Tag: Dahlia

We Abandoned the Garden

Published on by Catherine29 Comments

It’s been a better week of weather for us here on the west coast of Scotland, with the best day being Monday and great for gardening – we had a lot to do. We unexpectedly had Littlest Grandson with us on that day (school summer holidays) and he gamely helped in the garden during the morning. At lunchtime, we asked him if he’d like to go to the beach. We knew the answer well before his face lit up with delight. We live only a few minutes from the beach but Monday was the first day where we felt it was warm enough to let him dig in the sand, paddle in the sea and of course, get an ice cream from the van.

So off we went with folding chairs for gran & grandad, a mat that we knew he wouldn’t sit on, a bucket & spade, and other paraphernalia that is needed for a couple of hours on the sand. It was the first beach day, but I hope it won’t be the last. Gardening duties were simply abandoned and it was worth it.

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Dalia Decision Time

Published on by Catherine28 Comments

There’s been a lengthy debate taking place in my head for months about whether I should give dahlias a second chance. My 2023 dahlias were horribly disappointing. That failure could have been due to many factors, and I’m not sure it’s worth trying to analyse what went wrong. It happened, it’s over.

Before deciding to abandon them, I thought I’d look back over the past few years at dahlias that were more successful than recent efforts.

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Blending of the Seasons

Published on by Catherine27 Comments

From the window, and it’s window viewing only at the moment for a couple of reasons, it looks as though the summertime fairy has touched the garden with her flower wand. Most of the roses are in bloom right now, opened out by the recent heat and rudbeckias, dahlias, fuchsia and asters add to the show. It’s a mix of autumn and summer. I know this won’t last too long, but at this moment in time, it’s there to be enjoyed.

But why window viewing? First, it’s pouring rain, secondly (and more importantly) there’s a large wasp nest in the garden. I won’t go near the garden right now, it’s September, they’re active and very aggressive. I’m keeping my distance until the nest has been removed. My husband had a double sting this week, and that’s enough of a warning for me.

As for the weather, our temperatures dropped to a very cool 13C yesterday and autumn sweaters are back in style. Summer has moved on until next year.

So this week’s Six on Saturday selection relies on a few photos taken earlier in the week, before the sting and the nest discovery.

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From Sweaters to Sunscreen

Published on by Catherine31 Comments

I messaged my daughter in the US to say how hot it’s been this week at 28C. She sympathised and said it was 37C where she is.

I messaged my youngest in Australia and told her the same. She laughed and said, “Mum, it’s just going into spring here, and it’s 26C”. OK, I know how hot it gets over there, but I suppose it’s what you’re used to and here on the west coast of Scotland, 28C is hot! I’ve put my new autumn sweaters back in the wardrobe and dug out my summer blouses. And the sunscreen.

I’m sure Saturday Sixers up and down the country will be commenting about the heat we’ve had this week. It’s come as a surprise but I have to confess, I’ve enjoyed the warmth and sunshine, an unexpected treat for September.

My garden though, has been baking. I mentioned last week that my Cosmos were fading. I wanted to persuade them to last a little longer, but I made the decision this week not to use water on them and let them die off. I’ve made the same decision with other annuals and as a result, much of the garden is looking sad right now. But let’s take a look at this week’s selection for Six on Saturday.

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Not an Ugly Duckling

Published on by Catherine32 Comments

Six on Saturday

Three of the six photos are from this week, and the other three were taken just before my teenage grandsons arrived on their first international trip without their parents (actually, their first trip anywhere on their own!). Am I cheating with my before and now photos? Perhaps I need to read the rules for Six on Saturday, but for this week, I hope our host Jim will forgive me! The boys have gone home now, and I’m surveying the sad state of the garden. It’s looking sad because many of the plants are already fading as autumn creeps in and also because too many have failed to perform this year.

The main failures this season have been the dahlias, two so far, have failed to produce any flowers at all, and the remainder have produced far fewer blooms than in previous years. To add to the problem, the snails, slugs and earwigs have been feasting well on them. Is anyone else having dahlia problems this year?

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