Six on Saturday 27-07-2019

Not quite the end of July but I am feeling smug. I have ordered my spring bulbs for 2020. They won’t arrive for a few months, but still, a job done. Last year I ordered bulbs from Parker’s Wholesale which was good value, and the bulbs performed well too. I was less impressed with the bareroots so haven’t ordered any this time around. Because it is wholesale, one is encouraged to buy in quantities of 25 or more. I did not need much encouragement. I blew the budget by some margin, and I will be cursing myself and the bulbs when it comes to planting almost 1400 of them. It’ll be worth it, I should get five months of colour from my choices, ranging from crocus through daffs, tulips and alliums. More on those in a few months. Now though it is time for Six on Saturday. Six things, in the garden, on a Saturday. Could be anything – a flower, a plan, a favourite tool, a pest, a harvest, anything at all.

Here are my Six for this week.

1 – Rudbeckia fulgida ‘Goldsturm’. I bought two good size plants last autumn, in the end of season sale obviously, then divided them into three each. Those divisions have bulked up nicely since planting out and I have two good clumps now. I gather they can self seed about, and I plan to divide again at the end of the year, so I should have plenty to spread about.

2 – Gladioli. I bought several packs of corms because they were going cheap at an end of season sale earlier this year. Rude not to. I’ve never grown gladioli before so I am looking forward to the flowers. This is the first variety out.

3 – Burkheya purpurea. These were seeds given to me as part of a Christmas gift last year. I’ve grown burkheya species before, it’s a rubbish plant. Spiky leaves and never flowered. The purpurea variety is supposedly more refined and hasn’t disappointed. The flowers are a steely purple, born on a very spiky flower stem. It’s not something I particularly want more of, but I am pleased to have grown them.

4 – Sidalcea ‘rosaly’. Grown from seed this year, I was hoping for stems full of flowers, but I just have a couple on each. Hopefully they will survive through to next year and bulk up a little.

5 – Agastache ‘golden jubilee. Another plant grown from seed this year, the bees are big fans. They should all have the lime green leaves of the plant at the front. Of the six plants I grew on, one has a much duller leaf tone, likely didn’t come true, or could have been a rogue seed in the batch.

6 – Purple loosestrife. Talking of bees, the loosestrife was a-buzz with bee activity this morning. They are clearly mad for it. One managed to stand still for long enough for me to catch it more or less in focus. I have not seen masses of honey bees this year, mostly bumble bees and hoverflies. Just goes to show, if you grow it, they will come.

Those are my Six, what 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 fab. For more details you can read the brief guide.

Have a super gardening weekend, we are away for the weekend on the coast, leaving the teenagers in charge. This may or may not prove to be a good idea! Don’t forget to check back in during the day as more links are added.

I’ll be back next weekend for another #SixOnSaturday.