Six on a Saturday 17.03.18

It’s another snowy windy day for my garden, so seems an odd time to start taking part in six on a Saturday. I’ve been reading many of the blogs that take part in six on a Saturday for a while, but never taken part. I figure it’s time I gave it a go.

The garden hasn’t thawed at all over the day. At dinner time the hanging basket was still showing icicles. I’ve kept up my bird feeding efforts and have been rewarded with lots of visitors. So far today I’ve seen blue tits, great tits, blackbirds, wood pigeons, sparrows, starlings, a robin and a few wrens. The wind is preventing me filling up the seed feeders, so I’ve been keeping supplies of suet and fat ball feeders going.

My first of six comes from my windowsill propagators. My sweet peas are taking off well. As there on the windowsill they’ve been growing with a slant towards the light, so I’m trying to turn them around every few days to account for this.

Again from the windowsill comes hollyhock seedlings (Alcea Rosea). I’m trying to establish more from seed this year rather than the garden centre to save money and give me plants to use for home and school. The variety I’m growing came from a mixed pack my mum bought me reduced last year. This particular variety is “Summer Carnival”. A double flowered variety with ruffled flowers. I grow hollyhocks for the bees last year. With the double flowers I imagine these won’t have as much benefit for the bees, but as I have the seed I will give them a go.

My alpines and succulents I had growing in plastic trays last year. I’ve bought a few new varieties and transferred them to ceramic pots as I didn’t like the plastic much. I’ve improved the drainage with layers of grit and sand, so they don’t end up sitting in water. The aeonium is a bit sorry for itself after snow and frost, so if it doesn’t recover I’ll remove that from the middle.

The saxifrage is a variety called “Peter Pan” that grows into a mossy cushion of foliage with red flowers in Spring.

Then in one of the other pots, another new addition to my garden, sedum, spathulifolium blanco. Another low flowering plant, giving bright yellow flowers. Both the sedum and saxifrage should spread over their pots and then I should be able to propagate more from this small beginnings. Much like the sempervivums I started off last year I believe these are all fairly easy to propagate. From three sempervivums last year I now have double that from separating off the offsets.

I have one rather pitiful group of primula. They were a birthday present last year from one of Amy’s sisters. However on their own they just look sad. I may have to add some more next year, though I think I’ll go with some of the more natural white varieties.

Back on the patio the Black Parrot tulips are taking off well now. These are a feathered variety growing up through Ophiopogon, black mondo at the base of an angustfolio prunus. I never tried tulips in my previous garden as the combination of thick clay and a limited border made me reluctant to use the space on them. But Amy is quite fond of them I think, so I have a few varieties coming through this year.

The snow has started heavily again outside, so no more garden time today. With the bitterly cold wind blowing at strength, even wrapped up, I don’t fancy getting Alice out. So today she has enjoyed some inside time with a new paint set.

She quickly decided hands were a good tool to use for painting.

I hope you’ve all enjoyed my first six on a Saturday. Don’t forget to keep feeding the birds. My blackbirds have appreciated a bag of apples I left out for them. They keep returning for a nibble and they are large enough not to be buried in the snow. I hope you all have good weekends and the weather treats you as kindly as it can. Any other six on a Saturday bloggers please feel free to comment linking to yours. I read a lot already, but happy to discover more.

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