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.
Surprise surprise, I’m late again! But I do have an excuse this week, storms all day took out our electricity so I couldn’t post!
Your post looks a lot brighter than mine this week, here’s my contribution https://www.dizzydelights.com/
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It’s lovely to see your berkheya in flower. They are a lovely colour. I am growing some from seed (a late RHS seed scheme purchase) and they are understandably still small, but will hopefully catch up.
My Six are here: https://wp.me/pM8Y1-7rV
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Oh well done on the early bulb ordering. I buy from Peter Nyssen and am expecting their new catalogue any day now although I believe their website is now set up for autumn orders. Good to see your burhkeya – I grew it from seed this year too – two germinated but one was never big enough to plant out. No idea where I planted out the other so presumably it has not flowered (yet?). Thanks for hosting – my six are here: https://ramblinginthegarden.wordpress.com/2019/07/27/six-on-saturday-and-now-for-something-completely-different/
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Wow! That’s an impressive number of bulbs. I ordered nowhere near that number for this year and didn’t manage to plant them all so hats off to you. Great rudbeckia and lovely gladioli. 😊
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Happy to be joining you again after a bit of a (longer than usual!) hiatus:
I rather like the Berkheya – I used to have it but got rid of it once the kids were starting to walk around and trying to eat everything! Enjoy your weekend 🙂
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I grew the same Berkheya from seed but was then warned it will self seed everywhere so I whipped the heads off fairly quickly and never found another seedling, it is lovely but I wasn’t keen on the prickly bit. Here are my SOS
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Duly noted. I don’t like it that much.
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Heres my six – appropriately given your post its about bulbs! Interesting what you say about Parkers bulbs, Ive never bought from them and some of my gardening friends are a little sniffy but having had a terrible result this year from another well known supplier, I might just give them a go
https://patientgardener.wordpress.com/2019/07/27/six-on-saturday-27-7-19-mid-summer-bulbs/
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Well they seemed fine to me. Great value, so long as you get at least 25 of everything!
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I enjoyed your comments about the Parkers wholesale catalogue. I’ve been looking through mine this morning and the list of bulbs I ‘need’ is getting longer and longer!
In my experience Goldsturm is a good spreader rather than a self seeder, unlike Heleniums which seem to be dwindling away.
Here’s my Six on Saturday
https://www.hortusbaileyana.co.uk/2019/07/best-plants-for-july-six-on-saturday.html
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Yes it is a tempting document.
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I’ve grown Burkheya from seed this year. Very poor germination but have a couple of plants. I don’t think they’ll flower this year though. Glancing through all the Sixes and reading about all this rain some are having! So envious but I guess I should be careful what I wish for…….
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Hello all, just back in the door from a fortnight in the Netherlands and as usual for this time of year it looks like everything has grown a couple of feet while I was away. I hope you have left instructions with the teenagers to water the plants and cut the grass while you are away? Here is my dutch themed six – and not a tulip in sight!. Have a great weekend.
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I’m up for the challenge today, so thanks for letting me share my six.
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Hello, welcome! Look forward to reading, hope to see you again soon.
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My lovely neighbor Adele had a flower garden that was just magnificent. Many years ago she stretched her hand across the backyard fence and handed me my first digging from her garden to plant in my own. That digging was purple loosestrife. I moved out of that house 20 years ago, but brought a digging of that plant along with me. I have since learned it’s considered an invasive plant in my state, so I don’t propagate or share it…but I do still keep ONE plant hiding in my backyard…a butterfly and bee magnet.
Here’s my six! https://barefootlilylady.com/2019/07/27/six-on-saturday-daylilies-still-reign/
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It’s a bit of a weed here too, although native I think, commonly found by streams and rivers.
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I love the colour of the loosestrife, and bingo! I also have rudbeckias to share! https://enthusiasticgardener.com/2019/07/27/six-on-saturday-in-the-fortnight-garden-4/
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I’ll look out for your rudbeckia when I get to your post.
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That’s a very pretty gladioli! (I commented first thing this morning, on the wrong post… really do need new eyes!!)
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Never mind! Better late than never.
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Blimey Prop, 1400!!!! You need to get the family trained up to help out. Perhaps Granny will pop over? Love six this week, although I have mixed feelings about the berkheya a) it is prickly b) when I grew it, it like to move about a bit. Great flowers though, I love that steely white colour. Hope you are getting some rain, none here yet, which is very unusual! Here are my six, hope you enjoy them https://offtheedgegardening.com/2019/07/27/six-on-saturday-right-place-wrong-place/
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Yes we drove through heavy rain on our way to the south coast where tis sunny & warm.
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Great plan, you on holiday or just for the day?
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Just tonight. Kids gone feral at home.
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Love the gladiolus! I think you’re wise to get bulbs early – thanks for the reminder! Here are my six, daylilies this week:
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I had what can only be described as a buying spree.
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Here are my six for today. https://doesthisfontmakemelookfat.com/2019/07/27/six-on-saturday-summer-garden-july-27-2019/
The photo of the dry ground is just depressing.
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One extreme to the other!
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Your sidalcea is a very pretty one. I lost my agastache over winter – why? Was it really that wet? The bees do absolutely love them. I might be tempted again next year. Here’s my six https://wp.me/p97pee-pu
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Yes I was watching the bees on the plants in the front garden. They seemed v happy.
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I have some crimson glads that seem to appear each year, popping their heads up through the hibiscus! I just let them be. The loosestrife is an unknown to me, and I think it is beautiful….an added bonus is that it attracts bees! I will definitely investigate and see if I can get some down under. Here are my six for the week! https://hairbellsandmaples.wordpress.com/2019/07/27/six-on-saturday-2019-07-27/
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Loosestrife is a common riverside plant here. I remember when I bought it the nursery man said I could just go down to the R. Kennet and dig a load up!
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Here are mine. Running to catch up at the moment, so will try to look through and comment later. https://theoptimisticgardener.wordpress.com/2019/07/27/6-on-saturday-27-07-2019/
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Busy busy busy.
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Love all your bee loving plants. I’ll be putting them on my list for future buys. Gladioli are tricky for me as they seem to flower for the first year then gone. You’ve done well for planning for spring and summer 2020. Think I should do the same.
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They can die over winter, a bit like dahlia. It depends on your soil and how cold/wet it gets over winter.
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Morning 🙂 Your gladioli is a beaut, and I’m sure the house will be fine in the care of the teenagers.
Here’s my selection for the week
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I hope so too!
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You are very organised! I haven’t even started making my bulb wish list. Here’s my Six https://digwithdorris.wordpress.com
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Early bird catches the worm and all that…
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Best bring home some milk and bread with you, knowing teenagers they will totally raid the fridge and cupboards!! Have fun on the coast! South coast I assume?
You have a lot of different plants in your garden, I haven’t heard of half of these. Well done on the bulb order, I too don’t envy you all the planting, but you will have a fab display next year. I have about finalised what I want this year, but I’m going for smaller numbers of more tulips to try them out and then more smaller bulbs as they seem to do well. At the moment I am waiting for some summer bulbs to appear, but for today I shall show you what has happened with last year’s project: https://wp.me/p79zFr-288
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It’s my beer I’m worried about!
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Haha… didn’t you lock it up?
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Forgot…
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🤣
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Yes, Bournemouth. Just arrived, coffee and cake first priorities.
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Naturally!
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Bloomin’ heck you’re organised on the bulb side! Love that Burkheya and the Sidalcea – you’re all pinks and purples this week. I’ve gone for oranges and lemons.
https://carrotsandcalendula.co.uk/2019/07/27/six-on-saturday-mellow-yellow-and-tangerine-dreams/
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I’ll probably “forget” I ordered them and get more…
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Hola from a very wet Green Spain – no heatwave here, just torrential downpours this morning. There’s nothing wrong with a little smugness on a Saturday morning but 1400 bulbs? You have way more patience than me! Great selection, the burkheya purpurea is a new one on me, what an interesting plant. I’ve never been a glad fan but grew some of the smaller butterfly types last year and have to confess I’ve been converted to their charms. I LOVE that loosestrife, definitely my kind of wild thing. Happy weekend . . . and hope everything is one piece when you get home! 🙂
https://thissimplelife954.wordpress.com
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Yes the planting will be a pain. But at least the daffs and crocus will be reliably perennial…
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Good morning. Enjoy your weekend! Just back from the first run (?) for many weeks….I need to go more often! Hope your garden survived the excesses of weather this week. Here are my Six-on-Saturday.
https://grannysgarden229242407.wordpress.com/2019-07-27/six-on-saturday-27-07-2019
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Thanks. We have arrived, quite sunny here. I have a 20k run to do in the morning, hope I can find a fairly flat route…
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I nearly managed 4k this morning! Anyway, according to some reports, we will have to go back to imperial measurements…… but they don’t sound nearly as far!! Enjoy your run tomorrow.
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Yikes – I can’t think about bulbs yet! You’ve made me panic. Love your selection this week. Being a Smiths fan, I’m partial to the Gladiolus and have a few in my garden. I also share an Agastache in my choices this week – all of which are cool blue (and verging on the purples…)
https://www.teabreakgardener.co.uk/cool-blues-for-the-summer-garden/
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I’m not sure if it was Morrissey, or Dame Edna that most inspired me!
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Hope you have a house to come back to. You’re right to be thinking about bulbs, now’s the time to be spotting planting niches where they won’t get disturbed. Must get onto that. I’ve been reading Dave Goulson; I’m fired up to plant more for bees so it’s good to hear what yours are going for. https://wp.me/p6bCCa-1Ul
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I was more worried about avoiding the dreaded “out of stock” on something I fancied. Looking forward to the display next year. About 800 are tulips.
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https://sedumsdahliasandhayfever.com/2019/07/27/six-on-saturday-27th-july-2019/. Morning Jon. Bloody weather! Like the look of that Burkeya. What a stunning and different colour. Enjoy your weekend.
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Thanks. Sunny down here on the south coast. Warm not hot. But v nice. And child free.
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Bickering down in Northumberland but working this weekend so not to bad.
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That burkheya flower is beautiful. An image search shows foliage that’s not much so. Have you decided against growing them again next year? That flower certainly might be the kind of thing that’d sway a person. Love that glad. And I didn’t know Rude Beckys self seeded. I’ve always had trouble keeping them going. Yours are certainly a really good shade of yellow. We had a swarm of honey bees earlier in the summer, but the ones here are a bit different looking than the ones I grew up with, so not sure how many we’ve had in comparison. We don’t seem to have many butterflies (except cabbage whites in abundance, of course), even w/the buddleia in bloom. https://lorahughes.blogspot.com/2019/07/problems-surprises.html
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Well they’re perennials (I think) so unless they succumb to winter conditions I’ll have them next year. I dont object to them, but not going to rush to increase numbers.
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The Burkeya is stunning and what a fabulous colour combination this week. Very eclectic offering from me today. Stay cool everyone! http://pruebatten.com/2019/07/27/sos-27719/
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Hello Prue, thanks, have a great weekend.
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These are mine, fresh from the pile of . . . stuff.
Gladiolus are rad! I started growing them before I was in high school, although they are not reliably perennial here. I got some nice ones back then. The last that I grew were the cheap sorts that I got from a big box store, but they were adequate for that garden.
I am not familiar with those after the gladiolus. I have heard of agastache and loosestrife, but have never grown them. Burkheya looks like salsify.
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Oh no, that is nothing like salsify!
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Excellent, I look forward to seeing if my glads are rad glads.
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Rad and glad glads are better than bad, mad or sad glads.
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My agastache is starting to bloom this weekend and I should post pictures soon. Nice this lime green color, though! Good luck for your future planting! (We’ll have time to talk about it again)
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Thanks Fred, I may have to seek assistance with the bulbs from a convenient child!
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I planted gladioli in the first year in my garden. Really cheap blousy ones. Pulled out loads last year but still lots come back. Lots of nice varieties out there but mine are not.
This week marks the start of dahlia flowering properly. I’ve got loosestrife featuring this week too. Swarming with life. Hoverflies loving it.
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Jury still out on the glads, but I think I will get more if I see them cheap next year. I like the structure of the leaves.
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1400 bulbs? I don’t envy you that planting job! The Burkheya purpurea is very nice. I planted some Gladioli in the spring and there’s not a single bud. I was clinging to the hope that perhaps they take a year or two to flower – apparently not! Right, a four hour drive to North Wales awaits, though I’d rather spend the morning reading through other Six on Saturdays https://onemanandhisgardentrowel.wordpress.com/2019/07/25/six-on-saturday-plant-envy-27-july-2019/
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Lots of water for the glads, apparently. If you have good drainage it’s impossible to over water them.
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