Six on Saturday: 21.8.21

I’ve had a good week of gardening. It’s been quite wet but I’ve still got on with a good few jobs. I’ve planted out quite a lot in the Forest School at work. It’s looking alright, but give it a few years and it should fill out well. I’m not sure how well each plant will do as it is pretty heavy shade. But I’ve got most of the plants cheap so it’s no great drama if there is some loss. I had a pleasant trip to Stillingfleet Lodge Gardens yesterday which I’m sure I’ll write about another day. Today is my third wedding anniversary. Amy almost forgot but my sister reminded her. We’re not doing anything special but it was a nice excuse to add some more sea hollies to the garden.

Facebook bargains

I’ve done well out of Facebook this week. I picked up a water butt and coldframe cheap for work. The waterbutt has been put in forest school. I just need to pick up a connector kit. I’m not sure whether the coldframe is going to work or at home. I might use if for winter to home the primulas and foxgloves and then move it to work. The wormery was free, including worms. These are great. They produce a small amount of high quality compost. But, more importantly the worm wee makes a great liquid fertiliser. It slowly drips out and then you dilute it in a watering can.

Stargazer lilies

These have grown to nice big blocks. A few have been nibbled by the dreaded beetles but enough have made it to flower. They work well with the hydrangea limelight behind. I took the advice a few years ago to grow them in shade to reduce the number of beetles and it does seem to work.

I know a lot of people don’t like them but I do. They are quite exotic in nature and bring something to the garden late summer before the gladioli and aster gets going.

And the hoverflies particularly like them.

Farfugium japonicum ‘wavy gravy’

After a lecture through Lou Nichols patreon gardening club by Phillip Oostenbrink on tropical gardening I saw this plant and wanted it. In the lecture he mentioned the spotty version. But I saw the wavy foliage at the garden centre. The local garden centre is stocking less and less in the way of variety of plants so I was surprised to see it. Accounts differ on hardiness so we’ll see how it does. It’s gone in the foliage mix of the front garden.

Butterflies

When it’s not been raining it has actually been quite pleasant and I’ve seen a few more butterflies out. There have been lots of whites a few peacocks and a good few small tortoiseshells about.

Plant bargains

I’ve been keeping my eye out for some more grpund cover plants for work, so stopped in at the road outside Wassand Hall. On the road up to the hall is a cottage with a plant stall outside. They usually have a mix of hardy geraniums and a few other bits but they had a good selection out this week. I picked up three candalabra primulas, a lovely coloured heuchera and a vibrant pink flowered salvia wishes and kisses. The salvia will need cuttings taking to get it through winter, but it was cheap enough to be worth taking a chance on. The primulas were one of the standout plants at Harlow Carr and I fancy a few clumps of these. They should then self seed and spread gradually.

Agapanthus

Agapanthus formed a key part of our wedding flowers and these were planted following the wedding. It’s taken three years for them to bulk out to a decent flowering point but they are looking great. I had planted a mix of blue and white but there is still no sign of the white. I don’t know whether they’ve died off or if it is the fault of Thompson & Morgan but too late to complain.

I’ve also added a new variety to mark our anniversary, Silver Moon. It is a varieagated variety. So even if takes several years to flower at least the foliage is bringing something to the garden.

I hope you all have nice weekends. I’ve got a good few plant purchases to find spaces for and a few more seeds I want to get started this weekend.

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