Well, I managed to get most of my new plants in the ground, just three knautia and a heuchera left. They might get planted this weekend, or more likely not as I will either be running (all day Saturday), or recovering (all day Sunday) from running. While I’m spending 10 hours on the North Downs Way, you can all do Six on Saturday. Six things, in the garden, on a Saturday. Could be anything, you decide!
Here’s my Six for this week…
1 – Astrantia ‘Star of Love’. I’ve tried a couple of times to grow astrantia and not had any joy. This is their last chance. I bought three of these in my recent binge purchase at the garden centre. Having removed some plants and weeded it, I planted the three astrantia plus three leucanthemum ‘Banana Cream’ in the Hibiscus Border. I expect they’ll clash disgracefully.

2 – Rose ‘Mme Isaac Pereire’. I’m pleased with this rose, it is growing well now and has plenty of buds this year. The first flower is out, a rather in-your-face pink that I think justifies “shocking” as an adjective.


3 – Geranium ‘Philippe Vapelle’. Another purchase from Cranesbill Nursery, this didn’t do a lot last year, but it is in fine fettle this year.

4 – Allium ‘Purple Sensation’. I do like an allium. Every year I add more, but never enough it seems. I don’t think they are especially reliable returners.

5 – Digitalis mertonensis, strawberry foxglove. I think. I definitely grew a few of these from seed last year. If they are what I think they are, they are a clump forming perennial so should come back for even more flowering next year. If I’m wrong, they’re just a pink foxglove and I’ll dig em up when they’re done. But how will I know? Gaaagh.

6 – Thalictrum ‘Black Stockings’. I must have been careless when deadheading these last year, or when clearing the remains over winter. I seem to have these popping up all over the place. There are worse problems to have, I suppose.

Those are my Six, what are yours? If you’d like to have a go, just publish your post and pop the link into the comments below. If you also mention my blog in yours that would be fab. For more details you can read the brief participant guide.
Have a lovely weekend, hope you get some gardening done.
I’ll be back next weekend with another #SixOnSaturday.
Morning all, and Good Luck with that long run Mr P!
Here’s my selection for the week. It’s an exciting time of year with lots of buds forming and fruit beginning to ripen…
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Your black stockings looks paler than mine, which is looking fabulous – your fault I bought one and I am so glad I took a chance on it surviving the S&S. As for A. ‘Purple Sensation’ I read that you need to plant them for three successive years so that in the fourth year, the first lot will flower again etc etc. I must say they struggle to get going here. I hope you survived the run and are having a lovely relaxing day today.
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I first learned about Astrantia at the RHS Flower Show in Cardiff a few years ago when I was there visiting a niece. It’s so very lovely; I hope you find joy with it this time around! I love Purple Sensation, too, but no, it does not naturalize well. Before anyone looks at my six this week, they may want to make themselves a nice cup of tea or coffee and get comfortable, because it’s a long one! I wrote about a trip I took this week to Longwood Gardens. Actually, I wrote relatively little, but there are over 40 pictures!
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A late six from me. Hope the run went well. https://twitter.com/USA_heatherr/status/1528118325183750155?t=fcCDd-6h6-s_lC9_Jk6yHg&s=19
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What a lovely six you have shared today – and hopefully I can now look forward to lots of new black stockings here too…!! my six are at: https://ramblinginthegarden.wordpress.com/2022/05/21/six-on-saturday-not-all-of-them-roses/
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Hope the run went well. Nice coloring on the foxglove.
My six: https://peerlessgardening.wordpress.com/2022/05/21/six-on-saturday-21-5-2022/
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What beautiful color in your six this week! I grew R. ‘Mme. Isaac Periere, or something very similar to it, in my last garden (with no deer!) I loved the intense color and fragrance, and it was so easy to grow- for a rose. The rugosa roses are some of my favorites, if a bit prickly to maintain. So happy to see it again in your garden! Thank you for sharing your beautiful photos. Here are my six for the week: https://woodlandgnome.wordpress.com/2022/05/21/six-on-saturday-resistance-is-usually-futile/
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thought I was the only person who couldnt grow astrantias
as have one in a pot ready to plant its the last chance
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Good afternoon. Pretty roses, mine are nearly flowering but seem to start later than yours and those in gardens near me too. Hope your run went well and you are recovering. Meanwhile, your #1 son has arrived and started emptying the fridge and cupboards. He certainly has a healthy appetite.
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Thalictrum is gorgeous – a few more of those is definitely not a bad problem to have. Here are mine: https://roguegarden.wordpress.com
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Enjoy the running! I will be beating back weeds, removing the newly dead lilac, and planting some more veg. My highlight is that the elderberry is beginning to bud. Lowlight is that a bunny ate 1.5 of my Asclepias verticillata. Bunny fence deployed to protect what’s left at least until it is beg enough to sustain a little browsing.
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Wonderful flowers. The Astrantias are fab and I love Alliums, too. Good luck with your run. https://theshrubqueen.com/2022/05/21/six-on-saturday-updates/
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Those are beautiful photos. Good luck on the run. I am much less ambitious today but I still have plans for a few more plants.
Weather is getting hotter and drier here in Beautiful Alabama so need to do the planting soon.
Here is my effort. Happy Gardening.
https://mensgardenvestavia.wordpress.com/2022/05/20/summer-blooms-and-visitors-20-may-2022/
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Super six – thanks again for sharing đŸ™‚
Here’s my six
http://gardeningmyway.home.blog/2022/05/21/six-on-saturday-21st-may-22/
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Your huge long run will be my motivation for a much shorter one starting in a few minutes..hope you’re having fun! Purple Sensation do come back year to year in my garden – they’re just starting to open now – plus if you leave the seed heads up and don’t disturb the soil too much around them, they’re really good at propagating themselves. The flowering shrubs and trees are open now here…
https://countygardening.wordpress.com/2022/05/21/six-on-saturday-21may2022-the-long-weekend-edition/
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Morning! I’m successfully growing astrantia this year too; mine’s Shaggy (I think) and I picked it up for a song at a garden plant stand last summer.
I’ve gone AWOL from my garden this week and my six come from my internship at Waddesdon Manor… https://mysecretgarden61808037.wordpress.com/2022/05/21/sixonsaturday-smashing-the-patriarchy-one-formal-lawn-at-a-time/
Keep on running! Louise
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I’m also featuring Mdme IP – a lovely rose. Your strawberry foxglove is a stunner and on the I want list! I have left my thalictrum to self seed every year and got nowt! But your news is encouraging, I shall reinstate optimism. Enjoy your run and the recovery. Here’s my link https://n20gardener.com/2022/05/21/six-on-saturday-roses-pure-and-simple/
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My mom was an avid collector of roses. I used to have to fly in every late winter to help prune her 100+ varieties. She had some stunners, but so do you! I do not have the determination to try to grow roses in Zone 5. Between Japanese beetles in the summer and dealing with overwintering the plants, no, I just have to enjoy your pictures!
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I have a big robust spreading clump of unnamed Astrantia which seeds around and is quite nice but a bit ordinary. All the named forms I’ve planted have struggled to keep going. Sounds like Thalictrum might be worth investing in to add to my self sowing melee. Here are mine: https://wp.me/p6bCCa-3iC
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MMe. Isaac P is a stunner! I’ve never had any luck with astrantias either, hope these perform for you. Here are my six. Have a great weekend, everyone! https://notesfromtheundergardener.wordpress.com/2022/05/21/six-on-saturday-21st-may-2022/
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The Foxglove is a gorgeous colour and quite unlike the common pink, so I think it must be your perennial one (fingers crossed). I think the astrantia and banana cream may well work together. We will need to see the photo when they get blooming and we will pass our collective judgement đŸ˜‚.
Here’s my six for this week
https://www.hortusbaileyana.co.uk/2022/05/lupins-and-alliums.html
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Hope the run went well… and the recovery even better! Great garden colour!
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The foxglove is lovely. I must invest in some more for my own garden.
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My update https://whatcathyreadnext.wordpress.com/2022/05/21/sixonsaturday-my-gardening-week-21st-may-cavershamjj/
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I’m exhausted just thinking about all of that running. I also find A. ‘P. Sensation’ to be a poor returner, unlike A. christophii. Here’s my six
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Gorgeous – such stunning colours
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Enjoy your run, far too energetic for me! Here are my six https://davidsgardendiary.com/2022/05/21/six-on-saturday-59/
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What?! Now ‘you’ are concerned that Allium are not reliably perennial?! Are you referring only to ‘Purple Sensation’? I just got my first two, Allium christophii and Allium Schumbertii, from Tangly Cottage Gardening. I had postponed growing them for too long, and am obligated to grow them now.
Well, I do not mean to get distracted with that. These are my six:https://tonytomeo.com/2022/05/21/six-on-saturday-rhodys-rhodies-2022-prettier-than-pink-a-sequel/
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That strawberry foxglove is very nice indeed. I’m not having much luck with astrantia yet. I’m hoping some I planted last year will finally get going and do something https://onemanandhisgardentrowel.wordpress.com/2022/05/21/six-on-saturday-21-may-2022/
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I wonder how you still manage to fill your garden with so many plants when it was already full. Good run and good rest tomorrow !
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There’s always room for one more!
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You spoil us with these lovely six Jon, and should your Astrantia set seed, or even grow sufficient for you to divide then one placed close to Rose Mrs Issac Pereire would be a great combination. Here are my Six: https://noellemace.blogspot.com/2022/05/six-on-saturday-21-may-2022.html
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I really like the colouring of the Astrantia! The foxglove colour is also very pretty. Good luck with your run today, and your recovery tomorrow! Here is my Six for the week:
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That looks like being a lovely rose, and the foxglove is really pretty, weed or not. Here are my six….but of a stretch this week though!
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I love the foxglove, Mr P, I’m lazy with mine and allow them to self seed all over the garden. Good luck with the running. The Downs are a lovely setting for it. Here’s my six https://wp.me/p2Eu3u-i7l
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