May the Fourth be with you! Away put your trowel, I mean you no harm. Hmmmm, gardening it is, yes? The fork is strong in this one. Enough Star Wars for now. Or is it? A long time ago, in a garden not far away, the first ever Six on Saturday post was published. Almost exactly two years ago in fact. While I hoped some other bloggers might join in at some point, little did I know that it would quickly gather momentum and become a weekly glimpse into the gardens of the world! I’m very happy to have started the ball rolling. It is thus very much time for an anniversary Six on Saturday – Six things, on a Saturday, in the garden. Could be anything! A flower, a good plant, a seedling, a completed project, a epic failure, anything at all. Join in!
For this week’s Six I am revisiting some of the same plants that were featured in the very first Six.
1 – Wisteria floribunda (I think). Wisteria time again. Since the first Six post two years ago, this plant has established a very solid beachhead on the left trellis and is busy conquering the arch and right trellis, as well as the main fence line. To be fair to it, I have been encouraging this rampant behaviour. I have been training various long whippy growth lower down too in the hope (forlorn, I fear) hope that it will flower lower down too. It is stubbornly refusing to do anything other than flower up top. Never mind, I am busy growing clematis and roses to fill in lower down.
2 – Rose, ‘Dr Eckener’. Two years ago I featured a tightly furled bud of rosa ‘danse de feu’ and I could do the same again this time. I can do one better though – I have an actual rose, albeit from a different climber. It is the first rose to open in my garden this year. Herr Doktor had no flowers in his first year but this year there are many of the multicolour buds that precede the bee-magnets. It smells pretty good too.
3 – Fatsia japonica. This has grown quite a bit since I included this two years ago. The new growth for this season is well on its way, still strongly resembling the hands of the undead. This shrub is a reliable performer in a shady corner and evergreen to boot.
4 – Lilac ‘Josee’. Also smelling fabulous at the moment, this dwarf tree has grown quite large in the two years since I included it in the first post. It’s a good 5 feet tall now. I did wonder if it was getting too big, but I trimmed away the lower branches to raise the canopy, this has created a bit of space for underplanting. It is a little anonymous for most of the year, so I am still wondering a little bit if it shouldn’t come out. For now it stays.
That’s the last of the nostalgia trip as the other two plants featured two years ago are either no longer with us (the sambucus nigra) or not doing anything interesting at the moment (the cornus).
5 – Geum ‘Flames of Passion’. A rather pretentious name for this little plant. I bought it half price (of course) at the end of last year, it is settling in nicely. It is certainly flowering well, although it seems to be one of those annoyingly droopy plants whose flowers are permanently gazing at their shoes.
6 – Clematis montana ‘Warwickshire Rose’. Recently featured as buds, I think, the flowers are now out. This is the first flowering for a plant I bought last year when very small for £1.76. I expect even better things next year as the plant establishes itself even more.
Those are my Six for this week? 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, like, totally awesome. For more details and other ways to participate, you can read the brief guide.
Have a lovely weekend in the garden. For those in the UK, I note that the weather has staged a comeback, the outlook for this holiday weekend looks decidedly dull, wet and cool. That’s more like it! Don’t forget to check back in during the day as more links get added.
I’ll be back next weekend for another #SixOnSaturday.
Congrats on your anniversary. I’m just catching up after our holiday. I had the opportunity to visit my Granny in the south on the way to the airport and her Montana is flowering like yours. Meanwhile mine is just a load of leaves! I think I may plant it out (it’s in a pot) and see if it prefers that. Beautiful Geum too. Mine (also half price last year) is flowering profusely but the flowers are somewhat raggedy!
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It tickles me that regular Sixers feel the need to apologise or give excuses for not posting! I’ve created a monster! It’s totally fine, of course, it’s your blog, you post when you can/want to. See you soon.
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I’m afraid I’ve been very remiss about SoS for a couple of weeks, and probably will be for a few weeks more due to holidays and visitors – one really can’t closet oneself away in the office while the visitors amuse themselves. I’ve loved ‘meeting’ other gardeners via the SoS meme, and thanks so much for hosting it.
Lovely to see some original sixes. I’ve developed a fondness for Geum, having discovered it through blogging and I think yours is very pretty even if it is shy.
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It tickles me that regular Sixers feel the need to apologise or give excuses for not posting! I’ve created a monster! It’s totally fine, of course, it’s your blog, you post when you can/want to. See you soon
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Congratulations on the two year anniversary of spreading garden joy worldwide!! No post for me today due to a very busy plant sale, but I will return soon to read…
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Thank you, I do enjoy it.
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And many happy returns!
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I admire your courage to grow a wisteria. Spring finally arrived here although my one and only clematis is still weeks away from flowering. https://stoneyknob.wordpress.com/2019/05/04/sos-may-the-fourth/
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Courage? It’s a very common garden plant here, adorning many a house and trellis.
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They’re gorgeous, but I’ve read that with their weight, unless the structure they’re on is sturdy, it can be torn down.
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Right on wisteria courage. You have to be fearless and ever-vigilant to grow it in Alabama.
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I have enjoyed reading all the comments today!! Thanks for hosting, Jon, and well done for 2 year of meme hosting. Good to see your wisteria too, which is ahead of mine as you will see at https://ramblinginthegarden.wordpress.com/2019/05/04/six-on-saturday-promises/
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Evening Cathy!
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Love the fatsia, I have several large plants weighed down by bunches of black berries.
Here are my six
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What a wonderful six. IT’s always interesting to look back to study the progress (or not) of certain plants. Your meme has certainly gone from strength to strength. I know I really enjoy it and love clicking through to all the different gardens..
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Late on parade
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So my Wisteria isnt flowering again this year and my roses aren’t out yet and the new growth on one of my fatsias has shrivelled in the heat over Easter – not at all jealous by your photos :(. Here’s my Six on Saturday https://patientgardener.wordpress.com/2019/05/04/six-on-saturday-4th-may-2019/
Oh and I really must get some Clematis. I do love these posts as it makes me see plants afresh and re-evaluate them. Thanks for hosting this meme – love it.
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Oh dear! I’m afraid jealousy about other people’s plants is a common feature of SixOnSaturday! I would not be without clematis, I have 15 or so I think.
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Happy Anniversary!
Your garden’s really looking nice. Geum photos always tempt me.
Nice you have purple wisteria… unlike me… (sad face)
Nothing I have is quite so delicate looking.
https://lisasgardenadventureinoregon.blogspot.com/2019/05/six-on-saturday-may-4-2019.html
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Hi Lisa, thanks!
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Happy anniversary! Well done, its a marvel and definitely the best meme in the universe. Love the sexy geum, not heard of that one, but I haven’t met one yet that I didn’t love. And a star wars joke is always a winner. Here are mine, hope you like them https://offtheedgegardening.com/2019/05/04/six-on-saturday-mind-control/
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Thanks Gill!
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Happy Anniversary! I love reading about gardens from all round the world. It’s fascinating to see how many of the plants we are all growing at the same time. That rose is very early. Good for bees, Here’s my six. https://bramblegarden.com/2019/05/04/six-on-saturday-4th-may-2019/
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Hi Karen, thanks!
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I love the wisteria. I had one years ago, growing in a pot – it did nothing. The minute I took it out and planted it, it romped away – up the builders’ scaffolding. But I could then see it would be too big for my tiny garden, so dug it up and passed it on. I wonder if there is a miniature version?
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The ‘gardening’ force is with you….well done on heralding all us avid gardeners. Its Stars Wars at Classic FM 5 to 7pm tonight…is there a link? Here are are SOS: https://noellemace.blogspot.com/2019/05/six-on-saturday-4-may-2019.html
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Very likely to be. May the fourth is unofficially star wars day.
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Happy anniversary! I am so glad you host this meme, it is wonderful to see other gardens and have the wisdom of many gardeners at hand. Such a friendly bunch of folk. Now to the plants – that Clematis is a beauty! My cheapo one is white and although pretty, not as dramatic. You also have a wisteria – sigh – and roses flowering already. I do have a tiny patio rose which has been flowering most of the winter, but not an easy plant to photograph. For a change I thought I would go green this week: https://wp.me/p79zFr-1Tw
Have a lovely weekend Prop – I am hoping someone will turn off this chilly wind!
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Ooh hello, must have missed your comment on Saturday among the throng! Glad you enjoy SoS, it is lots of fun.
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Well you do have a LOT of participants – takes me all week to visit them usually, but I had a day indoors on Saturday as the wind was perishing so I managed quite a few.
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Happy birthday to The Propagator. Excellent work, well done. I do like a Fatsia, but check out polycarpa, better leaf in my humble opinion. Will try to do a post later if I get time!
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Like the look of polycarpa. Now I just have to find space for it…
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Two years, wow that’s good. I’m liking the look of the lilac tree and guess its scent is lovely? Perhaps it’s too cold today to smell it though. As for the Geum, well who names these plants. Perhaps she is hanging her head coyly.
Ridiculous
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Yes it does smell fab.
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What larks! I have just read through all the comments. Better read your post now!
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Happy anniversary and thank you for founding the #SixOnSaturday community!
Nice blog post – I always think reflecting back to see how things have developed is a good thing to do.
Here’s my contribution for the weekend… https://mysecretgarden61808037.wordpress.com/2019/05/04/sixonsaturday-a-garden-snapshot/
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Morning, yes, that was part of my reason for starting the blog, see what changes.
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We seem to share a taste in plants and are both focused on pots! Enjoyed your blog.
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Thank you! Mine is also a walled garden although smaller than yours, so far as I can tell. But I don’t have any canine helpers :o( Enjoy blogging!
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Made it! Happy to join you and your gang https://digwithdorris.wordpress.com
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morning dorris! You are always welcome.
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Snap! I have included Flame of Passion in my Six this week. I love the Wisteria and have seen some beautiful ones this year, including one grown in a pot which has given me idea. . Fatsia Japonica always makes me smile, I bought one many years ago for our Horsham garden and it was rudely nicknamed ‘Fatty Veronica’ (Ronnie is short for Veronica).
https://hurtledto60.com/2019/05/04/six-on-saturday-4th-may-2019/
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Congratulations for the 2nd anniversary of Six on Saturday! So many great gardens to delve into each week it’s quite a feat to read so many now. I don’t know how you do it!
Anyway, I’m in bed with a horrid virus so no post from me but may read a few whilst I’m here. Xx
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Often takes me all week! Hope you feel better soon.
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The non-gardening thread has given the N-G and me a good laugh. Happy Anniversary. You have succeeded in getting me to participate having never done anything like this before. Although at a distance you also make me feel guilty when I miss a week. Such power – the force is definitely with you.
Back to business, I also have ‘Flames of Passion’ this week so share your good taste and slight disappointment
href=”https://thequiltinggardener.wordpress.com/2019/05/04/six-on-saturday-04-05-19/” rel=”nofollow”>https://thequiltinggardener.wordpress.com/2019/05/04/six-on-saturday-04-05-19/
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I’m going to have to look for Geum. It’s lovely. Here are my six. https://doesthisfontmakemelookfat.com/2019/05/04/six-on-saturday-making-progress-may-4-2019/
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Morning Mala, they are a reliable flower and not troubled by slugs or snails.
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Hi, I’ve love reading everyone’s posts for Six on Saturday and it’s given me some great ideas so this week decided to have a go at blogging myself 👉
https://happyoutdoors.home.blog/2019/05/04/six-on-saturday-a-new-experience-4th-may-2019/amp/
Hopefully this link works fingers crossed 🤞
Happy Six on Saturday Anniversary 🥂
Have a brilliant weekend!
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Yes all present and correct, welcome to the gang!
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Happy Six on Saturday Anniversary. Here are my Six
https://thirdageblogger.blogspot.com/2019/05/six-on-saturday-may-fourth-be-with-you.html
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Morning Linda, thank you.
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Congratulations and very many thanks for getting this all going. I checked back and see that my first post was August 2017 and it was on a Monday! It was a shaky start but now its a piece of cake. Ha ha! What have you got going on in your garden?! You definitely have some kind of force with you. My roses and geums are still in bud – but who cares, it means that there are great things to come for future sixes! Here’s my link for this week. https://wp.me/p97pee-nU
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Morning N20, thanks, I enjoy it very much. Almost as much as the garden…
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Two years, where did that go? That makes this my 104th SoS post. Interesting that you’re starting to see the space below your all up top Wisteria and Lilac as planting space for a lower layer. I’ve done six shade plants this week, all growing under plants that once were small but are no longer. I’ve done six woodlanders this week, might be something there for your future garden. https://wp.me/p6bCCa-1P8
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Morning Jim, yes you were first out the gate and from the very start too! I was up with the birds this morning so have finished my weeding, all looking very neat and tidy.
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Well done on two years of #sixonsaturday! I don’t post very week but I do enjoy reading all the other posts and more importantly, seeing pictures of flowers and plants from other people’s gardens which is often inspirational!
At this time of year everything is just about to burst forth into the glorious splendour of Summer so I thought it worth choosing a six this week from the flowers in the garden which are coming to their finales!
Have a great weekend!
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Morning! Thanks, glad you enjoy it.
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Good morning. Happy anniversary! Have you counted how many contributors you have?! There must be a mathematical formula to calculate the answer! Anyway, enjoy your weekend. Here are my Six-on-Saturday for this week.
https://grannysgarden229242407.wordpress.com/2019/05/04/six-on-saturday
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I have occasionally felt that a graph of some kind would be interesting!
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Happy all-the-above days to you, but especially Happy 2nd SoS anniversary. The SoS community has definitely improved the quality of my life (vis a vis health restrictions) The UK SoSers have been unendingly patient teaching me how to garden in my adoptive country – slow worms, who knew? And to visit gardens internationally is heaven. As to lilac ideas, cattycorner to us, there’s a row of both dark & light ones tangled w/wisteria & underplanted in purple berberis which is now also in bloom. Love taking that corner on the BigNoseWalk. My post has some mysteries that I hope someone can answer. https://lorahughes.blogspot.com/2019/05/strangers-favourites.html
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Thanks Lora, glad you enjoy it!
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That is a really beautiful rose. https://basia329.wordpress.com/2019/05/04/six-on-saturday-24/
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Yes I’m enjoying it. The buds are beautiful too, brighter colours.
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And may the fork be with you too. Congratulations on two years of Six on Saturday. I am envious of such a cheap Warwickshire Rose. It is a lovely thing, and has covered my ugly fence with the greatest of ease. I didn’t know it was Star Wars Day but here are the current stars of my garden. https://wp.me/p3dx4o-31Z
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Hello. Yes it is a good grower, that’s for sure!
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What the time has changed .. since your first post 2 years ago, the presenting is more neat, and more comments have appeared (only 8 for the first ….🤪). Happy anniversary and happy to be in the team. !
Back to you six, the fatsia is not yet in my garden. I do not understand why … There are so many varieties of Fatsia to choose that I only have to find one that will please in my French garden.
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Interesting that one person jumped straight on and joined in the first post! I think Jim has done every week since.
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Yes it looks like Jim was the first ! congratulations ! Have a (cold) great weekend
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If there’s still root space around the base of your lilac, consider adding some (eventually) bulky plant that provides later interest. I’ve featured my combo of lilac and cardoon in a six before. There are also a few tree lilies which take care of short gap between lilac and cardoon flowers. You have excellent taste in C. monarda. It will grow! Believe me, it will grow! Meanwhile my effort is over at https://rivendellgarden.blog/?p=4283.
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Thanks for the tip John. I want it to grow grow grow!
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Happy second birthday! Apparently this is “world naked gardening day” today too – what a perfect way to celebrate! Although we did have some hailstones yesterday so maybe not…Here are my fully clothed six.
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Too bloody cold for that!
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It has been two years has it? was looking at the hashtag on my twitter feed and wondering if you knew what it’d become when you started it. You done good, Master.
Here’s mine: http://uttarakhandandi.blogspot.com/2019/05/foxglove-madness.html
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Yep, has flown by. Now a firmly embedded weekly ritual. If something comes up during the week that may affect my plans my fordt thought is “when will I take my 6 photos!”
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Good job you did, Mr P. Congratulated you are to be. May the fourth to you too, and thank you for such an amazing thing as SoS. I’ve none today but love your clematis and roses. The colours are so soft.
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Thanks Prue!
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Okay, here are mine. It is six different cultivars of the same genus, plus one extra. . . . but the one extra does not count, so it is still ”Six’ on Saturday’. Right?
href=”https://tonytomeo.com/2019/05/04/six-on-saturday-rhody-3/” rel=”nofollow”>https://tonytomeo.com/2019/05/04/six-on-saturday-rhody-3/
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Fatsia japonica must be quite tolerant of frost. It does not look like it should be, but I have seen it in regions that are cooler than here in winter, including Poulsbo in Washington, which is right across Pugent Sound from Seattle!
What happened to the Sambucus nigra? Do I not want to know? Was that a European or North American species? It is quarantined here, but blue elderberries grow wild. I don’t know how they compare because I know nothing about black elderberries.
If the lilac comes out, where does it want to go? Oh, I shouldn’t ask. I am sure it will be given to a neighbor.
Anyway, I will be back in a moment with my Six on Saturday. It posts at midnight.
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Fatsia is quite hardy, certainly manages well through our winters. The elder got extremely leggy after a hard prune then damaged in a storm. I’m afraid it went permanently. I doubt the lilac will go, tbh, not least because I seem to have named the border after it…
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I might have asked about the Fatsia japonica earlier. I know that I asked someone else about it, and have seen that weird ‘Spider Web’ variegated form in some cold climates (online.) There is one at work that is quite ugly but I can’t bear to cut it down because it has been there for so long. I keep thinking that it will recover.
The main problem with the blue elderberries here is that they do not get cut down often enough. They grow into small trees, from which it is difficult to bet the berries from. They do not produce well when overgrown. I prefer to cut them down, and then alternate canes, so that two year old canes get cut out annually. Of course, I can not do that to all of them in the forest.
Incidentally, lilacs should get pruned by the ‘alternating canes’ method too, although the canes can last for many years. Eventually, the canes get old and do not bloom like they should, so shluld instead get cut out so that newere canes can replace them.
I can see that I left a long line of comments, but I can not delete them. You might be able to do so from your end.
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A very merry May the Fourth be with you anniversary! I can’t believe there was ever a time when Six on Saturday did not exist. I was hoping the Clematis would have some Star Wars related name, but Warwickshire Rose is much more suitable. I will never look at my Fatsia the same way now you have pointed out the resemblance to zombie claws. Have you been watching too much Game of Thrones? Here are my six:
https://carrotsandcalendula.co.uk/2019/05/04/six-on-saturday-mayhem/
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Is there such a thing as too much GoT?
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Happy anniversary! A fantastic idea it was. Good did you. I was told off by the dancing teacher when me and my wife did ballroom for always looking down at me feet. I sympathize with the geum! Still can’t get over the £1.76 for a clematis! May the fork be with you, always https://onemanandhisgardentrowel.wordpress.com/2019/05/04/six-on-saturday-4-may-2019/
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And also with you young padewan!
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A lot of my climbers have been cheap impulse supermarket purchases for similar prices. Might take a while to get established but for something like honeysuckle or many clematis it’s only a few years. This week though I am piggy backing off my neighbours clematis and looking at flowering shrubs including a dwarf lilac bush if you want an alternative to the big growth but still want the scent it’s a good option. https://wp.me/p7AXpE-2lY
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Yep, such good value.
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Oh bollocks. HAPPY STAR WARS DAY. RIP Peter Mayhewxx. I have You have a rose flowering already! So jealous. Here is my six where I blame John Craven. https://sedumsdahliasandhayfever.com/2019/05/04/six-on-saturday-saturday-4th-may/
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I dont remember Yoda saying “oh bollocks”? Must have been in one of the DVD extras.
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Yeah your right he didn’t say it. He actually said Bullocks oh it is! Excuse my potty mouth but working on a bank holiday weekend.
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😀 I’m in the greenhouse. Sorry…
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‘bollocks’? What are bollocks? What is Star Wars Day? I must look that up. I will be back later to see all the Six on Saturday. It is the middle of the night now.
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Cojones! It’s may the fourth = may the force. Known in many parts as star wars day.
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Okay. . . . that’s a bit more information than I should have asked for. Thank you for clarifying.
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I don’t know how I explain Bollocks….some one got a spade…
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Oh my!
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It was already explained. I won’t ask what the spade is for.
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Apropos later comments in this thread, you don’t need to explain the use of “bollocks”. The word is in the Oxford English Dictionary and so is perfectly legit, noted as a “Middle English” rather than a “slang” word. Anyhow, Prince Phillip and the Princess Royal have both used it publicly so it must be OK.
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Thank fook for that!
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