Six on Saturday is an opportunity to share six things, from the garden, with bloggers around the world. Here’s my selection for this week.

1. This is Phil Oakey, the only surviving sapling from the six acorns I collected in the park in the autumn of 2017. He’s put on quite a growth spurt since being repotted. Named in honour of the 80s synth pop star, often I find myself humming one of his tunes as I water this pot. (Electric Dreams, Don’t you Want me, or Human, usually 🙂

2. And here’s the first tomato from our garden this year. Just the one so far, but it’s a start. I bought a few small plants from the garden centre for about £7 a few weeks ago. It remains to be seen if more than £7 worth of tomatoes will emerge. If I were a more organised person, I’d keep track of the harvest. Instead, we’ll just eat them. It’s a variety called Sun Baby from our local Homebase.

(Homebase, the garden centre on the edge of town was originally part of the Sainsbury’s group. It was sold to Wesfarmers, an Australian conglomerate with interests in mining and chemicals, and changed its name to Bunnings. After about 18 months -with the same staff in the same building under a different name- the company was sold to a ‘vulture fund’ that specialises in financial restructuring, and changed its name back to Homebase. It’s convenient to shop there, and the staff are very nice, but it’s not the most independent or ethical source of plants. Next year, I’ll look for a local supplier for my tomato seedlings.)

3. This is the serpent garlic that we bought from a local plant fair at the Bishops Garden in Wells. It’s an unusual and interesting variety with stem that loops and twirls and has now straightened itself out…  A little light research suggests that this tip is producing bulblets, which can be eaten or planted. I guess we’ll have a taste and try to propagate this one, it’s been a fun plant to have around.

4.  Most of the veg I’ve planted out in our little veg patch so far has been munched, squashed or has already gone to seed, so it’s time for some autumn planting prep. I’m wondering if a little wildlife pond (or a big bucket with some rocks around it) would help battle the beasties. There’s a lot of baby frogs around from next door’s pond, perhaps encouraging them to stay would reduce the slug problem. All these ideas are very theoretical at the moment, as there are other priorities to attend to before the water features. Nonetheless, I’m getting started with a few veg seedlings for the autumn. The greenhouse tent is home to a couple of chilli plans, and seedlings, including broccoli, peas and beans.

5. Fuschias. These were in a very straggly state when we arrived, and I chopped them back quite hard in early May. They’ve responded with a flush of new growth and some lovely flowers. 

The bees enjoy these flowers and so do I.

And finally for today, this little clay planter of succulents and lobelia. We’ve had this pot for years and years, and before we left our old place, I popped a few stems of the succulents into it. Most have taken root, and it’s nice to have a few cuttings from the old place. It’s a cute addition to the patio, and might get a more prominent position one day soon.

Since this picture was taken, I’ve pulled out that holly seedling and potted it on, adding to my collection of “nice” weeds in pots.  It seems worthwhile keeping hold of a plant that the wildlife might enjoy if  there’s a spare pot of soil around. Perhaps this is madness, but it’s fun.

To see more collections of garden highlights, almost certainly with less weeds, visit the propagator’s blog for Six on Saturday.