I enjoyed my race last weekend, a 50km jaunt along the Ridgeway path. Although I was carrying a bit of an achilles injury, I seem to have become someone that can knock out a 50k of a morning without fuss. As suspected, I didn’t get an awful lot of gardening done afterwards, my afternoon being mainly sofa-bound. This weekend’s gardening will also be curtailed, we are off to a music festival on Sunday, annual outing for us for 7 or 8 years now. Last year’s was cancelled cos Covid, so we’re looking forward to spending the afternoon and evening sunning ourselves in our deck chairs, all day picnic on the go. Oh and there will be some music too. Anyhow, time for Six on Saturday. What’s that, I hear you say? Six things, in the garden, on a Saturday. Could be anything, a flower, a pest, wildlife, a job to do, a project, anything at all. Join in!
Here are my Six for this week.
1 – Penstemon ‘Plum Jerkum’. One of a dozen different penstemon I bought last year as teeny plugs. Several did not survive my neglect but some did, including plummy j here. I have got around to planting it out, it is sitting in some newly available ground in the border I dug for my new malus tree. Good value, penstemons, if they can be nursed through the winter. Lots of flowers, and of increasing importance to me, the slugs and snails are not particularly interested. I usually leave them unpruned over winter, usually enough to protect the crown from frost, cutting them back only when spring arrives and the worst of the weather is past.
2 – Potentilla fruticosa. An SoS regular, I’ve had this shrub for years. I only pruned it a few weeks ago, having forgotten to do it at the normal time. It looked quite sad with lots of straggly brown growth. I gave it the roughest of haircuts, just with the secateurs, but it seems to have responded well with plenty of pale yellow flowers. I’m fond of the glowing centres. No fragrance to speak of, sadly, but it’s a good do-er and will flower all summer.
3 – Hypericum ‘Magical Universe’. Another shrub, also evergreen, it doesn’t flower as long as the potentilla but does bear glistening red fruit. It roots rather easily from cuttings, I have a couple in the front garden as well now that have grown very nicely.
4 – Geranium, obviously, no idea which, answers on a postcard. This could be a bought plant, or it could be one I’ve grown from plant society seeds. It’s a bit of a sprawler, but the flowers are rather lovely, and certainly not shy and retiring.
5 – Lychnis coranaria. Your basic magenta model, which self seeds prolifically if one is not on the case with the deadheading. I rarely am, so I have a lot of them! They seedlings are rather easy to spot, to be composted or potted on and palmed off on the unsuspecting, or just left to grow. A short lived plant, they need replacing every few years anyway. I wouldn’t be without it, which is a good thing, I’m never likely to get rid of it entirely.
6 – Geranium ‘Pink Delight’. Acquired as a small plant a couple of years ago under the HPS conservation scheme, this one is established and growing nicely now. Living up to its billing, it is both pink and delightful. I do like a hardy geranium. I haven’t met one yet that I didn’t like at least a little bit.
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 triffic. For more details you can read the brief participant guide.
We are forecast lovely weather this weekend, possibly even on the too hot side of hot, too hot for much gardening, anyway. If I do nothing else, I must wrestle with bindweed, and I must set up the watering system. If I also mow and edge the lawn, and sort out plants that will need hand watering while we’re away, then I’ll be happy. Oh, and the roses need a feed and a good deadheading. Er, and the virginia creeper needs taming. I could go on, and on, and on. It’s never ending.
I hope you have a restful and productive gardening weekend, don’t forget to pop back later as more links get added during the day.
Stay safe, I’ll be back next weekend for another #SixOnSaturday.
Your geraniums are lovely. The magenta one is similar to my Ann Folkard or possibly Patricia. A great colour and mine spreads around nicely unlike Rozanne who is aiming for world domination. I cannot believe you are going to do 100 mile run? That’s just crazy! Too hot for gardening today, but I had to mow the lawn, cut back some rampant nepeta and pull out the shredded hosta from under the tree (in a pot). I went all herbal today for you. The pingback should have worked but if not here’s a link.
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Strictly speaking om going to *attempt* a 100 mile run. Quite a high drop out rate (wonder why!?). I think it could be Patricia too, rings a bell.
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I think that geranium is ‘Patricia’, a sterile hybrid which sprawls and flowers for a long period like the famous ‘Rozanne’. Damn it’s hot! Here are my 6/7. https://wordpress.com/post/davidsgardendiary.com/4127
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The 50 km race, is that running?! WOW! That is incredible! I thought for sure it was biking, which even still would be a decent distance. Well done!
I just want to say that I love the name ‘Potentilla’ and could say it over and over again. 🙂 I have one myself – also yellow. But I did not know about pruning it. I will have to look that up as mine could definitely use it. The other favorite of mine is the lychnis coranaria. I also have that one, and worry that one day it won’t come back (as I pull up the billions of little babies that seem to be everywhere). So fun to see what others are planting.
Here’s my very late (this is becoming a habit) post! Have a good week!
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Yup, silly distances. If you think that’s nuts, I have a 100 mile foot race in October.
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That is amazing. Good luck with the 100 miler!
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That looks a lovely penstemon! Almost too hot for any gardening here today, but I managed some deadheading – and pot-watering. Thanks for hosting. My six are here:
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Enjoy your music festival tomorrow, it sounds like you deserve to relax in deckchairs with some nice music after all that exertion!
Hypericum ‘Magical Universe’ is a very pretty shrub. Have you had any problems with rust on it? Anything prone to it seems to suffer quite badly in our garden.
Here are my six: https://wp.me/pM8Y1-8kH
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Congratulations on your successful race last weekend. I’m loving your rainbow of flowers this week. The geraniums are particularly nice, but that magenta Lychnis is a real winner! Here are my six for this week: https://woodlandgnome.wordpress.com/2021/07/17/six-on-saturday-flowers-for-hummingbirds/
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Hot here this week, not ideal for heavy pulling and dragging of three tonne of garden stone. But it’s done now, and so am I.
Enjoy the garden, everyone. See you all next week.
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Enjoy your deckchair rest, I can’t believe the runs you achieve. Fab colours this week, I am just too weak from the heat to post!
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That ‘magical universe’ is one heck of a fun flower!
With all the flowers you have, I wonder how your yard looks from the sky. Must be like a paint spill!
https://mindfulfoliage.com/2021/07/17/six-on-saturday-17-jul-2021/
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Hey, lovely selection as always. Apart from the geranium (very cheerful!), the rest are all new to me. Lots to think about.
Hoping for a (short) run tomorrow, maybe… https://onewordhere.blogspot.com/2021/07/six-on-saturday-2021-07-17-southern.html
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I am wondering what it too hot to garden in Ireland and the UK? It rained here this morning, is quite steamy and I am not gardening either…love those Potentillas, Hypericum is a rather amazing plant, I love yours and there is a lovely one here that is native and grows in ditches. Here is my SOS https://theshrubqueen.com/2021/07/17/six-on-saturday-new-friends/
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High 70s, low 80s here? We can’t take the heat!
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That’s good for here!
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I’m beginning to appreciate Lychnis. I’m hoping to multiply the one plant I have. Here’s my corny submission: https://bit.ly/2UUZlWU
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What an amazing bright geranium! A very nice penstemon, one I wouldn’t mine growing myself. I have a fairly mild climate (zone 8b) and I cut back my penstemon right away, because then I get a smaller second bloom. Not on the Firecracker though.
https://lisasgardenadventureinoregon.blogspot.com/2021/07/six-on-saturday-july-17-2021.html
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Love Penstemons, they go on for ever and are so easy to keep going with cuttings. And what would we do without geraniums, I have them hiding the bare legs of all sorts of plants, couldn’t garden with out them.
My 6 are here http://www.leadupthegardenpath.com/
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I have a hypericum too, I think it’s a ‘magical beauty’, it’s a bit of an odd looking shrub but it’s doing a good job in the corner of my border at the mo. I like to use the berries in arrangements.
Also love the Potentilla fruiticosa. They look a little like roses.
Here are my six: https://wildberryflora.wordpress.com/2021/07/17/six-on-saturday-8/
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A very lovely assortment. Enjoy your concert, the bindweed will be there when you get to it. Planning ahead in my six..
https://pruneplantsow.wordpress.com/2021/07/17/sixonsaturday-july-17th-so-sow/amp/?__twitter_impression=true
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All those Geraniums! Still in bloom! I have just three varieties with one that seems to flower all summer (Max Frei I think). Congrats on the race!! I just read that my usual fall marathon will still be virtual this October, even though many other races in Canada are planning in person events. So sad…
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I think a lot of the big races, thousands of runners, may get canned still here. The races I am entered in are a few hundred max and in the middle of nowhere on trails, no crowds.
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It’s good to hear that your run last weekend went well. Hope you will enjoy the music festival and not catch too much sun!
The Geranium is the most remarkable colour – it is very bright and cheery! The Hypericum looks lovely with its berries, and I like to orange tinges to it. Much better than the common yellow one, which is the only one I have seen here.
The link to my rather short six is here: https://hairbellsandmaples.com/2021/07/17/six-on-saturday-w29-2021-colour-in-july/
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I wondered if your geranium was Ann Folkhard, known to be sprawler. I too have Plum Jerkin and love its dark colour. Lovely sunny flowers all round, ‘pink delight’ is truly that and much respect for your ability to knock of a 50K run. Have a great festival – what a great weekend you have for it. Here’s my link https://n20gardener.com/2021/07/17/six-on-saturday-no-more-slug-banquets/
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Love that plum penstemon, what a fabulous contrast with the lime green (of your lawn I think!). Could that be geranium psilostemon? I recently looked that one up after another blogger mentioned it, looks similar. It’s gorgeous!
Here are my 6 from flood-stricken Belgium: https://thenostalgicgardener.com/2021/07/17/six-on-saturday-17-july-21-apres-le-deluge/
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The mystery geranium is such a gorgeous colour. I think plenty of suntan lotion may be in order if you’re basking outside at the festival – have fun! Here’s my six https://greengirlgardener.com/2021/07/15/six-on-saturday-17th-july/
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Good morning fantastic photos of the geranium. How many do you have? Here is my six and I have included a couple of Semps just for granny https://sedumsdahliasandhayfever.com/2021/07/16/six-on-saturday-17th-july-2021/
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Ooh must be twenty or more varieties, god knows how many plants.
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Morning all! Hope you have a smashing weekend whatever you’re up to. I’m much more on board with the idea of a music festival than a 50k run, although it’s a nice sit down that appeals most of all…
Here’s my selection for the week. https://doingtheplan.com/2021/07/17/yukka-khan-and-pergalory-six-on-saturday/
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Yes the music is a nice bonus, I’d pay to sit down all day!
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It was almost the death of me to walk from Looe to Polperro the other day, 5K maybe. Lots of things that flower for a long time is essential for a flowery garden and you have some of the best there. We have a ‘Magical’ Hypericum but managed to lose the name, ‘Universe’ doesn’t ring a bell but it looks very similar. Here are mine: https://wp.me/p6bCCa-2Vt
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Years ago we had the wettest holiday ever near Looe, 2 weeks of near continous rain, a baby and 3 small children in a tiny house. In desperation we had a day trip to Plymouth to go to the cinema and trudge round a shopping centre. We swore (or I did) that we we going abroad on hols from that point. So next week, cos covid, we’re off to devon…
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Well, should you get so desperate for something to do this time around, it would be a pleasure and a privilege to show you round our garden, Cornwall not being very far from parts of Devon. Plymouth has a new shopping centre now, at the expense of more empty shops elsewhere. Not much else has changed.
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We’re in torquay somewhere I think.
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I’m in the Penstemon Appreciation Society too! Great plants. Liking your HPS geranium, a little beauty. As it happens I am also in the Geranium Appreciation Society. Unfortunately it doesn’t stop there. Happy gardening! https://offtheedgegardening.com/2021/07/17/six-on-saturday-excitement-2/
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I appreciate your appreciation!
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Good morning. Have a good time at the festival, I hope you can find a shady spot. The Lychnis Coronaria is such a good plant and I couldn’t be without my penstemons, they go on and on and vome back very happily each year.
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There is zero shade. Hopefully there will be a breeze at least.
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Just done a lot of digging out of Lychnis coranaria to move to work. Still no shortage of it dotted about the borders.
This week’s six features seed sowing, disappointments, work on the woodland border at work, and several orange flowers.
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Yes, shortage of lychnis is not something one has once one has one.
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Yes. One of the best value plants I’ve bought for how many it has gone onto create. Just been for a sneaky garden centre trip while Alice is in ballet class and picked up echinops and sea Holly which should be prolific self seeders too.
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Morning all – hope the injury picks up for you Propagator – sounds like you’ve earned a rest. Light weeding dead-heading only for a while.
My six: https://peerlessgardening.wordpress.com/2021/07/17/six-on-saturday-17-7-2021/
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Great weather for a music festival. Have a great time.
Just some quiet pottering here today. Your Geranium looks like psilostemon to me and I see Paddy also thought that. I used to grow it and it definitely sprawls!
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Thanks, looking forward to it.
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Well done on your run Jonathan and I hope the achilles repairs soon. I will allow myself some gentle weeding in the shade today I think, assisted by my 16 year old who turns out to be a dab hand with the trowel.
Here are my 6 – all sun loving plants in the tropical area.
https://www.teabreakgardener.co.uk/plants-with-a-hint-of-the-exotic/
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That reminds me, must plant out my ricinus.
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Hey, I got Lychnis coronaria this week also. We let it got to seed, since it is so pretty in most situations. However, it also blooms in a garden that should be exclusively white. In the future, as the white garden matures, we will likely remove it before it blooms. I would like to find one that blooms white to see what the seed from it do.
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I used to have white ones in my garden but they seem to have been replaced by very pale pink.
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Yes, I remember your pictures of the very pale pink sorts, perhaps earlier this year. I did not see the white though. I have seen pictures of it elsewhere, but was not impressed. Nonetheless, if I ever find it, I will collect seed to see what I get. It would be great to put the seed where I want only white flowers, and then remove those that do not bloom white. I think that is being too optimistic though. I refuse to purchase seed, even though I know it is available.
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I’m impressed by the 50km. It sounds exhausting. We have a hot day forecast here too so it will be pottering in the shade for me and plenty of evening watering. I’ve just accepted a bunch of lychnis seedlings and planted them out. I see I may regret this. The geranium ‘pink delight’ is delightful.
Here’s my Six for this week. Everything is fruiting and flowering at once.
https://www.hortusbaileyana.co.uk/2021/07/berries-beans-and-bouquets.html
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I think the lychnis earns its keep.
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A first super bright geranium today! Congrats on your race … Fortunately it was not around here with the hot weather in the south of France that we have (33° expected today, 37° in the coming days)! Here is my link to 6 things of Normandy before I leave. https://fredgardenerblog.wordpress.com/2021/07/17/six-on-saturday-17-07-21/
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I have another long one at the end of August, I hope it has cooled down a bit by then! Enjoy your holiday.
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Lots of great colour. The Hypericum is rather striking. I’ll have to look that up later. I’m off to have words with my newish Potentilla after seeing yours and will tell it to buck its ideas up. Enjoy the music festival https://onemanandhisgardentrowel.wordpress.com/2021/07/17/six-on-saturday-17-july-2021/
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Yes. Sounds like a stern talking to is required.
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Congratulations on completing your run! So many lovely thins in your garden this week. My post today was dictated to the dreadful weather – extremely heavy rain – not a day for gardening at all! Anyway, a rather sad SoS from me this week.
https://basia329.wordpress.com/2021/07/17/six-on-saturday-17-07-21/
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We’ve had quite enough rain here recently. Glad to see the sun 🌞 again!
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Morning! Perfect weather for the music festival tomorrow – have a great time.
I’m glad to see I’m not the only one who doesn’t remember all the Geranium names! I’ve got one of those in this week’s Six. Love the Penstemon – such good do-ers. Here’s my Six:
https://kindheartsandcorydalis.co.uk/six-on-saturday-17th-july/
Enjoy your weekend 🙂
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Hello! Yes it should be lovely. Maybe even a bit too hot, there’s no shade.
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These days are certainly not ones for 50Km runs. It is far too hot and it would be dangerous. Nor does the weather allow a good night’s sleep. We are enjoying breakfast in the cool of the morning and think gardening will be light work only today, tipping around. That mystery geranium might be G. psilostemon! Enjoy the music, picnic etc.
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Plenty of water and electrolytes, that’s the ticket for hot runs. I stuck to the woods today. So at least had a bit of shade, although plenty of mud to contend with.
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Still not for me but I never liked running.
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