PotsandPlots

Not much doing in the garden once again this week. Some bits have definitely gone over, while others are looking lush, now we’ve had a bit of rain. Grass has returned, and in parts the lawn is looking better than I ever remember it being.

I find myself reflecting on how far things have come along and planning where things might go next.

SixOnSaturday is curated by Jim at Garden Ruminations, and you can find the participation guidelines here.

1. It was about this time last year that I really began to take gardening seriously. Clearing wasted space and really thinking about what I wanted to create.

How do I know this? Next to part of the garden that was properly overgrown was this little clump of cyclamen, and here they are again.

2. There’s not much new growing in the garden right now, but this little hollyhock is brightening the place up. It decided not to grow tall, instead sending out several smaller stems. In some ways, I think I like it more than it’s just a single stem.

3. Cobaeawatch September 5th edition. It continues to bring joy with its trumpet flowers. The Thunbergia seeds I harvested last year have quietly grown into the lower part of the cobaea, adding some extra interest. This picture, from inside the conservatory possibly doesn’t do it justice.

4 & 5 are about looking forward. I love alliums, always have, but I struggle to get a good repeat showing in the garden. I think it’s too shady for them to shine year on year.

I’ve decided, this autumn, to rework the front garden, as it gets a punishing amount of sun or at least it did this year. Alliums want full sun, so I hope I will have some success with these, and a bit of interest earlier than the other stuff I’m putting in.

5. A tough decision, but as part of the rework I decided to dig out my weigela from the front garden. Looking back on the photos from the spring, I feel a little bad now, because it was lovely when it flowered.

Unfortunately, it only looked good for two weeks of the year, and was overwhelming in the space, not to mention next door’s driveway. Jim @ gardenruminations, gave me some passing words of wisdom when he commented on a post earlier in the year, which convinced me it was time to let it go.

At the time of writing, I have a decent amount of it out. The ground around it now looks a bit like the moon. The remaining clump wobbles a bit, so hopefully with a bit more gentle (not gentle) persuasion, I’ll remove the rest this weekend. The process has certainly saved me my gym fees this week!

On the plus side, I’ve been reassured that the soil in the front is fine and free-draining (with a ton of gravel somebody added at some point). This is good because that’s what all the plants I’ve ordered need!

As a random aside, there’s been a skimmia living under the bush for at least 20 years. That’s when we moved in and I didn’t put it there. I found it about 15 years ago, and I left it, thinking it was bound to give in. It has been rewarded for its tenacity, and I think it deserves to be left to have it’s time (literally) in the sun.

6. This photo is a the usual position I take my cover photo from. I realised today, as I uploaded it, that the garden is looking rather splendid. It’s easy to get caught up planning changes or looking at other people’s gardens and wishing your own was a little nicer.
Comparison is indeed the thief of joy. I’m glad I took the time to look closely at this picture and appreciate what I have.

That’s it for this week. See you next time, and thanks for looking at my #SixonSaturday