Hello and welcome to this weeks Six on Saturday and the first for 2020.

Wow 2020 there is something Sci Fi about that date especially when you consider Back to the Future 2 was set in 2015 and Blade Runner was set in 2019, but alas we do not have any hoverboards yet and the only thing the Tyrell Corporation does is make “posh” crisps and vodka.

I have had a fewdays off this week to celebrate New Year and the weather has been extremely favourable and mild. In fact I read this week that a temperature of 19 degrees C was recorded in a hamlet on Sutherland at the top of Scotland. That is just frightening and when you see the horrific, gut churning fires in Australia you think what the hell is humanity doing to this planet.

Well that’s enough political ranting for the moment and now back to gardening. Good weather in January gives you the chance to walk around the garden and take stock and give everything a bit of a tidy which I have been doing. I have also been moving pots of bulbs from shady protected spots to a more sunny area.

Here is my SOS…

1. A cold frame full of succulents.

I have spent part of this week checking all the succulents I have in cold frames and mini greenhouses. I have just realised I have 5 in total wow. Generally all of them are doing well and I have only lost 5 plants in total out of oh about 120. As you can see from the photo above I have lost one on the middle but hopefully the leaves that have dropped off will produce babies. I am really not pleased how the others are doing on this photo especially the ones in the bottom right. I bought 9 plants from a dealer on Ebay in October and all has remained healthy.

2. Aeoniums

With all the mild weather we have had over the festive period all my Aeoniums have taken on a wonderful gleam. I am leaving the lid of the cold frame open at night but and a couple of them are getting that big they are touching the lid. Of course winter is not over by a long shot and will probably rear it’s head at some point but I may as well make use of the drying wind and extra moisture at night.

3. New Hellebores

Inspired by Granny’s blog last week she. She mentioned she would have to split her Hellebores I realised I didn’t have many Hellebores so I bought these couple from my local garden centre.

4. Alium clumps

I planted some Alium Summer Drummers last year. These are some of the tallest you can get and grow about 2m high. Unfortunately I put them in the wrong place and they got in the way of the washing line. So when I saw that they were sprouting decided to dig them up then up to move them to more suitable place. As you can see there are loads of seedlings.

5. Pulsatilla Vulgaris Ruby Red

One of the first flowers to appear in the garden late winter is Pulsatilla Vulgaris or the Pasqueflower. It usually produces the flower before the leaves which some spring flowering plants do. I guess this was because the plant wants to be pollinated as quick as possible so it’s seeds can germinate. Also there is little sun at this time of year so leaves will not be able to start the photosynthesis process properly??? Where is Monty Don when you need him!

6. Crocus and Sedum combination.

These are planted in a pot and the combination was a bit of an accident. The crocuses were already in the bulb bowl and I had a couple of cuttings of Sedum Album in my hand when I trimmed a plant back so I stuck the cuttings in the compost.

That is my six for this week.

The weather forecast is looking good for this weekend so I will be taking the opportunity and will carry on tidying the garden and playing chess with pots.

If you want to write one it is not that difficult. As always to find out how six on Saturday works please follow the following link The Propagator. The don of Six on Saturday.

Until next week goodbye