Six on Saturday: 18.8.18

With the wedding next week my gardening has been limited to just maintaining the status quo. Pulling out the grass in the border and keeping things watered. The main Summer flowers are fading away and heading back to foliage.

1. Osteospermum

I planted these in a pot a few weeks back and they been looking miserable. Despite watering and trying to care for them they’ve not been happy. They’ve been baked and eaten, but I have finally had a reward of some flowers.

2. Poppy

One poppy has managed to self-seed in the front garden’s brick wall. An impressive survivor.

3. Korean dwarf lilac

This shrub I believe is a dwarf lilac. It forms a bush rather than the normal lilac tree. It flowers in Spring and again in Summer. It hasn’t got a massive number of blooms, but the smell is superb. Once these blooms have died it will be a time for a prune to keep it in order and give it a bit of time to put on growth for its Spring flowers. The flowers are quite similar to verbena, but with the lilac scent.

4. Propagating honeysuckle

My mum has an unknown variety of honeysuckle that has smaller flowers than the native variety I currently grow. I’ve taken a few cuttings, placed in a gritty soil mix. I’m keeping one outside and two in the propagator on the windowsill. This is part of my continuing efforts to cover the fences to make use of every inch of the garden. The climbing roses and clematis planted this year are collonising well. So hopefully these will take. Then they can be added to the mix.

5. Calla lily

I had this calla lily growing inside, but it was looking a bit miserable. I’ve brought it outside and it seems to have perked up a bit.

6. Entertaining Alice

As I’m on holiday one of the main focuses in the garden is entertaining Alice. While I garden to create something that looks nice and provides for wildlife it is primarily a space for people to use and enjoy. Alice has been interested in all the beach tents at the seafront. So I picked up a cheap tent. She has been loving playing in this in the garden. She’s been using it as a castle, a house and a bird hide. Although as she shouts hello to all the birds they don’t stay long.

The other favourite toy is the bubble machine. Much fun is had trying to catch the bubbles.

On a side note I found the label to an unknown perennial a few weeks back. Lythrum-robin is the name. Thank you to the people who tried to identify. More commonly known as loosestrife.

Hope you’ve enjoyed my six. If you fancy taking part check the guide here. Lots of really good blogs out there and gives great ideas of what else you can plant for full seasonal interest.

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