Spring Gems and Woes

Published on by Catherine36 Comments

This year hasn’t been as successful for my spring bulbs as I had hoped.

Several small pots were knocked over, and the contents spilled out. A couple of others had the gravel topping and compost scooped out. I don’t think that’s the type of damage I can accuse the slugs and snails of carrying out.

The main suspect is the same grey squirrel that has eaten my rhododendron buds for the second year. This garden is possibly the best restaurant for local wildlife in our neighbourhood. But if I see that grey squirrel, I won’t be responsible for what I might be tempted to do.

But there’s another problem – not all bulbs planted in pots have appeared. In some cases, 50% are missing. The tops of the pots are undisturbed, and I’m left wondering if something else has been at work that has entered from beneath the pot. Perhaps covering the pots’ drainage holes with mesh might help? However, let’s get on with this week’s Six on Saturday.

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Welcome, Spring of 2025

Published on by Catherine29 Comments

Six on Saturday

Today, it’s all about the little giant of color – the crocus. I was starting to wonder when the flowers would make their grand entrance, and now, amidst this week of unpredictable weather with rain, sleet, wind, frost, and sunshine, the crocuses have bravely pushed through, their rain-soaked petals shining in the otherwise barren garden borders.

The tiny crocuses below are in a container of mixed-planting and have returned each February over the past few years. The three shots below were taken over four days. To my huge surprise our temperatures reached 12C on Wednesday and coaxed the flowers to unfurl. In the last shot, I caught them just before they closed the following day.

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Dahlia Disaster

Published on by Catherine25 Comments

Six on Saturday: The Before, The Now and The Future

Today, it’s six images—from the past, from the present, and from what is yet to come.

Each year it’s the same – I pot up the dahlia tubers and look forward to the day when the garden will be vibrant with the colour, shape, and form of spectacular dahlia blooms! Like many others in this country, the miserable summer weather of 2024 was a challenge for plants. The abundance of snails here had only one aim – to eat everything in the garden. However, it wasn’t all gloom, the dahlias bloomed but did fall short of expectations because of an excess of rain, wind damage and snails with their insatiable appetites. But as every gardener, amateur or professional will testify, there’s always the hope of a better growing season one year ahead!

At the first frosts, the tubers were lifted, cleaned, drained upside down in the greenhouse and stored in open crates in the garage. l checked them just before Christmas and they were fine, but another look a few weeks ago revealed a sorry sight. Every dahlia tuber was mouldy and rotten and every last one had to be binned.

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Overwintering Rudbeckias

Published on by Catherine8 Comments

The ‘Enchanted’ series of Rudbeckia has captured my heart over the past few years, but while they are beautiful, the plants don’t overwinter in my garden. I was inspired by Rosie when she mentioned last September that she overwintered her rudbeckias in her greenhouse and I thought it was worthwhile trying this with the Rudbeckia ‘Enchanted’ series plants.

During October the plants were potted into 3 ltr plastic pots, three of which went into the greenhouse and four into the cold frame.

There is a noticeable difference between those kept in the greenhouse and those in the cold frame. The greenhouse plants are showing good growth (perhaps too much for this time of year) while those from the cold frame have only a hint of new growth.

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First ‘Six’ of 2025

Published on by Catherine31 Comments

Six on Saturday

For a few days at the end of January and beginning of February, it felt almost as though spring had arrived. My husband and I spent several days in the garden – our first opportunity to tidy up after Storm Eowyn. It was still bitterly cold, but calm and sunny. We were dressed for the cold and it turned out to be quite pleasant in the sunshine. Unlike many in our area, the garden escaped the worst of last month’s storm. The blown-out glass in the greenhouse has been replaced and the one tile that had slipped on the roof of the house is back in place. I will never forget the roar of the wind that night. It was incredibly loud and sounded much like the hurricanes or tornadoes in movies. Scary.

That’s behind us now, new shoots are emerging everywhere and I’m feeling excited as spring approaches. I’m busy with gardening tasks like cutting back the last of the perennials and removing old or damaged shrubs when the weather is nice.

But now it’s time for my first 2025 Six on Saturday.

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