Six on Saturday 6.11.21

Posted on November 6, 2021 by Pauline

At last we have had some frost, just a little, but enough to start the leaves changing colour. Some have changed quicker than others, autumn tints are going to last longer than usual this year. It is quite a while since I went into the garden due to the fact that I had my booster vaccination on Monday, waking up on Tuesday I felt absolutely dreadful, gradually getting easier each day, so taking photos this morning was quite a major operation, it was good to get out in the fresh air once more though. Let’s see what I found….

No 1 Miscanthus malepartus

Looking a bit trussed up like the Christmas turkey, but necessary after a storm blew it over a couple of months ago. This miscanthus will soon be a golden fountain whan all its leaves have changed.

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Six on Saturday. 30. 10. 21

Posted on October 30, 2021 by Pauline

The warm weather has continued, but now we are having torrential rain each night so the garden is absolutely sodden and even flooded in places. Warm sunshine during the day is wonderful of course but having higher than average temperatures at night, means that most of the beautiful autumn colours are absent so far, they come when the temperature drops right down at night.

My six for Saturday are as follows….

No 1   Horse Chestnut tree.

The horse chestnuts in the back garden are showing signs of autumn, but no conkers, where are they all? Normally I have loads of them on the back lawn and have to put up with the squirrels digging holes everywhere to bury them! Not this year though, I wonder why.

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Six on Saturday 16.10.21

Posted on October 16, 2021 by Pauline

We have had a lovely warm week with plenty of sunshine, a treat at this time of year. Next week we should be back to how we would normally be, temperatures will take a drop and there will be rain once more, it is a while since we had rain here and it will be very welcome. Plants are still flowering, a few are starting to flower for the first time this year, the winter flowerers are starting early.

My six for this week are…….

No 1  Cherry tree.

Autumn tints are starting to show on some of the trees at the moment, this is the cherry at the entrance to the driveway.

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Six on Saturday 9.10.21

Posted on October 9, 2021 by Pauline

We have been having a warm spell this week with just the occasional light shower, much warmer than we normally have in October. Signs of autumn are all about us though with more berries on the trees and shrubs and more leaves starting to change colour. Mornings are very dark now, soon the clocks will go back and that will be the sign to hunker down and stay in bed when I wake up early. My six are as follows…..

No 1…..  Euonymus europaeus Red Cascade

This is the first time my little shrub has made its attractive fruits, even though it was planted at least 5 yrs ago. In a few years, when it grows a bit more, it will look stunning,  just inside the entrance to the woodland.

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Six on Saturday 2.10.21

Posted on October 2, 2021 by Pauline

The weather this week has been very variable, some days lovely and warm and sunny, others torrential rain of biblical proportions, making me wonder whether to get the plans out and be ready to build an ark! Today it is raining once more, I made the most of yesterday and took my photos then.

My six for this week are here…

No 1   Cornus and asters.

Asters have seeded all along the driveway border and at the moment are contrasting with the change in colour of the Cornus alba siberica Westonbirt leaves, they change to a beautiful purple before finally dropping and revealing the bright red stems of the cornus all winter.

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Six on Saturday 25.09.21

Posted on September 25, 2021 by Pauline

This last week has been warm and sunny with hardly any wind, a really good week for butterflies and bees to enjoy the garden alongside me as I’ve been weeding, cutting back and deadheading. All coming to an end though, we’ve been told that next week will be wetter and colder, I’ll enjoy today while I can!

My six for this week are as follows……

no 1   Mahonia nitens Cabaret

Just starting to flower on the rockery is the small Mahonia nitens Cabaret, it should only grow to about 3 ft, I hope it doesn’t get any bigger!

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Six on Saturday 18.09.21

Posted on September 18, 2021 by Pauline

We have had a week that has been drier than forecast and also with more sunshine than expected. The trees are beginning to change colour and some leaves are starting to fall. The sun is lower in the sky and for a lot of the time, doesn’t reach over the tops of my ancient trees. I’ll have to wait until all the leaves are off the trees before the garden is flooded with sunlight once more.

Time for Six on Saturday, here are mine for this week…….

No 1   Red Admiral butterflies.

This is my “go to” plant at the moment, if the sun is shining I make a bee line for my Eupatorium purpureum atropurpureum to see how many butterflies are enjoying all that is on offer. Yesterday afternoon I counted 12 Red Admirals and 1 Tortoiseshell at one time, fantastic!

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It was a misty, moisty morning

Posted on September 15, 2021 by Pauline

When I got up this morning it was a misty, moisty morning and yes, cloudy was the weather, but I didn’t meet an old man dressed all in leather! Instead I met hundreds of spider’s webs decorating the garden, glistening with the moistness from the fog, looking as though they were spangled with diamonds, glistening in the very weak sun that was peeping through the clouds, a real September morning.

With Stipa gigantea

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Six on Saturday 11.9.21

Posted on September 11, 2021 by Pauline

Another week flown by, our promised thunder and lightning didn’t materialise on Wednesday, after a shower first thing we had sunshine all day just to round the mini summer off. It is now quite a bit cooler with showers on and off, the garden has appreciated the showers and my water butts are filling up nicely, so happy plants and happy gardener! My six for this week are….

No 1. Cotoneaster

Definitely an autumnal feel to my 6 this week. This is Cotoneaster horizontalis is on the kitchen wall and loved by the bees in the spring and the birds in the autumn.

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Six on Saturday 04.09.21

Posted on September 4, 2021 by Pauline

After a dull, cold and windy week, temperatures are set to rise and we have been promised a mini summer next week, lasting for all of 3 days before rain will move in. I’m glad that it will get warmer, I was almost thinking I had to get my winter jumpers out already, but T shirts will last me a bit longer thank goodness. A lot of cutting back got done during the week and more weeding, will I ever get to the end of those!

My six for this week are….

No 1 Eupatorium purpureum atropurpureum.

Such a lovely huge plant, well over 6ft tall with huge purple flowerheads which the bees and butterflies adore. My photos were taken at 7.30 this morning and I think all the insects were still in bed!

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