Six on Saturday 18-01-2020

More rain this week, and heavy too. Fortunately I have reasonably free-draining soil so never have standing water, and while the lawn is a bit soft underfoot in places, it is still possible to get out and plant.  Last weekend I finally got around to planting primroses, ferns, a bergenia and 25 allium ‘summer drummer’ which were beginning to get unruly in the greenhouse. They were over a foot tall and bursting out of their pots. I planted half among the old clump of helenium, half among the tall asters. They get to 5 or 6 feet tall, not flowering till August, by which time they should be in good company.  Anyhow, that’s months away, for now it is time for Six on Saturday. Six things, in the garden, on a Saturday. Could be anything – a flower, seeds, a tool, plans, a disaster, a triumph, anything at all. Join in!

Here are my Six…

1 – Tulip ‘Trick’.  Yes yes, I know, we had the questing tips of tulips last week. But these are different, you see. These are last year’s tulips and therefore something of a surprise. I’ll be even more surprised if they flower well.  I did plant them nice and deep, much deeper than it says on the packet, perhaps 30cm down.  Most of last year’s tulips went in pots, same as this years, but I planted several batches in the garden with low expectations of a repeat performance.

2 – Eryngium ‘Graham Thomas’ Selection’.  New growth abounds at this time of year, this chap is no exception. I have half a dozen of these, grown from seed last year, still in their 1L pots. They are in the queue for planting space. 

3 – Viburnum bodnatense ‘Dawn’. I bought this shrub a couple of years ago, pruning it on sight as I didn’t like the shape of it. I later read that they don’t much like being pruned. Ah. I planted it towards the back of the border, expecting it to grow on quickly to become a winter centrepiece.  It sulked horribly and is still small, getting swamped in the summer stampede.  It has a bit of space at this time of year, just as well as this is when it struts its stuff.

4 – Seeds, Malope trifida ‘Vulcan’.  A new one to me, I’ve never grown these. Seemingly they grow to about 90cm, with bright magenta-pink mallowish flowers with a vivid green star-shaped centre. Allegedly they flower for ages, we shall see.

5 – Clematis ‘Beauty of Worcester’.  I bought this one with several others on a unrestrained orgy of senseless plant buying at Wisley last year. Beauty here is planted in the front garden, against the fence. She flowered a little last year but was past her best at purchase. We expect better things from her this year. She has made a promising start.

6 – Seeds, molucella laevis, or Bells of Ireland. Another one new to me, I would describe this as a sort of green foxglove with shades of hollyhock.  The titular bells are not actually the flowers, merely the outer guardians for a small white flower within. I have it on great authority that it makes an excellent foil for other plants, especially in the vase. I also have it on great authority that it can be a reluctant germinator.  I gather they need a spell in the fridge, or even freezer, before surface-sowing.

Those are my Six, what are yours?  If you’d like to partake, 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 spiffing. For more details you can read the brief participant guide.

Not sure what the weather has in store for you, but here it will be sunny and dry, but cold. I plan to get some pottering done, maybe some rose pruning/training, maybe even some gratuitous seed sowing. Don’t forget to check back in as more links get added during the day.

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