Six on Saturday, March 31st.

Welcome to another Six on Saturday. This is an exciting meme where gardeners can show what's been happening in their patch during the last week. Any six things, on a Saturday. The Propagator is the host of SoS and as always you can go on over to his blog to see what everyone else is up to.

It's a case of the more things change, the more they stay the same here. It's been a week of cloudless sunny skies and warm temperatures, but at least now the nights are cooler and there's actually dew on the grass in the mornings.

Time to do some planting then:

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  1. A thrilling little group of plants arrived by post this week.  Eryngium 'Blaukappe', Verbena bonariensis, Achillea 'Terracotta', Achillea 'Salmon Beauty', Salvia nemerosa 'Violet Queen', Potentilla 'Hamlet' and  Clematis Integrifolia are waiting there on the table for me to plant them.  I may well have taken a leap of faith with the clematis, having had no luck with them so far, but I'll find a shady spot and keep my fingers crossed.
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2. Bags of bulbs, also waiting to go in.   Some I've bought locally and some rather more interesting ones have arrived by post. I'll be planting them under my perennials so that they'll be seen after the garden is cut back in winter and before the perennials start to grow back in October. I hope.

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3.  Salvia 'Indigo Spires'.  Cut to the ground in January, back to full strength by March.

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4. Proof of how hot our summer has been: this pittosporum tenufolium 'Golfball' has become severely browned off.  I can only assume that since it has been watered quite regularly, the reason for its unhappy state is the extreme heat.  I'm hoping it stops sulking soon and greens up.

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5. I planted the Gazania Tomentosa on the left as a small sprig, but it became  a garden thug that I was  forever  having to cut back.  It intimidated two Hebe 'Marie Antionette' and became a haven for kikuyu grass escapees, so it had to go. No more thuggery. On the right are the replacement plantings: Potentilla, Verbena bonariensis, Tulipa  clusiana and Tulipa kaufmanniana  to start with.

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6. The cotyledons are beginning to come into flower. This is the first of them and the first flower I've had on any cotyledon since I planted them nearly three years ago.

Weather today:  cloudless, sunny, 16-29C

24 Comments Add yours

  1. Lynn says:

    How exciting to have a group of new plants arrive! And I love Salvia. I can only grow it as an annual here, but I sow from seed every year so I can plop it in all over the garden; it’s fabulous as an underplanting for roses. Thanks for the post, and happy to hear you’re experiencing some cooler evenings; hopefully that will help with the dryness.

    1. Jane says:

      Thanks Lyn. Salvia is one of my favourite plants, and very tough here.

  2. Jo says:

    The salvia looks beautiful, as does the gazania. Bring on the thugs, I say! Better than a shrinking violet 🙂

    1. Jane says:

      Well, the gazania’s gone, but it would be very easy to grow another……

  3. All those new plants will make a lovely colourful show once they get established. What a relief when autumn is here and the nights cool down

    1. Jane says:

      Yes indeed Pauline, now for some rain. If only….

  4. Tracy says:

    Good luck with the clematis, Jane. It will look beautiful if it behaves as you want. I love to plant salvia near my veggie patch to attract the bees.

    1. Jane says:

      Yes fingers crossed with the clematis. It probably would do better somewhere less harsh, but time will tell- as with most things gardening. All the salvias here are busy with bees, such a warming sound.

  5. Fred says:

    Your salvia spot is very nice ! I think the stone colomn is a fountain for birds? Fortunately with the beautiful weather you have. Here spring is slow to arrive …. I really enjoy reading your SoS every weekend, … a touch of warmth and sun!

    1. Jane says:

      Thank you Fred! I’m glad to provide some sunshiny pictures. Your turn is coming soon. Yes that’s a bird bath on the left.

  6. Tim Hewitt says:

    I am pining for days like yours and plants zooming up. Lovely post, thanks.

    1. Jane says:

      Thank you Tim. I’m sure beautiful days can’t be too far off for you!

  7. Gill Heavens says:

    “Extreme heat” seems very odd to us Brits. Of course we think “if only” but I am sure it brings a whole load of problems with it. Lots of lovely new plants and bulbs, especially love the clematis. 🙂

    1. Jane says:

      It will be interesting to see if that clematis survives! It looked so interesting in the catalogue that I couldn’t resist.

    2. Jane says:

      Yes, Gill, we’re always hoping for rain, but the sky remains relentlessly blue. It’s wonderful weather- if you’re not a gardener!

  8. cavershamjj says:

    How funny! That group of new plants would not be at all out of place in an English garden. Your sunny and cloudless skies do sound wonderful. The weather here is deeply unlovely. The sun came out for about 5 minutes this afternoon, enough of a surprise rarity that i initially thought what the hell is that!

    1. Jane says:

      It is strange, about the commonality of plants, and all of those should do well here, except perhaps the clematis which would probably be better in a milder climate on the coast. The blue skies have their drawback- lack of rain. We’re always wishing for it here.

  9. Jane says:

    Hi Marcelo, yes thank goodness the weather is cooling down for us. Still in the 30s most days, and always not enough rain.

  10. Vicki says:

    It always amazes me how the herbs and other bushes spring back after a good prune, especially the herbs.

    The cotyledon is a particularly lovely flower and here’s hoping the others come into bloom some time soon and if not, first week in Spring, in September.

    I’ve got my Salvia (common Salvia officinalis), completely decimated (all 100 or so, leaves) by the Harlequin Bugs (I think) and I’ve cut it back to mere stubble for the coming winter. Hopefully, next Spring, it will grow again as usual. I haven’t written about it as I’m on a blogging break/holiday at the moment, but I stuck a decorative bright blue little butterfly on a springy stake thing in the pot with 4 small baby Spinach and would you believe all the bugs and caterpillars have left it alone 🙂 I might make some tiny artificial ones and seal them in clear contact or other waterproof substance and plant them in each of the pots of my apartment balcony 🙂

    1. Jane says:

      Hi Vicki, I have never had any luck growing sage, and I’ve been particularly careful about not over-watering. It always dies suddenly. There are quite a lot of cotyledon flowers appearing now, so perhaps I’ll get a double dose this year if they flower in Sept also. Good idea to make some butterflies, I’ve read that they really work as a deterrent. Hope you’re keeping well and enjoying your blogging break.

  11. Lora Hughes says:

    Had the same thought as Jon, the commonality of your new plants. And as Pauline said, you’re in for a great swath of colour in not that long a time. Does this mean that those plants, what we’d consider summer flowers for the most part, bloom in autumn & winter for you? If so, how I’d love to have an autumn/winter garden like that. Having living in Australia, tho, I don’t think I’d want to pay for it w/your summers. Google imaged your gazania, & am w/you in replacing the thug. Can’t wait for photos!

    1. Jane says:

      Hi Lora, thanks for your comments, and I’m glad you agree about the Thug! Plants flower here in the same season as they do for you, so I’ll be waiting for new leaves, blossoms and narcissus (and perhaps a galanthus or two!) just as you do, in Spring. In July I’ll be cutting many of my perennials to the ground and then impatiently waiting through winter (the garden is a bit dull then) for them to pop up again.

  12. Kris P says:

    As exciting as early spring can be, early fall is perhaps the most hopeful time in the garden in my view. Best wishes with all your new plants and bulbs, as well as the recovery of summer-beaten shrubs and plants! I hope you get clouds and a bit of gentle rain soo too.

    1. Jane says:

      Thank you for your good wishes, Kris. Sadly the outlook isn’t good for rain at the moment, and the days are much too hot for Autumn. But we remain optimistic as we have to be when gardening!

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