Yesterday was the summer solstice (already!), so that’s it now, the nights are drawing in. To use the vernacular, winter is coming. How depressing! I’m going to try to forget that and focus on the next few months of decent light and warm weather. I note that next week the weather is going a bit bonkers hot. That should give everything in the garden a good boost, coming on top of the all the rain we’ve had recently. In the meantime, it’s Six on Saturday. Six things, in the garden, on a Saturday. Could be anything – a flower, a bud, interesting foliage, a weed, a pest, a failure, a border, anything at all. Join in!
Here are my Six, with a theme of profusion, both current and future.
1 – Eryngium planum. Native to these shores, this is the mother plant from which I spawned several baby eryngiums. I’m amazed at how many flower heads there are. It will soon turn a vivid blue.
2 – Rose ‘ali baba’. This year I have been using a foliar feed on all my roses. ‘Uncle Tom’s Rose Tonic’ is applied once a fortnight, sprayed on. I must say all of my roses are doing very well. To quote Elvis Costello, I think it is anyway a good year for the roses, so it’s difficult to tell whether it helps, but I’m certainly planning to use it again next year. Regardless of why, this particular rose has an extraordinary number of buds on just this one stem. Ali has conveniently produced a fresh flower so you can see imagine what 20-odd of them will be like. There is a light fragrance for which precariously balanced leaning is required to fully appreciate.
3 – Clematis ‘Mme Julia Correvon’. Planted a couple of years ago, this was the best of the new ones last year, and even better this year. I think it gets a little more water here than the others do and responds accordingly. Anyway, there are a lot of flowers out, and lots more to come. Julia is doing a pretty good job of entirely covering a fence panel. Nice work Julia, high five!
4 – Papaver ‘Lauren’s Grape’. I grew these from seed last year, the plants were a bit spindly and flowered at about 45cm, considerably shorter than advertised. Still, pretty enough, and I scattered just one seed head across the wisteria border. They began to make their presence felt in early spring – hundreds of them. I weeded some out, moved some, gave some away, I still have loads. The flowers aren’t out yet, but they soon will be, and at their regulation height of 1m to boot.
5 – Geranium ‘orion’. One of several divisions from a couple of plants I bought cheap in the end of season sale at my local Wyvale. It is rather sparse in the foliage department but is flowering well. I saw great swathes of this plant at Wisley a few weeks back, giant plants in comparison. I can’t decided if I want them to grow that big out of some misplaced sense of competition, or if I’d rather they were more modest in size. What will be will be, I guess.
6 – Nemophila menzesii ‘penny black’. I was given these as a gift at Christmas ( I refuse to use the linguistic abomination that is “gifted”), one of a few packets of seeds. I think this is the first time anyone has bought me seeds for a present, strangely, and very welcome they are too. I might not have chosen them but it’s always fun to grow plants from seed. Being monochrome, they are not very bright but they do repay a closer inspection. they are in fact very dark purple rather than black. A low grower, these are sat in the front row of the patio border. They seed about a bit too, I gather.
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/link to my blog in yours, that would be fab. For more details and for other ways to participate, you can read the brief guide here.
I hope you have a productive gardening weekend, I certainly have a long list to get done. Don’t forget to check back later on as more links get added during the day.
I’ll be back next weekend for another #SixOnSaturday.
What a lovely six! Sorry I am late to the party – again – just never enough time to sit in front of the computer at this time of year! When I go outside into the garden I lose a couple of hours even if I only go out to say hi to the plants! And the tennis took me away too, as it will next week. But at least it stops me spending… oh, what’s that? Another delivery?
Have a great week Jon – hope the warm weather arrives!
(can’t see my pingback, but I did post on Saturday)
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Hi Prop – thought I’d sent my link yesterday but I can’t see it posted here. Trying again but I’m having tech problems here so this is a bit of a test..
https://www.teabreakgardener.co.uk/wp-admin/post.php?post=1273&action=edit
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I see the link but it doesn’t work I’m afraid.
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Twas the wrong link. This one should be right. I’m in the process of setting up a website for my horticultural society and it’s mixing up all my links and logins for wordpress. Took me ages to be able to comment on all the lovely SoS posts this week.
Anyway, I took a turn in the garden and calmed down and hopefully all is now right with the world.
https://www.teabreakgardener.co.uk/midsummer-garden/
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👍
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The nemophila is very pretty, I’ve not seen this before. I know what you mean about the turning point, but hopefully we’ll get the forecast weather later this week – it’s miserable where we are today! I’m late with my six – was out after midnight yesterday with my picture, but here they are now: https://blogoftwogardens.com/2019/06/23/six-on-saturday-dinefwr/
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I’ve just been admiring Simon, Off the edge’s poppy, and confessed to never having had success with poppy seeds and then I stop by here to find you flaunting your successes with gay abandon. I am also enjoying numbers 1, 3, and 6. Coming late to the party means a lot of scrolling up and down as I try to remember the names. I won’t do that again. I am trying to convince myself that the garden is nearly full but temptations lurk in every six I read!
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It’s never full. Never.
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I rather like the black and white Nemophila and your clematis is a definite star plant, so high fives from me too.
Here are my six: https://wp.me/pM8Y1-7qe
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Wow that’s a lot of rose buds! It’s going to be beautiful. Mine’s collapsed after the rain – hard prune required I think at the end of the season. Here’s my six https://greengirlgardener.com/2019/06/22/six-on-saturday-22nd-june/
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Lovely collection. I have failed so far to grow Eryngium, but perhaps I should try this one. More six on Saturday here – https://murtaghsmeadow.wordpress.com/2019/06/22/six-on-saturday-6/
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I love roses, but they don’t seem to share the same affection for me (in my gardens, at least). That rose ‘ali baba’ looks amazing. Here’s my six: https://barefootlilylady.com/2019/06/22/peony-and-iris-on-parade/
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I nearly included Julia on my post too, Jon, but she is only just breaking into bloom, unlike Margot who got the role instead. I don’t know that Nemophila at all and I was going to say that it seems a little unusual to receive seeds as a present, but then remembered I have given seeds several times myself, mostly sweet peas, which I like to think all gardeners would appreciate…it reminds me of the old ‘Secret Santa days, when I got all sorts of vaguely plant related gifts, often quite bizarre ones…! My six are at https://ramblinginthegarden.wordpress.com/2019/06/22/six-things-bringing-pleasure-in-the-garden-on-saturday/ Thanks for hosting
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Love those dainty monochrome flowers. Actually all featured plants. Those plants that are still in buds, it would be awesome once they’re all in bloom especially the papaver. Something to look forward to. Here’s my #SixonSaturday
https://magdarae.wordpress.com
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Yes the poppy has flowered today, a beautiful deep purple.
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Well that rose is Awesome! And I love the penny black! I can’t believe you only got one pack of seeds as a gift! Do you like to be given seeds? Or do you choose to pick out what you like and just plant those? Wild and wooly week here of rain and storms! Here is my SOS for this week!
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Well there were three packets in total, it was a token pressie, but very welcome. I like to choose, generally, but nice to be given some.
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Love Ali Barba, I have a rose which has just as many buds – they must both be a certain type of rose but I have no idea what.
Eryngium feature on my post too and I can now spell it as well! https://patientgardener.wordpress.com/2019/06/22/six-on-saturday-22nd-june-2019/
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Afternoon Helen, lovely and sunny here.
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Lovely 6. I especially like the colour of your Nemophila.
No 6 from me this week. Too busy choosing kitchen stuff and gardening of Course.
Happy weekend.
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Exciting, your build is coming along then.
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My six- lillies, fatsia and lots of beautiful foliage.
Six on Saturday – finally some sunshine!
http://pots-and-paws.com/2019/06/22/six-on-saturday-finally-some-sunshine/
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Hi again, look forward to reading.
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I grew Penny Black once, many moons ago and I remember it was lovely. Ali is going to look incredible when that lot come out, keep your camera poised! Lovely clematis, I don’t grow any at all, perhaps I should give one a whirl, I have plenty of “up” space. Here are mine, hope you enjoy them https://offtheedgegardening.com/2019/06/22/six-on-saturday-downhill/
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Splutter. What? No clematis? Are you ill? Get thee to a garden centre, devilspawn.
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😀
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You’ve got them all!
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Not so. Most of them, sure. But not all. Excuses excuses.
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AliBaba is a fabulous color. Your poppies look healthy and ready to display their gorgeous grape color, too. I’m sure you’re pleased with your garden’s lushness, Mr. P. I’m sharing my new roses this week: https://gardensatcoppertop.com/2019/06/22/six-on-saturday-june-22/
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Yes it is very lush just now. This time next week everything will have gone bananas with the sunshine.
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Will do!
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Weedy things they are.
I apologize for the delay. I do not know why, but I did not get a note that your article had posted. Otherwise, I would have sent this five and a half hours ago.
That’s cool about Eryngium I grew it as cut flower back in 1986, when it was still quite rare. There were only two varieties of it here back then.
Tee hee – ‘gifted’ really is a linguistic abomination!
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Wow, I really do not know why I did not get notified. I just looked again, and there is nothing.
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Sometimes the email notifications dont get sent straight away. My mother says she sometimes doesn’t get them till sunday. Weird.
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They typically come in half an hour before mine post at midnight, which is likely about 7:30 in the morning where you are. (That is why I send my link half an hour after yours posts. Otherwise, mine would be Six on Friday.)
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Btw, for future reference, my Six posts are always scheduled to publish at 7:30am UK time.
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Yes, that is just half an hour before midnight. I don’t know why it did not show up here. If it does the same next week, I will go looking for it.
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I don’t get email notifications but Jon’s post usually shows up in the Reader. For some reason it didn’t this week and I went looking for it when I saw other SOSers had posted. Luckily some of them have the link to the recent post 😀
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Here’s the link.
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Good afternoon. That’s a lovely photo of your 🌹, also a good variety of different colours across your post. Don’t start me on linguistic abominations! I don’t gift, nor do I task, nor do I get anything for free!!!!! (I get it for nothing!) But quoting the lovely Mrs P, “Language evolves!” Hmmm…….. Back to the garden enjoy your weekend.
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Pah, what does SHE know.
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Poppy envy!
Try as I might, I never have enough poppies.
Here’s my contribution for the weekend. https://pruneplantsow.wordpress.com/2019/06/22/sixonsaturday-june-22nd-new-for-2019/
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No such thing as too many plants.
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Interesting that ‘winter is coming’ and so it is for us. Despite the Winter solstice, we still have the worst of it ahead of us. Lovely six from you (I like the Nemophila) and here are mine: http://janesmudgeegarden.com/cold-mostly-sos-june-22-2019/
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It’ll be over before you know it. Hopefully some northern hemisphere pics can sustain you through the bleak midwinter!
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Really love the Nemophila – perfect gift! Loads of Geraniums today – on both sides of the pond!
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Can’t have too many geraniums.
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Hi, Beautiful clematis. We have one that flowers very early but I now think having seen this one I need to buy another that flowers later in the year! I feel a trip to the garden centre coming on!
Here are my six https://happyoutdoors.home.blog/2019/06/22/six-on-saturday-my-water-butts-overfloweth-22nd-june-2019/
Have a brilliant weekend!
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Buy several! Can’t have too many.
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Sound advice. Thanks 😊
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Just a quick drop in this morning – much to do! But here is my link https://wp.me/p97pee-oR Happy gardening to everyone.
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Eryngiums are great aren’t they. So easy to grow which I like. I looked up Uncle Toms Rose tonic last week after you mentioned it on Twitter. That Clematis does look like a fantastic flowerer by the looks of it. Here is my six.https://sedumsdahliasandhayfever.com/2019/06/22/six-on-saturday-22nd-june-2019/
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Hi Paul, yes, good plants. Can be propagated via root cuttings too…
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Yes will be doing that later this year.
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One night makes the difference for poppies, isn’t it ! … they are open this morning according to your last tweet. The Nemophila are pretty I didn’t know. I don’t feed my roses but they are doing well. Why not boost them a bit more? .. Here is my Six https://fredgardenerblog.wordpress.com/2019/06/22/six-on-saturday-22-06/
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Yes, amazing how quickly they come out.
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I know how you feel about reaching the mid-point of the summer. Surely thats the unique joy of gardening though? There is the day dreaming in winter, the anticipation in spring, the delight in summer and the reflection in autumn. It never stops really. I have been thinking a lot about the summer solstice and given that we are blessed with an incredible amount of daylight up here I have made a one off exception and posted two sixes – both written on midsummer. The first one at dawn and the second one 17 hours later at dusk!
https://schoolhousegarden.wordpress.com/2019/06/22/solstice-on-saturday-part-1-dawn/
https://schoolhousegarden.wordpress.com/2019/06/22/solstice-on-saturday-part-2-dusk/
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Wasn’t there a move called from dawn till dusk? Watch out for the vampires.
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I should soon have a bit of trellis and space for a couple of climbing roses and a couple of clematis so I’m taking careful note of all the posts about both. Looking forward to seeing pictures of Eryngium planum when it turns blue too. How are its children doing? https://wp.me/p6bCCa-1SK
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The kids are just fine! Those I planted out last year are also flowering. The ones that were in pots till recently might not do anything this year but they are ok generally.
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I’m a clematis lover so I am rather keen on yours, but this week, I especially love Nemophila menzesii ‘penny black’. I’m going to try and find seeds of same here in Australia and see if I can propagate them. No SoS from me today, we had our Winter Solstice swim at dawn this morning and I’m still thawing out! 😉
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Brrrrr! Sounds chilly.
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So many folk’re having a good poppy year, but doing an image search of Lauren’s grape, well I think you’ll be taking the prize. What a display that’s going to be. I’m confused as to why you refer to your penny black (a good name, that) as monochrome – does the term mean something different when applied to flowers? I quite like it. And that rose, simply smashing. You’ve had a really good year w/them, too, as well as your various & sundry clematis! https://lorahughes.blogspot.com/2019/06/some-home-some-away.html
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You’re right. I was thinking black and white = monochrome, but it means one colour. The poppies have started to flower since yesterday. Beautiful colour….
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My son who dabbles in photography tells me that when taking photos, monochrome means black & white. You were correct & my confusion has abated.
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You’ve reminded me I need to give the roses a feed. They had a good spread of blood, fish and bone but now they are flowering I think they could do with some more feed.
This week’s six featuring one of the last allium varieties, one of my favourite roses and a handful of foliage plants. https://30daysofwildparenting.wordpress.com/2019/06/22/six-on-saturday-22-6-19
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Yes they will appreciate a good feed. I have some rose feed to put on the soil too.
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I’d forgotten Nemophila, I grew them a few years ago, good for insects. My SoS is from someone else’s garden this week.
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Had never heard of them before.
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Love the clematis. I need to look into getting some more as I’ve lost a few. I never have much luck with them for some reason (other than the Montana) https://onemanandhisgardentrowel.wordpress.com/2019/06/22/six-on-saturday-is-summer-finally-here-22-june-2019/
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No such thing as too many clematis. Get cracking.
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I love your clematis – I just don’t have enough space, or sun, to grow a clematis. I am joining you today! https://enthusiasticgardener.com/2019/06/22/six-on-saturday-in-the-city-garden-2/
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That sounds like a challenge! Plenty of clematis are happy in the shade, and they dont take up a lot of space. Excuses excuses! 😀
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Love the penny black. I have t seen it before.
Here’s my Six on Saturday. Agapanthus in the garden in Spain
https://happyretiredblog.wordpress.com/2019/06/22/six-on-saturday-agapanthus-in-spain/
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No me either. Bit hard to spot unless you know they’re there. Might be better in a pot or container.
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When I image searched them, there were photos of them in rockeries or around pavement, which set them off nicely as well.
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A really lovely rose (and I hate ‘gifted’ too!). Oh for summer! https://basia329.wordpress.com/2019/06/22/six-on-saturday-22-06-19/
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Yes, I’m looking forward to next year, by which time it should have got a bit taller and less hidden by the helenium…
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the early bird catches the worm, Mr. P so I am up very early this morning to catch SoS before I go to the market. 🙂 I love the Nemophila menzesii ‘penny black… it is so unusual. I think anyone who gives you seeds for a present is onto a safe bet. they are certainly more imaginative than socks 🙂
The clematis is beautiful and it is one plant I miss from the UK. But I know if my honeysuckle is only just clinging to life in the salt air winds, I would be sending a clematis to an early death.
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That’s a shame, is there a local climber that could take its place?
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There’s lot’s of climbers, Mr P. but not many are suitable for cold salty winds and high humidity :(.
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I love Lauren’s Grape! I had the same plant, and followed the sprinkling process (rather fun, with a poppy and it’s ready made seed shaking device). But nothing. nada. zilch. And here you are, talking of ‘hundreds’ and ‘load’. Humph, humph, hrrrrrumph.
Here are my foodcentric six: https://bit.ly/2RtIeFy
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Oh dear! Perhaps they are having a rest this year. I’m afraid they were extremely prolific here. They will flower today I think, some have burst through their pods since yesterday.
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