Snow! Just a little bit, a few cm, but snow! It’s all gone now but the garden was briefly blanketed in white. It’s quite considerate of it to have disappeared before the weekend, should mean I can get some gardening in. I have a bit of weeding to do in the front garden. An hour or two spent dealing with it now will save me several times that if left till warmer weather arrives. Time for Six on Saturday then. Six things, in the garden, on a Saturday. Could be anything – wildlife, a tool, a flower, growth, a job completed, a job unfinished, anything at all. Join in!
Here are my Six for this week…
1 – Ivy Berries. I know for sure the local blackbird population is partial to an ivy berry, I watched one peck at a cluster like this and polish off the lot in no time. For all it’s several faults, this ivy thicket certainly pushes the boat out at the end of the year. First we have the welcome nectar-rich flowers, available long after much of the rest of the garden is kaput, but also the berries for the boids. It’s the gift that keeps on giving.
2 – Astrantia major x ‘ruby wedding’. At least, that’s if you believe the nearby label. I guess we’ll find out later in the year. Whatever it is, it seems to have settled in nicely since growing from seed last year. This flush of new growth is one of several emerging from the crown. For some reason I find astrantia quite tricksy to grow from seed. I find very few germinate and then very few of those survive to grow on. Despite this I appear to have included one or two kinds in my seed orders this year.
3 – Cheapo snowdrop, unfurling. Around October time I bought 100 snowdrop bulbs for under a fiver – just your bog standard snowdrop, nothing fancy. I planted them all in the lawn, something I may come to curse if they stick around into mowing season. They are just beginning to come through.
4 – Allium ‘Mount Everest’, roots. The three dozen alliums I have in 7cm pots are more or less all through now, and all are putting on a decent set of roots. I am looking forward to planting these out in the borders, not least because I will soon need the space in the greenhouse.
5 – Raspberry beds. I have been without raspberries for a few years now. I had a stand of autumn fruiting canes which sort of petered out after years of good crops. I replaced the canes, planting them in a different area of the veg plot. I did those no favours by mulching them with spent mushroom compost – they don’t like it, too lime-y, I gather. Despite digging them up, replacing the soil and replanting them, they have not thrived. I am having another spin of the wheel of raspberry fortune. A couple of months back I bought nine new canes, three lots of three. Two are summer fruiting (Glen Prosen and Glen Ample) and one autumn fruiting (Autumn Bliss). Wanting to give them a good chance, last weekend I built a couple of raised beds, filling with a mix of top soil and garden compost. If they are happy in their new home, I should have 3 or 4 months of raspberries next year.
6 – Scabiosa caucasica ‘fama deep blue ‘. I was tutting at this plant’s appearance, thinking I must tidy that up, when I noticed a rather anaemic flower. I’m not sure if this skeletal flower is a late flower from last year, or an early one from this year. The former, I suspect. When it flowers properly next year, as the name suggests, they are a deep blue. I bought this plant in October and it is still in its pot awaiting the resident gardener to make up his mind where to plant it. Could be a while.
Those are my Six, what are yours? If you’d like to join in, just publish your post and pop a link to it in the comments below. If you also mention my blog in yours, that would be fab. For more details and other ways to participate, you can have a read of the brief participant guide.
I hope the weather allows you to have a productive gardening weekend, don’t forget to check back in during the day as links get added.
I’ll be back next week with another #SixOnSaturday.
On the raspberries – it is difficult to see from the photo. Just one support line several feet in the air? They don’t need more of a trellis?
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No they just need a little bit of support. 3 wires, 45cm (18″) apart.
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From Carolee over in central Indiana.
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And another, a debut this time:
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I couldn’t find a comments box on this one and wanted to say what a great debut post for SoS and I very much admire what you’re doing with the kids.
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Like Jim, I couldn’t find a comment section and just want to say what a great thing it is to see children encouraged to enjoy nature and gardens, to see their value and to grow their own yummy food. Well done!
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here’s another from mud cakes and wine.
https://mudcakesandwine.blogspot.com/2019/01/six-on-saturday-cold-and-gone-wrong.html
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I absolutely love ivy berries. They’re great in flower arrangements too! This is my first time joining in. Sorry it’s a little late! http://florioscity.blog/2019/01/27/six-for-saturday-26th-jan-2019/
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Hello! Welcome to the gang, hope to see you again soon.
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Hello, had a read but couldnt see anywhere to leave a comment. Tulips poking through is such a hopeful sign at this time of year. Haven’t seen of my new ones yet…
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Good luck with the raspberries. Yum. Mine have just finished. All summer fruiting. I also rather like the scabiosa pic and look forward to seeing it in full flower.
Way too hot for anything beyond watering here and that’s been limited with total fire bans. 30’s to 41 Celsius this week just past and high 20’s and 30’s right through next. Unheard of for Tasmania on such a regular basis. We are beyond dry and have bushfires everywhere.
PS: Mr P, I follow your blog but no longer receive automatic notifications. Nothing in junk box either. Do you think it’s a WordPress thing?
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How odd. Notification finally arrived in email box on 28/1/19. Better late than never.
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It had a long way to go!
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My snowdrops have failed two years now must re think
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finally!
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I’m interested to see that your autumn planted snowdrop bulbs are coming up. I’ve always understood that bulbs didn’t work and that in the green was best. Do you recommend trying the bulbs??
Here is my blog for this week https://londoncottagegarden.com/six-signs-of-life-in-the-garden-on-26th-jan-2019/
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Not sure how many of the 100 will come up, but certainly some have.
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I’m back after a long break. Things here in the Pacific Northwest are reaching toward spring. Your new raspberry bed looks perfect. Hoping you have many years of delicious fruit from it, Mr. P! My post: https://gardensatcoppertop.com/2019/01/26/six-on-saturday-january-26/
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Hello again! Yes I hope the raspberries settle in
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Congratulations!
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Love your close up of the Scabious here are my 6
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Yes it was a nice surprise.
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Good afternoon. Just back from a rather chilly game of golf. We weren’t last this time so things are looking up! Here are my Six-on-Saturday.
https://grannysgarden229242407.wordpress.com/2019/01/26/six-on-saturday
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Congratulations!
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I’ve been enjoying the birds going in and out the ivy for the berries. https://wp.me/p7AXpE-2jQ
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So long as they dont spread ivy seeds about the place.
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I get a few each year in random places but one of the easier self seeders I get to remove.
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Well today seems like berry day! I hope your new home for the raspberries work out! You grow so many different plants! I too am growing alliums this year and can’t wait to see them! Here is my SOS for today!https://thecadyluckleedy.com/2019/01/26/six-on-saturday-my-eye-is-on-you/
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Have a berry good weekend!
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Ooooohhh loving that Scabiosa picture! I love their deep blue colors, so seeing this guy all green is pretty wild!
Good luck with your latest round of Raspberries — sounds like they’re off to a great start in their new bed!
Here’s my six: Evolution of a Garden Bed: https://www.petscribbles.com/evolution-of-a-garden-bed-front-entrance/
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I think it’s a bit of a mutant, a runt. I’m going to tidy it off the plant I think, it shouldn’t be trying to flower now.
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The raspberry bed was a good project, they are possibly my favourite fruit so if I had room they would be first on my list. Those alliums are raring to go! I planted mine out last week, they will certainly be later than yours. Here are mine https://offtheedgegardening.com/2019/01/26/six-on-saturday-dark-weeks/ Happy Gardening!
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Just sown the scabiosa seed you sent me. Thanks!
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It’s getting harder and harder to find six to share, but here’s what I saw.
https://doesthisfontmakemelookfat.com/2019/01/26/six-on-saturday-what-i-saw-january-26-2019/
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Keep trying!
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Our raspberries produced only half a dozen little fruits last year. not sure why but we are trying them again this year to see if they just needed time to settle in. We only planted them the year before.
Good luck with your Snowdrops, one of my favourites. Interested to read that you planted bulbs. We have always planted them in the green but they are very expensive like that. Seeing yours in flower, I shall get some bulbs this year to expand our little plot.
Here are my Six for this week https://mybeautfulthings.com/2019/01/26/six-on-saturday-not-my-garden/
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I’m pleasantly surprised any of them came up, so think I will add to them this autumn.
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I guess “a productive gardening week” is relative eh? Good luck with your raspberries; I had a short row a few years ago and they never really settled in – after a few years they totally disappeared into the ground. Perhaps a low raised bed is the answer for me, as well. Here are my chilly six.
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I’m not sure if this raised bed will make a difference, we shall see. Hope so.
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Too wet and miserable here in South Wales for outside #JanuaryJobs…so had a little nose around in the garden before settling down to chit and pot my potatoes from last week (!) 😬…and get to grips with all my seed packets…ready to start sowing in February!
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Bit of light rain on and off but otherwise ok here.
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Hello everyone, it’s lovely to see this Saturday’s highlights.
I loved your six, but I can’t quite bring myself to see ivy as such as gift. It’s a bit ‘overgrown graveyard gothic’ for my tastes, but each to their own – clearly the birds love it.
Snowdrop season seems a little early this year in Somerset, or is that just me? There’s still three weeks to go for the snowdrop show in Shepton, and I’m sure mine will be finished well before then. If I were a snowdrop show-er I’d be fretting… http://www.sheptonsnowdropfestival.org.uk/programme-2019.html
For my six, I’m very happy to say hello to the hellebores again, and share my showstoppers from Somerset. https://doingtheplan.com/2019/01/26/six-on-saturday-hello-again-hellebores/
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I’m not a big fan either, it hangs over from next door. I dig it up wherever I see it in my garden.
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Too true about an hour or two’s weeding now saving time later. I am a big fan of Astrantia and am growing one this year, although not from seed, from a plant I bought in the Autumn. Will be interested to see how yours turns out. Here are my (indoor) six:
https://carrotsandcalendula.co.uk/2019/01/26/six-on-saturday-aloe-aloe/
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Ooh you can probably divide your astrantia soon.
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I will wait until the autumn to give it time to settle in.
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Hone raspberries do well. Can’t get them out of my garden….which is cool and very dry in summer (eastern Scotland). Here are my six this week.
http://www.balmerino.info/geekygarden/index.php?/archives/2-Six-on-a-Saturday-blog.html
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Yes me too, fingers crossed.
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I too struggled with Astrantia from seed last year.Think I will turn to division as the way forward. Got my fingers crossed for more raspberries this year as well having just replanted mine.
Here is mine: https://timhewittgardener.com/blog/
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Yes division is certainly a lot more reliable. Although you do need a plant to start with!
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Tim I am very interested in your Ready Steady Grow Program please keep us posted on all the details and how it is coming along!
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Morning Jonathan! Your Scabiosa picture is really nice. Let’s wait for its flowering now … Here, the snow melted very fast and early in the morning, so I couldn’t take pictures. Here is my link this weekend : https://fredgardenerblog.wordpress.com/2019/01/26/six-on-saturday-26-01/
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Bonjour Fred! I’m looking forward to it flowering.
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I was considering adding to my scabiosa seeds only yesterday – the deep blue colour of your sounds very tempting. Variety has been noted. I love ivy berries but amazingly this garden which was overgrown in so many ways doesn’t have much ivy going on and only a few berries – which in all honesty are next door’s. I planted 125 snowdrops two years ago – think I have about 50 now! Maybe I exaggerate/am impatient, they are just unfurling. Perhaps next week will be snowdrop week for me. Here’s my link https://wp.me/p97pee-la
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I don’t know if you can buy seeds of this one as it’s a named hybrid.
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I have a plant in mind from Beth Chatto, my seeds are Scabiosa ‘Blue Cushion’ one of the paler blues.
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Oh my, that scabiosa flower is beautiful. I wish I had been as active as you this week but I hid beside the stove. I also don’t have a raspberry bed but I wish I did. My kids love them. Do they need much space? I’m trying to think if I have a spare wall to grow them against. You can tell what I’m off to research with a coffee lol. My six are here. Be warned there is an up-close image of some root fly. http://www.cottagenotebook.ie/six-on-saturday-january-veg-patch/
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In theory raspberries are dead easy to grow. They don’t need a huge amount of space, depends how many you want!
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I think I’m going to need new raspberries this year but failure rates seem very high among our allotment holders. Having a fruit cage limits your space for replanting. I have a very ordinary white Astrantia that seeds about too enthusiastically and a bought one that was red when I planted it but has since flowered white. I’m going off them.
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I am erring mostly toward the dark reds, although I think I have one that is pink, a bought one.
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Morning to all Six on Saturday readers and to you Jonathan. I’m very partial to snowdrops in a lawn. I am always apprehensive about mowing them too early but they really don’t seem to mind and even if you wait a week or two it’s worth it for the lovely lacy effect they give in the depths of winter.
We too had snow – very deep snow which arrived at rush hour. Chaotic but beautiful. My post is heavy on pictures of plants in the snow.
https://www.teabreakgardener.co.uk/my-gardening-week-six-on-saturday-26-01-19/
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Morning Katharine. I am rather jealous of your hellebores. x
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Noted re snowdrops in the lawn. I will mow them with extreme prejudice.
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I have the cheapo snowdrops, though not very many. I must get more. I was tempted to plant bulbs in the lawn but I wasn’t sure how long I’d have to leave them to finish doing their foliage bulb replenishy thing before I could mow the lawn. I’ll see how it works out for you before making a decision next autumn! https://onemanandhisgardentrowel.wordpress.com/2019/01/26/six-on-saturday-26-january-2019/
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Glad to be of service. I’m hoping they’ll be done and out the way in plenty of time….
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I’ve just removed an old arch so the Ivy that was covering it had to go as well. I’ll replace it but the Blackbirds aren’t happy.
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Hope they don’t hold a grudge.
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I have planted Autumn Bliss Raspberries this year too! I haven’t grown Raspberries before so will see it it goes! I only want them to pop in my glass of fizz!!!
This week in both the frost and the snow, the garden absolutely sparkled! My #SixonSaturday this week from my garden is a white one!
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Good luck with your raspberries!
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I love the snowdrop season. The drifts of white are a sign of longer days.
My six on Saturday has some too https://wp.me/p79UK0-Ja
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Yes I’m looking forward to them..might get some more in the green.
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I like your skeletal scabiosa, but that might be because it’s green and I do like a green flower!
I have tried and tired to grow Astrantia from seed and I have failed every time (ok only twice but there you have it). I’m glad you have also found it tricky as I thought it was me! I love Astrantia; one of my favourites for cut flowers. I couldn’t get any to germinate so what did you do?
Here’s mine; lots of jobs done last week.
https://oldhouseintheshires.com/2019/01/26/six-on-saturday-winter-garden-jobs/
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I think i left them in an open cold frame and left them to it. Best results from fresh, I gather, although I’ve always sown around now.
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Jelitto have them down as a cold germinator, which can be a bit of a faff, worth it if it works. https://www.jelitto.com/Plant+Information/Sowing+directions/
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Maybe that’s why then as I’ve stored them and tried in the Spring……
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Love seeing all the snowdrops coming up in the northern hemisphere right now! Here is my little list https://basia329.wordpress.com/2019/01/26/six-on-saturday-11/
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First time grower, looking forward to them all peeping through.
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I have Allium Mount Everest somewhere on my garden this year….just can’t remember where! Here is my 6 https://sedumsdahliasandhayfever.com/2019/01/26/six-on-saturday-26th-january-2019-frost-special-is/
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Guess youll find out in a few months!
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