posts later
I will sit down with a nice cuppa tea and a piece of panettone this afternoon and take a leisurely hour reading as an ‘armchair’ gardener 🙂
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Very wise. Unfortunately I have a compost heap to build. Should keep me warm.
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Indefatigable! I’m waiting for my friendly builder to knock my old one down. Although I couldn’t resist knocking off the top couple of layers that were half falling down already. Enjoy.
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I have always quite fancied a Sumac. In autumn I spot them everywhere in others’ gardens and the foliage colour is fabulous. It’s nice you can borrow the colour from next door.
I’m letting the side down again this week and no six. Christmas has well and truly trampled on my free time. Still I’ll hope to read everyone else’s contributions.
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Yes I’m happy to observe from afar. Wouldn’t want one.
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I’m surprised the Sumach doesn’t sucker in your garden, can be a bit of a thug. I think I prefer the foliage of plain Nandina species to the coloured forms, their foliage is usually distorted and looks like it’s been attacked by something. I discovered this year (on someone else’s plant!) that you can prune it hard if it gets straggly. Fruits better too. https://wp.me/p6bCCa-1Ji
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It does sucker but I have concrete gravel boards buried between fence posts. No sign of it coming through yet.
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The berries of the Nandina domestica are impressive. My clematis montana made it into the neighbour’s pyracantha this year. I chopped the wayward clematis back but I don’t think it’s a battle I’ll win. Still, the neighbours will get to benefit when it flowers… whether they like it or not! https://onemanandhisgardentrowel.wordpress.com/2018/12/15/six-on-saturday-15-december-2018-2/
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Yes that’s another good grower. I have two I planted this year, they are already enormous. They should cover the wall in a year or two.
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We are all going to be reprimanded by John K if we keep saying there is no colour in the garden……. “Green is a colour.” …. I quote. Anyway here is my Six-on-Saturday, have a good weekend.
https://grannysgarden229242407.wordpress.com/2018/12/15/six-on-saturday
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Definitely on the drab side here…
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https://tonytomeo.com/2018/12/15/six-on-saturday-deodar-cedar-migration/ Here are mine.
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Is staghorn sumac planted intentionally, or is is a native? Is it Rhus typhina from northeastern North America?
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Yes that’s the one. Not native here, must have been planted deliberately.
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That is an odd choice. . . . but then, I am not familiar with it. The only sumac that is native here is poison oak.
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Meanwhile it is all about shorts and sunshine down here….https://basia329.wordpress.com/2018/12/15/six-on-saturday-6/
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Not shorts weather here.
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Goodness, don’t tell me I’m the first today? I’m really envious of your hops, rather like the little wood aster and would have it in my garden and I’m not at all envious of your temperatures. We’re farmers though, and any farmer loves freeze and frost as it’s nature’s way of cleaning up pests.
After a couple of weeks off SoS, today I managed to put 6 together. Here goes: http://pruebatten.com/2018/12/15/sos-151218/ Many thanks for a lovely read.
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Yes it’s nice to get some more seasonal weather. My parsnips need a bit of frost to sweeten up…
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Same with swedes – frosts make for wonderfully sweet swedes. Now there’s a mouthful!
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Nice to see you’ve still got some colour with the berries and asters flowering. I’m mainly dreaming of Spring colour, though hellebores are starting to flower nicely. https://wp.me/p7AXpE-2iG
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Must get some hellebores, never seen to get around to it.
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I’ve failed with them a few times, but this time I think there in the right position and condition to thrive. Previously I had them in full sun and surrounded by plants with different needs. Hopefully lesson learned.
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