A rare enough occurrence, February 29th, but super unusual to have one on a Saturday. The last one was in 1992 when I was avoiding revision for my Finals and, far as I can tell, the next one won’t be until 2048 by which time I’ll be knocking 80. Enjoy today then, the first and (probably) last leap day Six on Saturday! Six things, in the garden, on a Saturday. Could be anything – a plant, a flower, a job to do, wildlife, a seedling, anything at all. Join in!
Here are my Six for this week.
1 – Peat free compost. Last weekend I popped to B&Q to get compost and some 20mm gravel. Weirdly, that is ALL I bought. I sailed past all the plants, the clearance shelves, all the gardening paraphernalia. Must have been coming down with something. Anyhow, I have previously bought B&Qs own brand peat-free, quite good value at 3 50L bags for a tenner but they don’t seem to sell it any more. This New Horizon stuff is more expensive, and as I recall, smells a bit funny. It seems to work well enough, which is the important thing. Plus I get to feel smugly virtuous.
2 – Narcissi ‘Tete a Tete’. I planted a bunch of these in planters on the patio, they are beginning to come through, this pair is the vanguard.
3 – Tulip pots, freshly dressed. On that plant-free trip to B&Q I bought some gravel with a purpose in mind, namely making my rather plane-Jane tulip buckets look a bit smarter. I counted them. I have 50! Should be rather colourful, although I would like to pressure wash the patio before moving them there. Just needs to stop raining for a while…
4 – Rose ‘Gertrude Jekyll’. I bought Gertie here last year after many SoS folks had waxed lyrical on her many virtues. She didn’t do a great deal in her first year, but I just spotted 2 new stems emerging from the base. I am taking this as a sign that she is nicely settled in and probably also that she appreciated the manure mulch.
5 – Mystery Clematis Threesome. Cathy, of this parish, mentioned last week that she had bought a mystery clematis along with her order with Thorncroft Clematis. Thorncroft are selling off unlabelled stock for a fiver each. For several minutes I was strong, confident in the knowledge that I don’t need any more clematis, I even have two waiting to be planted out. Good value though. Very good value. Irresistible, even. I could probably squeeze in a few more. Couldn’t I? Sure I can…
6 – Persicaria, bursting forth. This is p. ‘fat domino’ which were very vigorous last year. It’ll get to a few feet tall and similar across and flower for months. For now it is just a couple of inches tall.
Those are my Six for this week, what are yours? If you’d like to have a go, 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 fab. For more details and other ways to participate you can read the brief participant guide.
I have a long list of things I want to get done in the garden, getting longer every week with the poor weather we’ve been having. I hope you manage to get out and get on, don’t forget to pop back here as more links get added during the day.
As a bonus extra for you, I managed to clear all those wood chippings from my drive last weekend. I now have 4 full compost bays, newly resurfaced paths in front and back gardens, and about 20 bags left to use for purposes currently unknown.
I’ll be back next weekend with another #SixOnSaturday.
The Propagator 
Didn’t join you on Saturday, Jon, but I am pleased to see that you joined me in buying mystery clematis! I hope between us we have lots of exciting varieties. Where will you put your tulip pots? Do you intend to pop them into your borders?
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No, about 2/3 will go on the patio steps, the rest by the front door.
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Jealous of your tulips! I don’t have any tulips. I do however have lots of oxalis and creeping buttercup along with lots of nasty invasive grasses 😫
Here’s my SoS for this week, apologies for the la5e post – manic week!
https://dizzydelights.blogspot.com/2020/03/six-on-saturday-29022020.html
Have a good week all 😊
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My six on saturday
https://gardeningmyway.home.blog/2020/02/29/six-on-saturday-29th-feb-2020/
See you all for another six next week.
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Mystery clematis sounds fun! The only one I have right now is ‘Josephine,’ and I think she needs pruning.
https://hodgepodgehall.blogspot.com/2020/02/six-on-saturday-snow-fog-and-snowflakes.html
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Well done on tackling that huge pile of wood chips. The gravel mulch around the tulips does look good. I use gravel mulch a lot for my succulents, but had not thought to use it in other pots. I can’t wait to see the tulip display when they are all in bloom!
Here is my Six on Saturday for this week: https://hairbellsandmaples.wordpress.com/2020/02/29/six-on-saturday-w9-2020-colour-in-february/
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What a busy chai you’ve been and good on ya.
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I was so busy myself not watching my typing chai should be chap.
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Clematis is my one weakness though I only have five Clematis. I’m an right now working out where to put more into the garden.
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I have been silent, and somewhat inactive in the garden, but your activities have prompted me to get moving again! https://enthusiasticgardener.com/2020/02/29/the-city-garden-at-the-end-of-february/
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Lots of lovely new shoots there. Spring is on the way! Here’s my six, better late than never
https://bramblegarden.com/2020/02/29/six-on-saturday-a-celebration-of-snowdrops-in-my-garden-29th-february-2020/
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Will be interested to hear how you get on withe new horizon compost.
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A tardy post is better than no post I hope! https://digwithdorris.wordpress.com
I love GJ and have six here. I am hoping they survive as my beds are ankle deep in water.
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You did a LOT of work hauling all those wood chips. I did a lot of work as well. I worked at watching other people work in my yard. https://stoneyknob.wordpress.com/2020/02/29/sos-new-landscaping/
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You worked hard to move all of that bark. My Tulip pot total is insignificant compared to yours. Must try harder next year. I’m in a very soggy and windy Belfast this weekend so my Six were selected on a sunny day earlier in the week
https://thequiltinggardener.wordpress.com/20/02/29/six-on-saturday-29-02-20/
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Good for you on the clematis. Some of my favourite and healthiest plants came free from a friend who worked at a garden centre and helped them ‘move’ their lost label remnants at the end of the season. Here’s my link: https://pruneplantsow.wordpress.com/
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Ha, wood chippings seems to be a theme. My post is based around them too! https://wp.me/pM8Y1-7Ih
You’ve reminded me that I am supposed to shop for ‘Fat Domino’ asap and strangely (we all seem to be going down the same route) I bought a Rosa ‘Gertrude Jekyll’ two days ago for my husband’s birthday. Honestly, it’s for him, not me.
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‘Tete a Tete’ make me smile – a sure sign of spring! Here are my six this week, managed to get some jobs done today
https://blogoftwogardens.com/2020/02/29/six-jobs-on-saturday/
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I am jealous that you moved all the chippings. It does make a good pathway and I still have a giant pile. Are you getting peat free compost to save the peat bogs? Love the surprise Clematis, though my fear of vines is reasserting itself via Passionflowers here. Here is my Six. http://theshrubqueen.com/2020/02/29/six-on-saturday-lessons-learned/
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Most compost here is peat based, that peat takes hundreds of years to form and sequesters a lot of carbon in the ground. Removing it destroys an ecosystem. Best to leave it in the ground. Bit of a movement here to go peat-free.
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It’s starting here as people realize it is irreplaceable.
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Thank you for explaining that. I had wondered about the peat too.
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Glad to see those chipping virtuously corralled out of the way! I’m a bit late with my 6 this week. I have been busy trying to change my blog – I am certainly unskilled when it comes to these things. I now have three pages in the menu which you can look at. One is the 6s, one the monthly garden update and one for wildlife and walking notes. Do have a look. Here’s my 6 for this week.
https://theoptimisticgardener.wordpress.com/2020/02/29/6-on-saturday-29-2-2020/
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Running out of time so cheated a bit … https://thirdageblogger.blogspot.com/2020/02/six-on-saturday_29.html
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We are lucky to have this extra day to make the most of, and I almost had to include a “bonus” photo like you – it’s so hard to narrow down the selection sometimes!
Here is my latest Six on Saturday – thank you 🙂 http://www.kevinwgelder.com/six-on-saturday-29-february-2020/
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I’m in the Gertrude J brigade – she does reliably here every year. Well done on shifting all those wood chips. I have spent a long time perusing my compost heap this morning trying to work out how to remedy it. I’ve got tête-à-têtes in my six too:
https://carrotsandcalendula.co.uk/2020/02/29/six-on-saturday-spring-cleaning/
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Oops. Please read alliums for aliums.
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My computer told me a-l-l-i-u-m was wrong, so I took out an L & it told me that was wrong again, leaving me totally confused. Now I know.
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Good afternoon. Just back from shopping. Nothing exciting. The compost heap with the shreddings should do well. Here are this week’s Six-on-Saturday.
https://grannysgarden229242407.wordpress.com/2020/02/29/six-on-saturday-29-02-2020
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Well I was bragging about having wood chip too but it’s nowhere near as much as you. Still it will easier for me to get it all onto the garden! I missed the Thorncroft tip and now I’ve seen it I may have take a look. Do I thank Cathy for this? Yes I think I do – if they haven’t sold out! Here’s my link https://wp.me/p97pee-wb
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I’m featuring Gertrude this week too! Mine was in a pot for a few years but now in the garden and being trained to be a climber. I haven’t checked to see if there are new shoots from the base, that would be nice. Unlike a lot of the folk in this community I have managed to avoid the garden centre still and although Thorncroft keep tempting me with emails featuring gorgeous clemmies, so far I have managed to ignore them too. I want to have a year off buying new plants (exception will be annuals) so things can bed down, so’s to speak. Ta ta for now!
https://wp.me/p79zFr-2Gw
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I admire your resolve, but really, as if!! 😀
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A short read at the airport. I can’t wait to see how my garden has changed … seeing the very bad weather that there has been in Northern Europe, I still prefer to enjoy this sun here. Here is my link https://fredgardenerblog.wordpress.com/2020/02/29/six-on-saturday-29-02-20/
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I was going to say ‘Good Boy’ for moving all those chippings in one week….it will stay, as with a little calculation using the very interesting data you gave about the Saturday leap year, you are ‘younger’ than me! Oh you will love that rose, such a glorious scent too. Here are my six:https://noellemace.blogspot.com/2020/02/six-on-saturday-29-february-2020.html
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Gertrude will improve year on year – she is a beautiful rose, I’ve had her for 3 years now, and she looks better each year. That’s a lot of tulips! They’re going to make a fab display.
My husband’s been telling me to use B&Q gravel on my pots, but I’ve been buying Hoti Grit that’s more expensive, so after seeing your pots – I hate to admit it but I think he was right. I’ll just let him get me some from B&Q. Our B&Q doesn’t seem to have New Horizon in stock, but I’ll get hubby to ask – he’s always in there.
Meantime, I have to go out for a while, so I’ll just post my Six and catch up on everyone’s posts later in the day.
https://notesfrommygarden.co.uk/2020/02/29/six-on-saturday-2020-29-02/
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10mm gravel is fine and v cheap.
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Out of curiosity, I was looking on Westland’s website to see whether their compost contained green waste, it being an ingredient I’d avoid. They don’t tell you what it contains. There’s a nine page data sheet and they don’t tell you the ingredients. Now call me a cynic….
Here’s my cynical six: https://wp.me/p6bCCa-2b5
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This is an issue for me with that compost too. Just lots of marketing words on the bag that don’t tell you exactly what’s in it…
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The tulip pots look very smart with their top dressing of gravel. What a difference it makes.
I’m always admiring clematis in other people’s gardens. You get height and magnificent colour without taking up much space at ground level. I might have to go shopping again!
Here’s my six for this week.
https://www.hortusbaileyana.co.uk/2020/02/a-february-garden-miscellany.html
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That should be a good tulip display then. I’m finding lots coming up in strange places in the border. I don’t remember planting them. I really should mark them in some way or put more consideration into planting. Always ends up getting done in a rush.
This weeks six I’ve been working on tidying the garden, some upcycling projects, new tree and spring crocus. Plus a little bit of lawn shaved off for more border.
https://30daysofwildparenting.wordpress.com/2020/02/29/six-on-saturday-29-2-19/
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You should have a wonderful display of tulips, although I do question the term ‘plain Jane tulip buckets’. Well done on dispersing that huge amount of woodchips. Very satisfying.
http://janesmudgeegarden.com/closeups/
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Hard to believe you won’t be SoSing when you’re 80, but I’ll be dead & not able to chastise you. Cathy is a bad influence & should be banished from here – in other words, I also have 3 new clematis from Thorncroft, featured this week. Mine came w/labels suggesting what they may be, & none of those possibilities are duds. Great value (& truly, thank you, Cathy!). I’m duly impressed that you got through all your chippings. Come on, tulip season! https://lorahughes.blogspot.com/2020/02/relentless.html
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Ha i wondered if anyone else would succumb!
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Possibly a very silly question, so no laughing please. Is there a link between persicaria ‘fat domino’ and that rather super musical man who like blueberries? I just wondered.
Your ever loving #1FIL
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Often wondered the same thing, perhaps the breeder was a jazz fan. It is most emphatically “fat” not “fats” though, so who knows. Xx
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I can see the attraction of a mystery clematis. We all love a surprise and now we’re all keen to see what you get too! I’ve had mixed success with that peat free compost brand. It’s good for pots etc but some of my seedlings struggled in it last year. It may well have been nothing to do with the compost of course…
Here’s my six with tidings of pest damage and a pretty hepatica.
https://www.teabreakgardener.co.uk/garden-pests-and-storms-six-on-saturday/
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I came back from the garden centre with a few bags of New Horizon peat free compost. It is pricier but it’s a lot finer than some of the other stuff. Alas, I wasn’t as good as you picked up quite a few other things while I was there. Regarding the clematis, I look forward to reading about your new acquisitions in a future post! https://onemanandhisgardentrowel.wordpress.com/2020/02/29/six-on-saturday-29-february-2020/
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https://tonytomeo.com/2020/02/29/six-on-saturday-more-gopher-problems/
I got daffodil this week too. I did not want to waste such a pretty picture. Besides, four of my pictures are not exactly colorful, and even the yarrow is not a bright color.
What happens to your potted tulips after bloom? The topdressing of gravel would make the potting medium difficult to recycle into the garden.
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I just tip the gravel off and wash it for re-use. Last year I binned the bulbs but I have some in the ground coming up for 2nd year so if they flower well I will plant some of these too once they’ve flowered.
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I purchase almost no bulbs, but find plenty growing in debris dumped from the landscapes or other gardens in the neighborhood. My snowflakes just washed in on the river. If they survive like that, they can likely survive in my garden.
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50 buckets of Tulips! I like the sound of that!!! I have started using that Peat Free Compost as-well. Here is my Six https://sedumsdahliasandhayfever.com/2020/02/29/six-on-saturday-29th-february-2020/
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Yup, 50, should be fun for a month or two.
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It is fun to see all these signs of spring in the northern hemisphere. Still summer here though am browsing bulb catalogues! https://basia329.wordpress.com/2020/02/29/six-on-saturday-29-02-20/
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