Hello and welcome to this weeks Six on Saturday.
Last week was the second anniversary of this blog. Where has the time gone? I have thoroughly enjoyed writing this blog and l found the discipline of finding things to write about a calming influence and helps me reduce my stress levels and relax more. Special thanks has of course got to go out to Jon (The Propagator) the founder and don of Six on a Saturday. Thanks Jon for your encouragement and giving me the opportunity to write about the hobby I love. If you had told me 3 years ago I would be writing a blog I would have laughed at you because I have never been that literate. Also special thanks goes out to each and every one of you for reading and commenting on my blog.
This week has been great because I have had a few days off work and I have managed to spend hours in the garden. The weather has been bright and mild this week and everything is starting to wake from it’s winter slumber with aplomb. Unfortunately however Thursday night had a sting in it’s tail and we had our first heavy frost for weeks. Normally this would not her been a problem but I went shopping in Newcastle Thursday and may have sampled 1 or 2 beverages when waiting for the train back. So I was a tad tired when I got home and ignored the couple of tender plants I left out.
“Springtime is of course is a wonderful time in the garden”. I have highlighted that sentence as it is a worrying statement as of course it is not Springtime it is the beginning of February and we are supposedly in deep winter but it does not feel like winter far from it. I am not going to start a sermon about global warming and the science about it but is people that love nature knows something is not right.
Here is my six.
1. Orostachys Spiniosa
This extremely hardy succulent grows wild from Russia to China and can withstand temperatures of minus 30 degrees C. In around 12 weeks time this will have fleshy green leaves with a beautiful mesmerising spiral centre. The metamorphosis of these plants for me has to be one of the most mesmerising and it is one of my most favourite plants. The dormant rosettes start to turn green at this time of year and it reminds me of a natural low watt light bulb. Of course there will be more posts to follow later on the year about this plant.
2. Saxifraga Gregor Wendell
This clump forming Saxifraga as you can see is a fast grower. As you can see it is starting to produce buds of little yellow flowers. Not only are the flowers pretty but the foliage is a wonderful like green colour which always catches your attention when walking past it in the garden.
3. Hydrangea
All the buds on my Hydrangea Texas (cheap plant from Homebase) are vastly more advanced than last year. I have dead headed this plant this week and gave it a mulch of manure this week. It is producing loads of new shoots from it’s base as well which is good news just in case some of the old stalks get leggy.
4. Hellebore Spotted Pink
For some reason I don’t have very much luck with Hellobores. I think I have been putting them in the works area wrong areas which have to much summer sun and the solid drys out. This year I have bought 3 plants and put them in mores shady areas with richer soil and less drainage. Here’s hoping they will survive until next year.
5. Crocus yellow what’s it name.
Lost the label for these crocuses which is a pity. However they are a stunning yellow colour and they do put on a good show. There is a park in Leith in Edinburgh which has long streaks of crocuses along it‘s border pointing through the grass. I will have to try and get a photo of it and post it on here but I feel that any photo won’t do it justice.
6. Echeveria Elegans
One of my oldest Echeverias this really is a top performer. The leaves are a wonderful kaleidoscope of grey green, green and red and change colour all through the year. It’s Rosettes are compact and it seems to be a sturdy plant although I do have it protected by a cold frame. I will probably put this plant next to the front door soon to give people something to look at every time they come in and out.
That is my six.
It looks like storm Ciara is going to put the breaks on any gardening this week. It looks like it will be a big storm but hopefully there will not be to much damage.
If you want to write a SOS blog 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.
Sedums, Dahlias and Hayfever 
Love the Orostachys Spiniosa. A lovely spiral to it. A bit worried about my hydrangea buds. Coming on too fast and vulnerable to frosts now.
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The Hydrangea has a hedge protecting it from the east and a shed to the South but as you say still time for the cold weather to have it’s say.
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What a lovely Six-on-Saturday, as always. I am sure your post brings as much pleasure to all the other contributors as it does to me. I am glad that you are going to keep us updated with the progress of Number 1, very pretty. Most of your plants are ahead of mine which is unusual since you are so much further North. However, several times you have commented that you haven’t had much rain when we are paddling around in the mud here.
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Nice. Thought I would join in with granny this morning. I sometimes get tired after a few beverages as well.
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Shocking behaviour. Luckily the said plants seem to have survived.
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Oh welcome to the gold by the way! I am just debating if I should attend my locals Winter Beverage festival today.
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Lovely Orostachys! Fibonacci is in the air…
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Your hydrangea seems ahead of any of mine, which doesn’t seem right. Another couple of years and Echeveria elegant will reliably survive winters outdoors. It’s easy to find upsides to a warming climate, and foolish and dangerous too.
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My Hydrangea is sheltered by a shed right next to it to the South and a Eastern facing 10ft hedge. Snug as a bug in a rug. Climate change does concern me…
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Happy second SoS blog anniversary. Really nice crocus there.
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Thank you. Yup as we say up here this Crocuses are Bonny.
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Happy Anniversary! Your plants always look so good! I’m definitely jealous!
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Thank you. It does take me a long time at the moment to find 6 photo’s. Guess I am lucky I have a lot of scuuculenta
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Happy anniversary! I’m a bit concerned about my sempervivens that grow outdoors, they seem to have disappeared! They survived through last winter, but maybe this one has been just too wet. Maybe they’ll come back when it gets warmer, I shall have to keep on checking them.
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Thank you. Hopefully the Semps are still there they should show themselves in the next 4 weeks
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Happy 2nd anniversary. Lots of lovely plants there, but it was the Saxifraga that caught my eye. I love the little yellow flowers.
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Thank you for your kind comments.
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Lovely to see your unusual plants, great work. I went to a talk about Hellebores last week and from what he was saying, Summer shade is vital, so that is definitely the thing to try. Good luck!
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Thanks Tim. I have planted a couple where there is more shade. Fingers crossed they will be ok. Welcome back.
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I so agree with you about taking time to write about the garden, it is very calming! Love the hellebore..
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Yes nothing better than setting aside 90 mins to take the photo’s and write it.
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Orostachys Spiniosa really is an odd one. It looks like a fir cone.
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Thanks it does doesn’t it!
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I think I must be coming up to my two year anniversary as well. Congratulations and you always share some interesting things. This week I’m particularly taken with the Orostachy spiniosa. Where do you source your succulents from?
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I mostly get my plants from E bay but if I want a bit of a pick me up I buy them from here https://surrealsucculents.co.uk/
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Two years of posting – isn’t it amazing. That’s such a warm yellow crocus, so sunny. Wishing you luck with the hellebores, interesting to hear that summer shade is vital. I’ve just planted some in a west facing spot. I wonder how they will do.. As usual, your succulents are impressive.
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Happy anniversary! It’s surprising you’ve only been here 2 years, as I thought you were one of the originals. Your hydrangea is coming right along, looking good. As, of course, are all your very lucky succulents.
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