It’s a year ago today that I posted my first ever contribution to the Six on Saturday online gardening link up. It’s been a wonderful way to interact with fellow gardeners from all over the world and a good excuse, if one is needed, to get out in the garden and see what’s looking good or interesting.
I’ve loved seeing what everyone else is growing. The friendliness of the gardening community is something to be cherished, be it online or in person – a story encapsulated in my first picture.
If you want to read other contributions to the Six on Saturday link up of gardeners click here to go to the page of host The Propagator.
Pass it on
This picture was taken just over a week ago so strictly speaking shouldn’t be included but I hope you’ll indulge me this once. This exceedingly pretty crocus heuffelianus ‘shock wave’ was given to me by my friend ‘Mr Snowdrop’ who I’ve written about for the Alpine Garden Society here and also several times in Six on Saturday posts. Mr Snowdrop died a couple of weeks ago. He was elderly but in the short months I knew him encouraged me so much in my gardening enterprises.
At his memorial service this week, the address remembered his infectious enthusiasm for many hobbies and for his unstinting kindness.
A story was told about him offering a lift home to a man who was more than a little tipsy. The man thanked him and offered to pay for his petrol to which Mr Snowdrop replied simply “Pass it on”. The man was confused and asked what he meant by that and Mr Snowdrop replied – “Pass it on – the kindness”.
Through Mr Snowdrop I have met new friends in my local area who are keen gardeners. His gifts to me of friends, plants and knowledge live on. He truly did pass it on.
Birthday bonanza
My birthday was last week. My parents in law gave me a birthday card with some money in it. I was thrilled as it gave me the excuse to go plant shopping.
I went on Wednesday to a large local nursery which stocks many lovely shrubs. You can wander around the poly tunnels and marvel at the rows and rows of plants. Of course at this time of year, many of the pots don’t look much and I’m not particularly knowledgeable about shrubs. I took time to look closely at the labels and the potential of each one began to come clear. In some cases a quick search on the smart phone proved useful.
I have to admit that as a group, they currently look a bit supermarket car park but each one has the potential to wow and I’ll be sure to share some pictures when they are ready to show off.
My new collection includes a small Daphne x transatlantica ‘Eternal fragance’, a Crinodendron hookerianum or Lantern Tree, a Ceratostigma griffithii or hardy plumbago and a Drimys aromatica.
Blank canvas
This is where most of the new shrubs will be going, a bed cut along the new wall built last year as part of last year’s greenhouse project. The soil is fairly typical of my garden – a pretty good loam with some clay and huge chunks of flint.
I think my shrubs will be happy here.
Edgeworthia revisited
In one of my first Six on Saturday posts I wrote about a fabulous shrub called Edgeworthia which I noticed at RHS gardens Wisley. I was keen to buy one back then and this week I ticked it off my wish list.
Paperbush (Edgeworthia chrysantha) outside Laboratory at RHS Wisley, March 2018
Winter flowering shrubs really are to be treasured and this one not only has pretty flowers but also a honeyed scent. When I was young my mother often made a rich buttery rice pudding and the colours in this Edgeworthia flower remind me of her tasty pud.
Edgeworthia crysantha flower
Hanging Epiphyllum
I bought these Epiphyllum plants from The Cactus Shop in Devon last year and they’ve grown very well, with lots of new shoots. Reading up on them, I learned that they are often grown in hanging baskets. I can now see why – they have almost doubled in size. Until last week they were up on a high shelf in my greenhouse but they’re now hung up higher still. So high in fact that one of them is on a pulley so that I can lower it for watering.
Another stunning Iris pot
Two weeks ago I shared pictures of an Iris called ‘Katharine’s Gold’. This week, this Iris reticulata ‘Scentsational’ is looking lovely. As the name suggests it is scented.
Iris reticulata are very easy to grow in pots when planted up in autumn but they can also be grown in the ground or as here in grass. These I found on a dog walk at Hughenden Manor near High Wycombe a welcome splash of colour on a woodland walk.
Sorry to hear of Mr Snowdrop’s passing, but what a legacy. That is such a trait in gardeners, I think, to pass it on, and we are all the richer for it.
I couldn’t agree more Tim.
Lovely read. Thank you
Thanks Patricia – very kind of you. I love writing about plants.
So exciting to have a new bed to fill and useful to have birthday money to fill it with. Sorry to hear about Mr Snowdrop who sounds like he was an inspiration to you and others.
Hi Ciar – yes it’s a treat to have a new bed to play with. My next purchase will be a climber for the wall. I’m thinking of one of those ornamental vines – Vitis coignetiae. They can be a bit rampant but there’s plenty of room for it to expand onto the garage next door.
Happy birthday (a week later) and glad you regularly take part in the SoS. Your choices this week are very nice, as always.
Ingenious hanging pot system with pulley, and look forward to seeing the crinodendron in bloom.( Never tried here but I am tempted).
What is the tree / shrub in the big pot behind the edgeworthia?
Hi Fred and thanks for your birthday wishes. I’m very happy with the pulley. We bought it in a chandlers in Cornwall last summer (a chandlers is the name we give in the UK for sailing and boat supplies) and I now wish we’d got a few more just like them as it works so well. I’m sure I can get some mail order. The big plant in a pot is an olive tree that I’ve had since I was in London.
So this olive tree is almost like mine in size. Did you get olives this autumn?
Hi Fred – I get no olives from this at all. I did when I was in London in a more sheltered garden but out here I just don’t think it feels Mediterranean enough for it.
Mr Snowdrop’s crocus is absolutely beautiful. That goes onto my wanted list for sure. I don’t know about your plants looking supermarket car park; it’s a pity they don’t plant such interesting things.
There’s certainly something very beguiling about that crocus. I’m so glad I took the time to look at it up close as it’s hard to spot those stripes from a distance. You’re right about supermarket plantings – I just thought mine look a bit drab right now but I know they’ve all got lovely surprises in store down the line…
What a lovely story about Mr Snowdrop. Its wonderful to think of people like him who’s gentle legacy lives on in thousands of small ways through the things they have shared with others; words of wisdom, plants wrapped in paper, envelopes of seeds…
You’re so right Keith and I do think that gardening is a hobby that seems to attract lovely people.
What a legacy your friend has left! I am sorry for your loss, yet know he lives on in many ways. Edgeworthia is a plant I must add. The fragrance is tempting me. You are rare to have the bed dug BEFORE your purchase!
It’s certainly unusual to have the bed before the purchases but I have some help in the garden and I mentioned it to him and it was done in a trice. I’ve been meaning to do it for a while but kept being diverted to other things. I think Edgeworthia can be tricky, especially the red variety called ‘Red Dragon’. Having said that I was driving through a nearby village recently and thought I spotted a huge one. I’m going to do another drive by to check it’s what I think it is…
What a wonderful blank slate! Those are so exciting! So’s the idea of a shopping trip. I usually dislike giving cash or gift cards, but for Christmas I asked for one to Lowe’s so I could get gardening supplies!
I forgot all about Epiphyllums! I used to have a a pretty big one. They can have such odd big flat leaves.
I’m very keen on epiphyllums, the leaves are so architectural if a little unruly. I’ll be even happier if they flower. I have four different types, two in each basket, plus a fifth one which is the white night flowering one called ‘Queen of the Night’.
I love having a little bit of money to spend for my birthday – it’s a good excuse to get to the nursery of garden centre.
So sorry to hear about Mr Snowdrop, he seemed like such a lovely gentleman and you certainly benefited from his generosity, the crocus is truly lovely. I might try growing a few different crocuses in small pots next year.
I can really recommend the crocus in pots idea. There’s always somewhere to put a few near a back door or on a table to cheer you up as you come home. I’ll then plant them out in the garden and buy some fresh new ones to try next year.
An empty bed, yet full of possibilities. Enjoy planting!
Thanks Mr Prop. I’m now thinking of making it bigger. My husband’s idea and I think he may have a point.
Do it!
Nothing supermarket carpark about any of your plants, all great choices. I have an Edgeworthia which is just opening up its flowers. I’m not convinced of its hardiness so it has been sporting a hairnet until the weather turned so warm. Epyphillums in hanging baskets, now why didn’t I think of that? Thank you very much, they get so enormous and take up so much room and of course they are so easy to propagate that you end up with loads of them.
Thanks Chloris. I may well take some Epiphyllum cuttings from that really long leaf. Hope you try the hanging basket idea. Yes, you’re right about the shrubs, I think I’ve chosen some goodies there. I just thought at the moment they look a bit supermarket car park as they are just green and brown!
Hi Katharine, on the subject of passing it on, a few of us have read Allan Jenkins’ Plot 29 and passed it on (Gill Heavens started it). It is a heartbreaking but very good read. If you want to be next, just send me your address and I will send it to you.