Well this weekend is severely curtailed from a gardening point of view. Today will be spent on the road, a 12 hour round trip to Newcastle via Durham to deposit the final two students off at their respective virus hot zones (I think we used to call them universities). We’ll also make a pitstop in Nottingham to have dinner with #1 child since we’re passing by. It’s going to be a loooong day. While I’m doing all that, you’ll be busy doing Six on Saturday. Six things, in the garden, on a Saturday. You decide, could be a flower, a leaf, a success, a failure, a job to do, a beastie, anything at all. Join in!
Here are my Six for this week:
1 – Physalis alkekengi. This is running a bit rampant in my front garden where the conditions clearly suit it. I hacked this chunk of plant off as it was coming up in the path, intending to bin it. Somewhere betwixt fork and bin I took pity on it and put it in a pot on the patio. The seed cases are fun.
2 – Dahlia ‘Karma Corona’. The result of a late online frenzy, a 30% off bargain I couldn’t refuse, in which I bought three established plants. The other two varieties are yet to flower, and they may not this year if they don’t get a move on. This one is making up for it, flowering con gusto.
3 – Fuchsia magellanica ‘Riccartonii’. Another result of a not infrequent one man campaign of support for independent nurseries during the lockdown. I bought nine fuchsias, three of which were Ricky here. I’ve planted one against some trellis in the border, one against the fence in the front garden, and this one is in a container on the sunny-ish side of the side passage. It replaces a ceanothus which failed to thrive. In time Ricky should get quite large and should do a good job of covering some wall. It may be a job to keep under control.
4 – Aster ‘Little Carlow’. Flowering like billio, this is a great plant. I have some in sunshine, some in partial shade, some in full shade. All are doing well, all the divided offspring of a single parent plant bought a few years ago. Despite the name, it gets to be a decent size, 3′ to 4′, and forms a decent clump that needs dividing every couple of years. How unfortunate…
5 – Aster frikartii ‘Monch’. I now have two of these plants, one a recent purchase. The other was swamped by echinops and hot lips and was presumed killed in action. On cutting back the bullies I found the limp remains of this plant and thought it was a goner. On closer inspection it was still showing signs of new growth so I planted it in a more open spot and let it be. It seems to be happy and is now a worthwhile plant again. The other one is probably a better plant, having been properly cared for in the nursery, but hasn’t flowered yet.
6 – Salvia ‘hot lips’. I have more asters, but let’s save them for another weekend, and for when I can remember what the varieties are. Sigh, I dunno, I still can’t make up my mind about this plant. I have a large one in the back garden sunny border and two more, progeny of the first, in the front garden. It’s still flowering in profusion and in the advertised two-tone fashion too. I may dig up the large one and stick it in a pot on the patio (highly likely). Or I may shred it (highly unlikely). Or I may leave it in situ (no way José).
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 my blog in yours that would be ossum. For more details you can read the brief guide.
Have a fab weekend, I hope the weather is kind to you. Don’t forget to check back in later as more links are added during the day.
Stay safe, I’ll be back next weekend for another #SixOnSaturday.
I have to confess that I love my Salvia hot lips! It is such a bright filler plant for those hot spaces in the garden, especially in the humid summers. The asters are lovely with an amazing amount of flowers on the plant.
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I have a son at a “virus hot spot” as well. So far, so good. I love that dahlia, and can’t help but wonder if it was a bargain because it has “Corona” in its name. Here’s my post, which I actually did publish yesterday, on Saturday, but forgot until this morning to put it here! It features the little surprises that popped up this year. https://cosmosandcleome.wordpress.com/2020/09/26/six-on-saturday-the-i-didnt-plant-that-there-edition/
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Do you know i haven’t made the link between the name of the dahlia and covid. Perhaps that IS why it was on sale.
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Hello, I hope that your Saturday on the road was painless. Living in Northumberland and place of work in Ilkeston, I know those routes very well! I am missing your photo of Little Carlow, I wanted to compare it to mine. It has taken me 20+ years to get physalis going.
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Yes it was all very straightforward, a long day but the traffic was light, we made good time.
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Just under the wire! https://dameeleanorhull.wordpress.com/2020/09/26/its-still-saturday-in-my-time-zone/
I hope you had a great trip and that the offspring get to stay put and enjoy their universities rather than being sent home or confined to quarters.
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We were lucky with the traffic, clear run through in both directions. 600 miles tho, pretty tiring.
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Skidding in by a hair’s breadth (it’s Sunday in Australia…..but still Saturday in the USA!), here is my Six on Saturday for the week. I will read and comment on your post a little later on today.
https://hairbellsandmaples.com/2020/09/27/six-on-saturday-w39-2020-almost-too-late-she-cried/
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I’m glad there’s someone else who’s late. 🙂
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Oh yes! It’s happened to me before!
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Just in the nick of time!
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Always interesting to read about your dilemmas, Jon! Thanks for hosting. My six are at https://ramblinginthegarden.wordpress.com/2020/09/26/six-on-saturday-disgraceful/
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Will I, won’t I, nobody knows.
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I share your ambivalence about ‘Hot Lips’, I like a salvia but red and white? It’s not normal. I really must get some asters, had lots in the old garden and flowered for ever.
Nearly 6 on Sunday here, but better late than never.
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Sunday? It’s not even noon on Saturday where I am!
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Oh indeed you must.
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As usual, I envy all the color you have. I have no flowers this week. I have monsters. Creepy. crawly, scary monsters. Just in time for Halloween. https://wp.me/p4Y6ke-2G6
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Dude! Halloween is in like 5 weeks.
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They’re putting me in the creepy, crawly Halloween mood!
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I have mixed feelings about Hot LIps as well. I reminds me of those pinwheel Petunias…love the Asters. Here is the most recent madness from my garden. https://theshrubqueen.com/2020/09/26/six-on-saturday-orchids-in-the-gumbo-limbo/
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I was staring at it again today. At the very least it needs a substantial haircut. It has put on a good 3 feet this summer, from being pruned hard in the spring.
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Wow, good healthy growth!
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Well, the first thing I learned today was what “like billio” means! I had to look that one up, I’d not heard it before. So, the aster is blooming is blooming a lot, even blooming like hell?
The next thing I learned is that your asters are beautiful, and I am happy a bareroot is being shipped to me in two weeks. KICKIN’ Pink Chiffon (yes, the capitalization and apostrophe are part of the trademarked name!). I also ordered seeds I thought were the annual asters, but turns out they are perennial. We’ll see how that goes.
Have a safe trip. My daughter’s university is remote only.
https://lisasgardenadventureinoregon.blogspot.com/2020/09/six-on-saturday-september-26-2020.html
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I must correct myself. The aster is not what is bareroot, it’s a plant. I have other things on order, coming later, bareroot. The aster is coming with a coneflower, two salvias, and a sneezeweed! Oh, and bulbs.
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Two peoples, separated by a common language.
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Good luck with the depositing of kids to hotbeds. What a year this is. Not sure I like hot lips, a bit too in your face?
I love the Asters tho. My contribution https://digwithdorris.wordpress.com
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It is a bit brash, yes.
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Lovely, lovely dahlia! It amazes me how many plants are in your garden and the new varieties you add each season! I envy you! Here is my post for today!
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I keep cramming them in, somehow.
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I hope your drive goes well. I remember sitting for hours on the A1 in traffic. Too bad you won’t have time to see much of the northeast this time. I remember my old stomping grounds with fondness. Meanwhile I really like all your fuchsia varieties. They are not winter hardy here but treated as annuals. Here’s mine dor this week.
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Made pretty good time. Took almost as long to unload my daughter’s outrageous amount of gear. I went uni up here too so know there a bit.
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Enjoy your trip and be careful
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Good afternoon. A bit later today. My tablet had run out of charge overnight so I had to wait to take the photos and do my post. Then I went with Grannysgardenhimindoors to have our annual flu jabs. I had the bonus of the pneumonia one too. We live a wild life, as I may have said before. Your dahlia looks good. I have a few buds on mine still so I’m hoping the frosts stay away. I think I will start a “Hotlips” appreciation society, it flowers for ages and keeps me happy. 👍😉
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Hiya. Nephew deposited at Durham, #2 mostly unpacked, breaking for a late lunch. Then on road to Nottingham!
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Just take your time and go carefully. I think it will be a late dinner too.
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Gorgeous dahlia and I love ‘Little Carlow’. I hope your children can enjoy their days at university – or the viral hotspots as you call them, stay safe and well.
Here are my six: https://blogoftwogardens.com/2020/09/26/six-on-saturday-at-the-end-of-september/
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Thanks, I’m sure they’ll be fine. hopefully they’ll get it and be well again before Xmas!
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Love asters 💜 Have a safe drive. Here is my Six on Saturday https://hurtledto60.com/2020/09/26/six-on-saturday-26-09-2020/ P.s. changed the blog name to Ageing Gardener but kept the domain name of Hurtled, all very confusing.
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I feel your confusion, Ronnie. If only the world were simple…
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Hello. It was all quite straightforward, light traffic both ways.
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I’m not a ‘Hotlips’ fan but I sympathise with your dilemma. I am getting more ruthless especially if I can find good homes for those that have to go! Wishing you well with the driving. Here’s the link to my foodie six. https://wp.me/p97pee-Ei
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Without Ruth. Excellent. Gotta be cruel to be kind.
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Apologies for the delay of sending this. It is more colorful this week, although not as colorful as your dahlia.
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I have a small garden but it’s taken me years to accept that it’s okay to grow a plant for a while then replace it with something else. Does that make me a bad gardener? Hotlips is definitely leaving my borders this year (I may keep one in a pot) as it doesn’t give the greatest pleasure for the space it wants to occupy. I did the same with Physalis, but seeing your photo……….. No! Be strong Ann. Good luck with the traffic today.
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Decisive! Not bad. We had a good run up here, just starting the process of shifting the gargantuan quantity of stuff my daughter has brought with her…
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Morning! All power to your motoring elbow; I hope you and all the Mini Propagators make it through the day in one piece… I’ve done a big old cheat this morning and decided to throw back to Sat 21 March and the cusp of lockdown, to mark six months since we all thought this would be over in three weeks… https://mysecretgarden61808037.wordpress.com/2020/03/29/gardening-2020-style-or-how-a-worldwide-pandemic-made-me-grateful-for-my-tiny-patch-of-earth/
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It was a long old day, 600 miles, give or take, but both safely deposited.
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I hope your UK road trip goes well today. I don’t think you’ll be missing out on fine gardening weather. It’s cold and windy in the East Midlands today, and I’ve not braved outdoors yet.
I love the asters you feature and once again it’s a reminder to me to buy some more. It’s so nice to have something to look forward to in the garden this time of year.
Here’s my six for this week
https://www.hortusbaileyana.co.uk/2020/09/theres-chill-in-air.html
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Yes it was chilly yesterday. Some welcome (relatively) warm sunshine here this afternoon.
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I don’t envy you that drive, 50 miles is a long way for me. A man who can take pity on Physalis is a sitting duck for an independent nurseryman prepared to palm off Fuchsia magellanica as F. ‘Ricartonii’, though the sad truth is the nurseryman probably doesn’t know it’s wrong. They’re a similar size bush and have the same colour flowers, if that’s what’s important. The problem with ‘Hot Lips’ is that it’s taking up space where you could grow something better. It has its merits but…. ‘Little Carlow’ is on my ‘used to have’ list but not yet back on my ‘must get again’ list, it was good for a while, then vanished. https://wp.me/p6bCCa-2uV
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Best part of 600 miles im total, pretty weary by the end of it. To be fair the specialst fuchsia nursery where I bought it doesn’t call it magellanica, I got that from a different site when I was checking the spelling!
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I think Hotlips has its place, but since it out shadowed your Aster, you are right to be thinking about its position. Here are my six this week https://noellemace.blogspot.com/2020/09/six-on-saturday-26-september-2020.html
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Yes, it’s place is somewhere else!
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Happy Saturday round trip!! 😁😁
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Morning all – hope you have a smooth drive. Nice Dahlia! My six: https://wp.me/p5rtxM-7P
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It was pretty straightforward in the end, light traffic both ways. Long old day tho.
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I found the solution, send students to university and leave them there for a while!.
Either way, they’re going to be contaminated… Besides, one of mine has already been last week and he’s OK now…
Nice Six this week, I particularly enjoyed the physalis with these pretty red bells. Here is my link: https://fredgardenerblog.wordpress.com/2020/09/26/six-on-saturday-26-09-20/
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Yes exactly. Preferably before they come home for Christmas!
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I hope your travels run smoothly. Are those asters ones you bought at Waterperry? They’re so so pretty. And is that dahlia really called ‘Karma Corona’? If so its rather apposite. I’m also mentioning the dreaded corona in my six, where I’m sharing superspreading plants of the rock garden.
https://www.teabreakgardener.co.uk/garden-superspreaders-stars-of-the-rock-garden/
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No, not from Waterperry this time. Well, the other monch that I mentioned was from Waterperry, but not the one in the pic.
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The Physalis alkekengi is lovely even if a bit of a pest for you. The salvia is really pretty too. Here are my six https://basia329.wordpress.com/2020/09/26/six-on-saturday-26-09-20/
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Not a pest as such, just needs a firm hand.
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Fuchsia ‘Richartonii’ is a common roadside plant of the west of Ireland and, indeed, locations further east for Pádraig will attest that it grows on the road between Dungarvan and Youghal also. A very attractive plant.
Best wishes on your long day, a tiring one.
To all contributors, best wishes, stay safe and healthy. Paddy
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Cheers paddy, quick pitstop, bit over half way.
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Richartonii… Shaped by the prevailing wind. I wasn’t aware of the name. I shall enlighten my fellow cyclists as we pass tomorrow!
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Plenty on the west of the Drum Hills on the way to Youghal.
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Safe trip today with your young ones. I hope they will resist partying and socialising while there’s another attempt to get this virus under control. I well remember those trips, though for me it was a mere 9 hour round trip.
But on to your six, which again, is full of beautiful shades of autumn, Gorgeous Physalis alkekengi – glad you took pity on it as it always looks great in a pot. You bought nine Fuchsia ‘’Riccartonii’’? Nine? I can see you getting to the stage, now that your children are departing the fold, that your thoughts will be wandering to see if there’s any part of the house that you can demolish to make way for more gardening land. Perhaps you need to find an allotment. 😁
Gorgeous aster, salvia and dahlia too. Take care today!
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Now steady on. I bought 9 total, 3 of which were riccartonii. 3 lady b, 3 genii.
I think expecting students, even sensible ones, to refrain from mixing is unrealistic. Just won’t happen.
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Lol It doesn’t sound so bad when you put it like that. I wonder how many roses I have? 🤔
Unrealistic perhaps, but sadly many are now paying the price through lockdown in their halls. Students here have been asked not to go to pubs, parties or restaurants this weekend. I’m glad that none of my grandchildren are of student age. Worrying about them being at school is hard enough.
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Nice Six. Love the dahlia. I struggle with Physalis – I have to concentrate really hard so as not to call it something else. Safe journeying.
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I forgot the link! https://onemanandhisgardentrowel.wordpress.com/2020/09/26/six-on-saturday-26-september-2020/
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Long day, but completed successfully.
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Wishing you a safe journey, a chara. Now, if only SOS articles could be beamed via Audible, you’d be well up to date!
Anyways, the Salvia reminds me of when I bought mine at local Farmers Market. Guy says I should buy it for the wife. Later as I passed he was persuading a lady to ask her husband to buy it for her. 😀 Highly likely! Mine died in the snow 2018.
Your Dahlia Karma Corona is delectable. In fact Ie seen them described recently as a delectation of dahlias.
https://growwriterepeat.com/2020/09/26/six-on-saturday-12/
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Yeah its a good dahlia. Funky shape, funky colour, typical name.
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I like hot lips but I do prefer the amethyst lips which I think you’ve got as well. I like the fuschia too. I bought a few that were meant to be thinner flower types but must have been mislabelled as they are as big and as blousy as ever.
This weeks six from a soggy garden featuring some lovely foliage, prize winnings and planning for dry gardening in the middle of a storm.
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Yes i much prefer the purple one.
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