Six on Saturday, 25/07/2020

It was a bit of a dash around with the camera to capture images and inspiration to put something together for this week’s Six on Saturday. The morning had been spent packaging snowdrop bulbs to post off to fellow snowdrop enthusiasts – a little swapping is far, far cheaper than buying these exorbitantly-priced bulbs. There was a gallop in the early afternoon to post these and to collect a lawnmower which had been left in for repair and then it began to rain so it was as well that I had taken my photographs when I had the opportunity.

Opium poppies, Papaver somniferum, are unpredictable plants in the garden. They cross-breed and self-seed to their own designs so their colours and forms come as a surprise each year, something which makes them interesting.

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  Not and Opium poppy but grown from seed given by a friend many years ago and I look forward to its annual flowering.

Daylilies, Hemerocallis, are more permanent and predictable than the poppies in the garden. They grow well for us to the extent that we had become a little tired of them but they have done so very well again this year that we have come to like them again. There is a good selection of them in the garden and here are those looking best at present:

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  Hemerocallis ‘Pat & Pattie’

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  Hemerocallis ‘Stafford’

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  Hemerocallis ‘El Desperado’

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  Hemerocallis ‘Joan Senior’

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  Hemerocallis ‘Kwanzo’ fl. pl.

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  Hemerocallis ‘James Marsh’

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  Hemerocallis ‘Mallard’

Hydrangeas can be relied on to give a good display right through autumn into early winter. We have a bed almost entirely given over to hydrangeas and have others sprinkled about the garden. They do well for us and are a great return for the little care they require. Some are yet to look their best but there are others which look well at this moment:

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  Hydrangea ‘Annabelle’

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  Hydrangea ‘Miss Saori’

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  Hydrangea ‘Ayesha’

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  Hydrangea ‘Lady in Red’

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  Hydrangea ‘Bodensee Blue’

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  Hydrangea ‘Invincibelle’

Margery Fish’s, “When in doubt, plant a geranium” is often quoted and it is a truism of gardening and plant choice for there is hardly a day of the gardening season without a geranium to enjoy in the garden. These are in flower at present:

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  Geranium ‘Havana Blues’

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  Geranium ‘Ann Folkard’

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  Geranium ‘Rozanne’

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  Geranium wallichianum ‘Havana Blues’

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  Geranium ‘Rozanne’

Agapanthus haven’t really come into full flower here yet but some have made a start and they are such beautiful flowers. One is my particularly favourite agapanthus, for its especially dark rich colour – Agapanthus ‘Windlebrook’. I grow two cultivars which are outstanding in pots: Agapanthus ‘Kilmurry White’ and Agapanthus ‘Kilmurry Blue’. Both are small plants with small flower which are produced in an amazing number and so give a wonderful effect.

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  Agapanthus ‘Windlebrook’

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  Agapanthus inapertus

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  Agapanthus ‘Kilmurry Blue’

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  Agapanthus ‘Kilmurry White’

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  Agapanthus ‘Queen Mum’

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  Agapanthus ‘Twister’

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  Agapanthus in a bed with Alstromeria ‘Indian Summer’

This last photograph leads to sixth of my Six on Saturday this week for it is of some groupings in the garden, some planting combinations which are appealing at present. By the way, I can take no credit for the planning nor selection of these plants – that is to the credit of the Head Gardener. I remain, happily and contentedly (most of the time!), the Undergardener.

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  Hydrangea ‘Annabelle’ with Hemerocallis ‘Stafford’ in front; Galega officinalis, light blue, in the background and a strongly-coloured phlox to the right.

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  Heleniums, fronted by Brunnera ‘Looking Glass’ with Geranium ‘Rozanne’ to the right.

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  Hemerocallis ‘Joan Senior’ with Hosta ‘Orange Marmalae’ to the front and Liatris spicata to the right.

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  Liatris spicata with a quite tall veronica behind. The purple plant in the background is Verbena hastata and the high grass of the “bulb lawn” or wildflower patch to the left.

If you would like to see other “Six on Saturday” blogs, visit: https://thepropagatorblog.wordpress.com/ Read his Six on Saturday entry and then scroll down to the replies and you will find other bloggers have posted links to their posts there.