Six on Saturday is a weekly diary hosted by The Propagator & contributed to by gardeners all over the world. For links to other SoSers, check out Mr P's comments & the Twitter hashtag, #SixOnSaturday.
A wet winter & our clay soil cost me a few plants this year, so I've been glad of the ones that've renewed our friendship.
But let's start with the renewal of a garden species rather than a single plant.
1. Miner bee (video).
I presume I can plant this seedling without disturbing the nest, but if someone thinks not, please let me know.
2. Fuchsia.
3. Water lily.
I'm amazed this grows in the Doodle Pool. Shows how easily you can have elegance.
4. Hollyhocks.
These were grown from seed 3 summers ago.
I thought they were biennials, but apparently not, as they also bloomed last year. Not that I'm complaining.
From the amount of buds, it's going to be a glorious display.
5. Runaway Bride.
Last year, I got 2 very young hydrangea Runaway Brides. While they didn't bloom, they did grow. This spring, I put them in larger pots . . .
. . . larger being 10" tall by 10" diameter.
6. Woodwardia fern.
I hoped against hope that Woodie'd survived the winter, but the fiddleheads stopped growing at about 2" tall.
Then this week without warning - bam! - they opened.
The metallic new growth'll turn green like last year's fronds in the background.
That's it for this week.
Thanks for stopping by. Hope to see you again real soon.
What a wonderful bee video, great capture! Glad your hydrangeas have picked up, the one you featured looks lovely. And horrah for the fern! Have fun Lora. :)
ReplyDeleteThe hydrangea were very young when I got them but rest assured, both are blooming their socks off. That bee wasn't at all annoyed at me filming, she was so busy.
DeleteLovely six...and those hollyhocks look lovely, what a great colour too.
ReplyDeleteThanks! If I remember correctly, all my hollyhocks are pastels (not the same colour tho), grown from seeds collected in a former garden.
DeleteIsn't it great that when one moves, one can take bits. Its the ones you forget then pine for that are interesting too.
DeleteI'm with Stasher - that's a very pretty hollyhock colour. Your water lily is lovely too - mine flowered this week too and I was so excited I was skipping about the garden. I'd been checking it daily for the last few days and my family said I was like a farmer with a pregnant sheep.
ReplyDeleteThe water lilies fascinate me. I'm a bit like you when they first bud. To be honest, during the whole time they bloom.
DeleteWhat beautiful pictures. Do you have a new camera? Your hollyhock and fuchsias are way ahead of mine. Lovely Six-on-Saturday.
ReplyDeleteI commandeered my son's old phone when he upgraded. I've 2 types of fuchsia & only one is fully in bloom. And that hollyhock is alone in its blooming, so yours are probably right on target.
DeleteWell I win the dunce of the year award. Until I read Gill's comment I thought that was a white arrow pointing at the nest in the pot - I didn't realise it was a video of the bee itself! Great six. Runaway Bride is a beauty and I hope my fuchsia looks as good as yours when it flowers.
ReplyDeleteSo funny! :D
DeleteI labelled the video as such, because once you pointed it out, I realised I could've thought the same thing. Runaway Bride is stupendous, which is why I got her, having seen her in someone else's Six. Little effort & great results. Love her.
DeleteSue has what we think are leaf cutter bees nesting in some of her cactus pots but they are too quick to film. Yours is quite the poser. I’m loving the Woodwardia too, one I haven’t got.
ReplyDeleteYes, this bee wasn't at all shy, but after her initial work, she vamoosed, so hopefully planting the 4 o'clock won't hurt it. I got the woodwardia because the new growth is supposed to be more red, but mine has always come out bronze coloured. I still love it, tho, so understand your reaction.
DeleteSuperb woodwardia! About the bee, I think you should be able to plant this seedling, but you have to make sure that the bee (probably a solitary) is gone so as not to get stung. I hope it finds its way back.
ReplyDeleteVery pretty and elegant hydrangea Runaway Brides.
Seems I need to do more research. I'd hoped this wasn't where the bee lived, but where it laid its eggs.
DeleteRunaway Bride! I love it, Lora. Whoever thinks up these names? I discovered this week that Feverfew is also known as Bachelor's Button. Now there's a combination!
ReplyDeleteI've never heard feverfew called bachelor's button, but I'd imagine anything that a courting gent could stick in his lapel would become just that. Runaway Bride is definitely an original name.
DeleteI love the waterlily in the Doodle pool. I had always thought they need a lake, or at least a very large pond. The hollyhocks will keep coming back in my experience. I think they are usually grown as biennials because they get rust, but I can't see any sign of that in your photo.
ReplyDeleteDifferent lilies take different depths of water. Mine can be grown in 30cm (12"). My hollyhocks usually get rust & so I cut off their rusty leaves, having been told the spores can't reach great heights. I don't eradicate it all, tho. However this year, little rust, but something definitely munching on the leaves. I don't mind sharing.
DeleteBeautiful Runaway Bride! And what a name! That fern is a gorgeous colour too. The rain has finally arrived here now and I am so glad that I won't have to go out and water the garden today. It is soooo windy!
ReplyDeleteWe've finally gotten rain as well & I'm loving it. Both the hydrangea & fern are extraordinary plants. I love having them in the garden.
DeleteYour Hydrangea is looking great, Lora - I guess it appreciates the larger pot. I looked at Runaway Bride last year, but it’s probably still sitting in my rather long Wishlist. It has very pretty flowers.
ReplyDeleteThe hollyhock is such a gentle shade of pink and as a complete contrast the fuschia is very bold and dynamic. Love them both.
I think the hydrangea were simply young last year, as they were so small when they arrived, but they did fill their 8" pots, so moved up a notch for this year. I'm very happy w/how they look & would definitely recommend them to anyone.
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