Rain seems a very distant memory and parts of the garden are showing signs of drought. It’s definitely been a year of all or nothing. The solar powered drip-watering systems have kept the glasshouse and the pots and tubs in good condition without a lot of supplementary watering being needed but some herbaceous plants in the borders are going over very quickly now. The forecast is for some rain next week but it doesn’t look to be any amount so I’ve filled the water butts with the hose as the watering systems run from them, not the mains. Despite the lack of water there is still a lot of colour in the garden so without further ado here is this weeks Six on Saturday from my garden.
- I have a few different Salvias, some in pots and some in the ground. ‘Hotlips’ is currently going for border domination but the flowers are mostly plain white at the moment and I think this is going to be its last season in the garden. I’m sure I can make better use of the space. However, Salvia guaranitica ‘Black and Blue’ is looking really good (better than it looks in the picture) and is very hardy.
Also looking good is Salvia greggii ‘Strawberries and Cream’ in a pot on the patio.
- In the same border as S. ‘Black and Blue’ is an obelisk with Clematis ‘Black Tea’ and C. Dr ‘Ruppel’. ‘Black Tea’ has flowered on and off but ‘Dr Ruppel’ hasn’t had a single flower until now.
- It’s been another bad year for me and Dahlias. I planted most of them in the borders and there’s too many hiding places for slugs and snails. However, D. ‘Honka Fragile’ has finally flowered. It’s just a shame that there’s virtually no leaves beneath! The canes were put in back when I thought the plant would actually grow upwards. I think I’m going to block plant the Dahlias next year. I used to do this and had a much better display then.
- I’ve grown Tricyrtis formosana for a couple of years. The SnS are very attracted to it as it comes into growth but it’s one of those plants that quietly sits in the corner then you suddenly notice that it’s flowering.
- I would like to grow more Hylotelephiums and was hoping to get some at the plant fair at Malvern last Saturday. Sadly, the only one I could see there was ‘Autumn Joy’, which I already have. The variety below is taller than ‘Autumn Joy’ and has larger individual flowers.
- Another sure sign of autumn is the appearance of Hesperantha (I prefer Schizostylis) flowers. This is the brightest variety I have.
A bit more subtle is ‘Mrs Hegarty’
I’m getting itchy fingers! I want to start moving plants, redesigning areas, planting bulbs and all of the other fun things. It’s just a little bit early yet…..
Have a great weekend and enjoy reading all of the other Sixes at https://thepropagatorblog.wordpress.com/
Nice choice of salvia in your Six this week. I also really liked this elegant dahlia which looks fragile as the name suggests though.
Hope the wind won’t cause trouble and breakage.
Finally, these 2 Hesperantha are very pretty
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Thanks Fred. The individual Dahlia flowers don’t last very long at all. I suppose that’s the drawback of having so few petals.
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Nice Salvias in your garden, with lovely colour. A good blue works well in the Autumn, the summer, the spring well any time of the year!
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Black and Blue is a very richly coloured, elegant flower spike. It spreads gently.
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Love the speckles of Tricyrtis formosana and the dark stems of black and blue.
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The Toad Lily calls you in to look closer at the wonderful flower structure
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Strawberries and Cream is absolutely wonderful! I will be on the search for one.
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It colouring sits well with so many plants and has flowered for months
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Your potted salvia is so healthy and….Big. I’m not successful with pot plants, maybe they need more care than I give them. I have been pleased with my blue salvia this year, too.
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My pots have improved no end since I connected them up to a drip watering system. They have far less water than before but it’s evenly provided.
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There must be something in the air that’s making us all a bit twitchy and wanting to redesign our borders! Love that salvia. I do like proper blue flowers.
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I’ve met ‘Honkas’ for the first time on SoS this week. They are certainly very desirable.
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They are. ‘Verone’s Obsidian’ is a gorgeous dark red variety
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i feel much the same way about hot lips. i have a few of them (bit of propagation madness), i don’t mind the pair in the front garden, but the one in the back garden just gets enormous, despite a severe annual haircut. i am also sure I could do much better with that space. i only really like the smell of the foliage anyway. out i shall come! i might move it to a pot on the patio where i can keep it under closer watch.
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Clematis ‘Dr Ruppel’ is quite a stunning flower – I’m glad that it has finally made an appearance for you.
I’ve heard many people say that they’ve had problems with dahlias this year, and I’ve had a few that have done virtually nothing. The snails have enjoyed them though, and one plant that was flowering beautifully has been reduced to a single stalk, and I didn’t see it happening. D. ‘Honka Fragile’ is an impressive bloom though, I hope it produces a few more before the frosts arrive.
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