It is now undisputably Spring, whichever way you measure it. Here in the UK the clocks go forward this weekend, so that’s another hour of useful daylight after work for extra gardening time. I plan to get a bit done in the garden this weekend, I have a shortish long run to do on Saturday but am otherwise mostly unencumbered. Talking of running, thanks in part to the lovely denizens of Six On Saturday, I have passed the £1000 target I had for fundraising for Macmillan. Thank you so much to all who donated, it is very generous of you and is much appreciated by me.
Time for Six on Saturday then. Six things, in the garden, on a Saturday. Could be anything, you decide. Join in!
Here are my Six for this week…
1 – Rose ‘Elmshorn’, recuperating. This rose did well in its first year but has done nothing for 2 or 3 years, the odd pathetic flower. It may be too shady a spot for it, or perhaps the two clematis and the honeysuckle it shares container space are too much for it. In a desperate bid for salvation, I cut back all the do-nothing stems to the bare sticks you see here. My focus was off in the photo, but take my word for it, there is much evidence of new growth on all stems. Let’s see how it does.

2 – Prunus incisa ‘kojo no mai’. I have two of these ornamental cherries, both in large-ish pots on the patio. This one is getting on for a metre tall now, and covered in beautiful pink-tinged blossom. It’ll be lovely for another week or so, then it will all drop and I’ll be left a little forlorn.


3 – Veggie seeds. I’ve decided to bin some old seeds that I optimistically try to summon life from every year. I might sow some carrots this weekend, and I already have some salad leaves on the go, but the rest can wait until late April.

4 – Magnolia stellata, dwarf magnolia. Slightly benighted by heavy rain today, a shame as it looked even more fabulous in the sunshine yesterday.


5 – Sweet peas, autumn sown. I’m embarrassed to say these have gone a bit wrong. I’m afraid I neglected them over the winter, they dried out quite a bit and look rather sorry for themselves. One set is probably mostly salvageable, the other is a right mess, I may not get any useful plants from it. I have sown another tray for extras, and this will have the added benefit of extending the sweet pea flowering season. I’m going to plant the worthy this weekend. Their freshly sown brethren can go out in a few weeks time.


6 – Tomato seedlings. I pricked these out last weekend, the leaves flush to the compost. They have grown up quickly, now an inch or two high, more in a few cases. They are in the heated/lit propagator with the chillies, which are also doing nicely. They seem to appreciate it. I’ll pot them on a couple more times before putting them in their final 20L tubs, some in the greenhouse, some on the patio.

Those are my Six, 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 marvellous. For more details you can read the brief participant guide.
Have a fabulous weekend, get some gardening done, and don’t forget to pop back as more links get added during the day.
Stay safe, I’ll be back next weekend with another #SixOnSaturday.
Finally moving from winter to spring here in Vermont. Your posts give a glimpse of what the future brings! https://spruceknobgarden.wordpress.com/2021/03/28/goodby-white-hello-green/
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Your cherries and Magnolia stellata certainly are inspiring. We had a native plum shrub outside my office window bloom just today. It is a welcome sight and we are glad that spring has finally settled in. Your seedlings are impressive, too. I love gardeners who plan ahead and have things ready to go. Those are good looking tomatoes coming along. I had a package of veggie seeds arrive in the mail this week and I expect to plant peas out soon. With a spell of cold weather coming, I am trying to exert some self-discipline. My six this week are more about choosing long-term investments for the garden and less about starting plants new, but the it’s all to please the bees…. https://woodlandgnome.wordpress.com/2021/03/27/six-on-saturday-favorite-plants-for-hungry-pollinators/
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Been another busy week. Here are my six for this week. I’ll come back tomorrow to have a look around. https://mybeautfulthings.com/2021/03/27/six-on-saturday-27-3-2021/
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I am excited to announce that I have actual real live blooming flowers to share with you this week: https://dameeleanorhull.wordpress.com/2021/03/27/six-on-saturday-actual-spring/
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How exciting!
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