Hi and welcome to this weeks Six on Saturday.
I am back after my week in Cornwall. Cornwall did not disappoint what a wonderful place and as for the plants it was a positive Nirvana. I did not take many photo’s as I was with guests and did not want to be rude.
There was 2 major highlights of the holiday. The first one was that my mate only lives a mile away form Surreal Succulents and the second one was we went for an impromptu day trip to the Isles of Scilly. I visited Surreal Succulents twice and spent too much money on at least 15 different Succulents but hey I was on holiday! The only problem I have now is where to store them over the winter but I am confident that I should be able to keep most of them alive even if I have to store some at my sisters house (I had better tell her first. As for the Isles of Scilly where do I start! I forgot to charge my phone the night before so I ran out of battery as soon as I got onto St Mary’s but there was that much to see and take in horticulturally that I was glad I actually didn’t spend my time looking into a phone screen and I could take the everything in. The plant selection. Was fantastic, loads of Succulents, low growing Mediterranean Plants, Agapanthus…..etc etc. We only stayed for 4 hours but it has made such an impact on me I will definitely be going back to stay there for a few days.
When I arrived back home there had been a lot of rain during the week and my garden had taken a much more greener look but this has also meant that the slugs have had a bit of a feast on some of the plants but so am not really that bothered as most of the eaten plants were past there best. When I was in Cornwall my relatives garden was swamped with slugs every morning. However I did see the virtue of beer traps as one caught 25 slugs in 12 hours.
As you know the weather has finally turned and it has taken on a slightly autumnal feel. In fact this morning it has taken on a winter feel and before we know it most plants will be getting ready for the winter. I have some perennial seeds to plant and I will be planting these next weekend hopefully.
Here is my SOS. Enjoy.
1. Agapanthus decimation in Cornwall
Not a great picture but behind my relatives garden was an Agapanthus field. Unfortunately this was wiped out after the snow Cornwall experienced in March it has been wiped out, I have it in good authority that last year it looked spectacular. Apparently snow is very rare in Cornwall and it caught most farmers unaware.
2. Borage seedlings
j
I sowed some borage seeds in the spring to attract pollinators. it didn’t disappoint and was covered with bumble bees every day. It has self seeded with abandonment and I have to thin the seedlings twice a week. It looks like next year is going to be a bumper year. I am seriously thinking of doing some guerrilla gardening in my home town with some of the seedlings but at the moment am not brave enough. Has one done any guerrilla gardening or is this just a London Metropolitan thing.
3. Digitalis Plants
This is the first time I have grown plants from seeds this year. Apart from a couple of holes they are thriving. I have bought 7 different kinds of perennials to plant this autumn and as I said earlier U will plant these next weekend.
4. Dahlia Checkers
With more rain the Dahlias have really picked up with aplomb. This one Dahlia Checkers is out in front with the number of blooms. I still have one Dalia to flower. Sir Alf Ramsey is a dinner plate Dahlia. It seems to be starting to make buds now but I am sceptical if it will flower this year. We will have to wait and see. As you can see from the above photo’s the earwigs seem to be still enjoying my Dahlias. I will have to come up with a plan next year how to keep them in check.
5. Hollyhock
As you may remember in my last blog I bought this Hollyhock for a £1 in Morrison’s but was decidedly underwhelmed. However the rain that fell on the garden when I was on holiday has transformed the flowers from a sickly yellow to a really vibrant Canary yellow. It is starting to win me over.
6. Yes I have more succulents
I went a little bit overboard when it came to buying succulents. “Hi I am Paul and I am addicted to Succulents. I bought about 9 different Echeverias, 5 Aeoniums and a Orostachys Dunces cap. All I need now is to figure out where to keep them over the winter.
That is my SOS thanks for reading. Unfortunately this is an on call weekend so I am off to work. Enjoy you Bank Holiday.
As always to find out how six on Saturday works please follow the following link The Propagator. The don of six in Saturday
Until next Saturday goodbye.
Sedums, Dahlias and Hayfever 
The hollyhock is lovely. I tried to grow some from seed, and the only one that survived is beige!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks….ha beige is not the best colour when it comes to flowers…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Why do hollyhocks do so well there but not here!? It is not fair! They should like our arid climate, but they get rust as if it were humid here. Yet, they look so happy where the weather is more humid. That makes not sense!
Agapanthus make no sense either. They are like weeds! There are some down near the beach that are descendants of old cut flower crops from the Victorian period (when odd flowers were grown for cutting). They do not die. I happen to like them very much, but I do not think I would like a field of them.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh, goodness! It is Saturday there, which means it will be Saturday here in just three hours!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great colours. Did you visit the Eden Project in the end?
We’ve holidayed on the Isles of Scilly a few times, staying on St Mary’s or Tresco. My favourite island changes each time (usually I lean towards St Agnes but last time it was Bryher). You’ve also got the Abbey Gardens on Tresco. Highly recommended.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Not this time but definitely got high on the list. It was busy when we went to St Ives and Falmouth festival so we decided to have a couple of quiet days. Planning on going down in June next year
LikeLiked by 1 person
The Abbey Gardens is also definitely on my list as well!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I already said that but this yellow hollyhock is very beautiful. As you have borage and digitalis seedlings that have worked well, you can do the same with hollyhocks soon!
And good luck with your succulents ..!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Fred. Yes I was wrong about that Hollyhock…
LikeLiked by 1 person
You couldn’t resist buying more succulents could you? Plant addict.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I promise I will go to PA soon…..
LikeLike
I fully support your guerrilla gardening inclination. Start by sprinkling seeds around, if you need to edge yourself into it. When we’ve done it, we did it in full view during the day. Walked in w/our trowels & bad of goods, plopped them in, walked away. In most instances, if you act like you belong, no one stops you. Back to your blog, I love the checkered dahlia. Really bright & healthy looking. That agapanthus field must’ve been something last year. Do your friends have photos?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes I will spread some seeds. The Checkered Dahlia is a Cracker!!! No photo’s I am afraid.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Very true that snow is rare in Cornwall, especially as far west as Penzance. I lost several plants as I hadn’t bothered to cover them, not expecting the snow to actually fall here! Glad you got over to the Scilly Isles. I have yet to go since moving down here, it is not a cheap place to reach, I am a lousy sailor and I am sure I need more than a day trip. Next year. I keep saying that and eventually i shall run out of ‘next years’. Good to see your garden survived without you.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I went across on the ferry. It was a tad choppy.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes. I have done that. In a storm. Not good…
LikeLike
I Googled addiction to sedums and look what came up…
ferns, lycophytes, horsetails, and sedums are highly addictive. I can see ferns and sedums but lycophytes and horsetails don’t do a thing for me. If you lived in the US there would be a therapy group in every city.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Glad you enjoyed Cornwall and very jealous of your trip to the Isles of Scilly. Looks like you have a good haul of succulents there. That Morrison’s hollyhock was a bargain.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great Six and I love the Hollyhock. You can’t have too many succulents, or plants in general, can you?
LikeLiked by 1 person
We’ve mostly flown to the Scillies. Our first time we missed the ferry because the traffic was so bad, got a bus to Lands End airport and beat the ferry easily. Adds a day to your time there. Tresco garden is extraordinary, you have to keep reminding yourself you’re still in the same country. If you make it down next year, see if you can work in the Cactus Shop in north Devon (EX19 8DR) and pay us a visit, I’m sure we have a few things you don’t.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Another nice six. The hollyhock really grabs me. I try growing them every year but have only once managed to keep the dreaded rust at bay. I don’t think they like my soil – heavy clay. But if my plans work out, I’ll have another raised bed in place by next year (edifice 3?) which will take tall plants and have decent soil in it so I’ll try again. I can’t see that much earwig damage on your dahlias. Try the old trick of a cane with an upside down flowerpot stuffed with straw. They’re mostly nocturnal critters so check the pots when you get home from work before they wake up. I just empty the straw out into a metal bucket and set fire to it. But remember, earwigs also eat other garden pests so they’re not all bad. Oh, and they like hollyhocks too!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks John. I am going to try that with the pots. If Monty don can do it so can I. The bottom half of my Hollyhocks are not looking to clever TBH. The earwigs have not gone hungry.
LikeLike
When blooming fully it is far more better than a rose. But as I haven’t touched them to feel it’s softness and the type scent of smell that they carry I do not know.
LikeLike