Spring is everywhere! In these pictures, and also in my step as I had my first Covid jab on Monday. I’m pleased to report no ill effects. I am enjoying a period of busy-but-not-too-busy in the garden. I have lots to do, but can do it at a somewhat leisurely pace and stay more or less on top of it. Not too much watering, not too many seedlings, I can still move in the greenhouse, no hardening off yet, and no courgettes to closely monitor. This will change all too quickly so I shall enjoy it while it lasts. In the meantime, Six on Saturday. Six things, in the garden, on a Saturday. Could be anything – a job to do, a flower, a pest, a success, a failure, anything at all. Join in!

Here are my Six for this week.

1 – New tree excitement! This Malus ‘Rudolph’ arrived yesterday. I ordered it some weeks back with a view to replacing an iffy cercis canadensis. After some judicious pruning of dead stems, I’m now minded to give the cercis a stay of execution. What is left is vaguely tree shaped, so there is hope. So, now I have to decide where to plant the crab apple, a nice problem to have. I’m currently minded to remove some lawn and plant it roughly where you see it in the picture below. The tree was in great condition when I opened it, the blossom is all intact and nearly out too.

2 – Cobea scandens, cup-and-saucer vine. I’m very pleased with this seedling, one of three. I tried to grow this two years running and didn’t get any to germinate for some reason (or mice ate the seeds). These were the last three seeds in the packet, so nothing ventured, nothing gained! All three germinated and all three are now living it up in my heated and well lit propagator. They are growing very quickly, almost visibly, I have high hopes for them.

3 – Tulip combo (Negrita, Angel’s Wish, National Velvet). These work well together, I think. Angel’s Wish is maybe a touch yellow, I was expecting more cream, but still.

3 – Apple blossom. Potentially a good year for apples, there is a tonne of blossom on this cooker tree which overhangs my veg plot. It could do with a professional prune, but seems to carry on producing every year.

4 – Tulip combo (Negrita Double, Orange Princess, Red Princess). Annoyingly, the negrita doubles are about double the height of the princesses, which looks a little unbalanced from the side. It’s far from a disaster, I think the brash and blousy colour combination works.

5 – Melianthus major, seedling. These seeds came from the HPS seed scheme this year. I’ve wanted one for a while after reading Chris Lloyd waxing lyrical about them in ‘Foliage Plants’. Every garden should have one, apparently, and far be it from me to argue. If happy in it’s planting place it can grow quite large, but will likely get knocked back to the ground in a typical winter. There are those that say you get a better plant if it is cut right back regardless, in which case it may get to 4 or 5 feet tall the following year.

6 – Tulip ‘Ballerina’. This is the combo that wasn’t, or at least not yet. In the same tub are t. ‘elegant lady’, a similar shape but in pinkish tones. She is late to the party.

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 tip top. For more details you can read the brief participant guide.

Have a fabulous weekend in the garden, don’t forget to pop back later as more links get added during the day.

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