Today I’m joining the Propagator’s garden blogging meme, ‘Six on Saturday’ which is to share six things about the garden, on a Saturday.
- Roses are starting to bloom again, they seemed to slow down in the heatwave but the’re coming back strongly now.
A rose in August
2.Bargain blooms from Bunnings
I scooped up a barrow full of bargains for less than £20, including a massive cosmos for just 10p. These looked a bit sad at the shop, which is why they were so cheap, but after a bit of rain and some deadheading they’re looking good and ready to plant out.
2. Propped up Parasol
This summer has been super-sunny, and so I’ve been desperately seeking shade. We’ve propped an old parasol with the Christmas tree stand, which sorts of works, unless there’s a strong breeze. What could possibly go wrong? 😉
3. Happy cat and getting greener
The cat seems contented, and there’s a bit of green returning to the lawn after a few recent downpours.
4. Green shoots of recovery?
Anyone who recalls the 1990s recession might remember talk of ‘green shoots of recovery.’ This saliva, which looks thoroughly dead from a distance, is showing signs of life. I’ve pruned it, soaked it, mulched it, and crossed my fingers.
5. Apples, redcurrants and whitecurrants
We’ve got some fruit! The birds are enjoying them more than we are, but we’ve definitely got some apples, redcurrants and whitecurrants to nibble at.
6. Some failures in the fire garden
Its’ funny how things change in the garden. We’d called this area the fire garden, and I planted roses, crocosmia and lobelia in the centre, hoping to give an impression of flames in bright blooms of yellow, orange and white.
But what’s thrived in this area is white flowers from yarrow and petunias.
The roses don’t seem happy here – its maybe too shaded, or too crowded, but it certainly needs a rethink.
And what’s totally failed is an old Xmas tree in a tiny terracotta pot, which didn’t stand a chance really! Tiny terracotta pots dry out so quickly, that I intend to only plant succulents into them from now on.
So, that’s my six things this Saturday. Some successes and several failures, but that’s the way it goes!
If you’d like to see or share more garden things, visit The Propagator’s blog for more ‘six on saturday’ chatter.
I hope your plans and plants are coming along nicely!
Jen x 🙂
Doing The Plan 
Hi, Jen,
Welcome to the fun of S0S. I have several dead looking azaleas that I am watching for the “green shoots of recovery.” We had six weeks of no rain and despite watering, some things in my garden seem to have gone down for the count. Since then we’ve had sufficient rain, but some shrubs will need to be replaced.
LikeLike
Hi Mala, thanks for dropping by! I hope that you see some green shoots from the shrubbery 🙂
LikeLike
I went out and cut back some stems and there is still green wood, so I hope they survive the winter. Too early to tell, but I always have azaleas that have propogated by layering to replace any I lose. We had six weeks of no rain and high temps this summer and it has been hard on things despite trying to stay on top of the watering.
LikeLike
Strange to think of a salvia struggling. They survive quite well here and don’t demand a lot of water. I hope yours comes back to life.
LikeLike
What a lovely view down the garden “fronted” by your happy cat! If you hadn’t mentioned that it was your Fire garden, I would have been even more impressed. Very pretty corner. Just to warn you, this Six-on-Saturday becomes an obsession – I feel guilty if I don’t participate now!
LikeLike
Goody, another garden to peep into each week. I have a redcurrant and it crops like mad but I’m not sure that I really like them much, I don’t really seem to have a use for them. Any ideas?
LikeLike
Welcome! You have a pretty garden, and I can see how much you enjoy it. Excellent rescue of bargain blooms — one of the true signs of an avid gardener! 🙂
LikeLike
That’s some fantastic bargains! My best bargain so far was a tray 20 sorry-looking pansies for 45p from Morrisons, but you seem to have the knack of finding bargain plants! Hopefully we won’t have any more heatwave conditions, so those plants will thrive 😀
LikeLike
Welcome Jen. You have an interesting garden and I love the names people give to different areas. Funny how we keep on having to rethink our planting designs!
LikeLike
Oh my! ‘Fire Garden’ would have a completely different meaning in California.
White currants are new to me. I got my first fruit from them this year. I am not all that impressed, but I am not familiar with currants anyway. Although black and red currants are available here, they are not very popular. They are more of an ‘Eastern’ thing. So far, I think that I like the red currants better than the more traditional black currants.
LikeLike
I love the wicker ball (?) in front of the Christmas tree in a pot – is this one of yours? And are those peas growing through it? It’s a lovely feature!
Your struggling roses might need more sun – most roses do best in full sun, but some are okay with partial shade – are they in shade all day, or do they get a bit of morning or afternoon light?
I’ve got a whole array of roses, and every one of them had a bit of a dip in mood during the heatwave, which surprised me because they’ve always been so un-fussy about conditions and they were kept perfectly watered, so who knows why they dozed off? I can’t blame them – I did the same. We’ve all bounced back for a second wind now.
Thanks for sharing your charming garden!
LikeLike
What a lovely look into your garden. I echo GrannysGarden’s obsession comment. The weekend isn’t complete without posting my Six then peeping into the other Sixers gardens. Your rose foliage looks so healthy, my English Roses have succumbed to blackspot.
LikeLike
Welcome to SoS! Yes, another garden to snoop around! I love a lot of what others’ve said but have to admit, am smitten by the various materials you’ve used for edges & paths – wood & bricks & pavers & small stones. O, I can’t leave w/o swooning over that rose . . . just wow.
LikeLike