Hello and welcome to this weeks Sox on Saturday.
Well where do I start. I have started writing this blog at 5am on Friday because I can’t sleep because of worry about Covjd 19. The amount of turmoil this country is going through in such a small time is frightening. However this blog is a not political blog so let’s concentrate on the gardening.
I am on holiday next week and I am really looking forward to the break. The weather has been good this week with sun and warmer temperatures everyday and the garden is showing more and more signs of Spring so much I am going to say the 4 magic words “Spring is in the Air”.
Here is my six.
1. Pachyphtum Compactum
As it is aping I was going to include only “proper” Spring plants in my blog but this plant caught my eye when I was checking all my succulents during the week. Work has gone worryingly quiet at the moment. I cable work from home as I am a field engineer so during office hours I have re started a Wi-Fi course on line but this can get extremely boring at times (most of the time) so I have been countering this with pottering around the garden. Pachtphytum Compactum is small compact plant with marked marks on the leaves. Another name for it is Little Jewel. This plant grows on shaded cliffs in Mexico. This plant just shows how wonderful nature can be.
2. Primula Denticulata
This is the time of year when of course some plants start to produce flowers to feed the first pollinators. This one always puts on a show. It produces a ball of several flowers which will rose on a 20 – 30cm stem.
3. Bergenia Harzkristall
My Bergenias are a slow to flower compared to other ones I have seen on here and in Roind Edonburgh. This ones flowers is paler than most of the flowers you see. In my view Bergenias are really a wonderful addition in any garden as the foliage always puts on a show throughout the year and they can produce flowers throughout the Spring and the Summer.
4. Aubretia Dr Mules Varigated.
A new purchase this year this plant is going to be an absolute star. The variegated green leaves with yellow edges really bring out the vibrant purple flowers which are much bigger that flowers on the most common varieties. This plant is on my top lost to propagate at the end of the week.
5. Sedum Rubrotinctum
Also know as the Jelly Bean plant for obvious reasons. With the increase if sun the leaves take on a deep red colour. This plant is actually hardier than it looks and can withstand -6.7’degrees c they just don’t like the cold and wet together.
6. Aeonium Firecracker
These are off shoots from the plant I grew last year. I grew that one in a big plastic pot with a fairly sandy soil and it grew and grew with about 30 offsets however the leaves were mostly green and I lost the plant this winter. I have planted some of the offsets that I took the end of last year in smaller terracotta pots and this is causing the leaves a to distress and turn red. Distress is always the wrong word to call this process for me as it always sounds like you are causing undue suffering to the plant and it is going to die but as I said it actually just causes the leaves to turn a dark red colour and it cause the stems to become a little bit woodier and healthier.
Well that is my six.
Since I started writing this Blog Mr Johnson has understandably closed all Pubs , Restaurants and Cafes. The company I work for looks after there EPOS systems and we cover 80% of managed houses. I really don’t know how this is going to affect me but on the plus side I have got the garden to take my mind off things. I will be mostly spending this weekend potting up my Bergenias, Lillies and Dahlias.
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 
The patterns on the leaves of the Pachyphtum Compactum are beautiful up close. I think I had a variegated Aubretia somewhere. It hadn’t been looking too well for the past few years (not helped by constant rearranging of plants nearby). I must get another one as the foliage provided interest even when it stopped flowering. I hope things work out okay with your work. Very strange times at the moment.
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Hard times indeed, but thankfully the garden will restore sanity to us! I really like the Pachtphytum with the little markings on the leaves, and the Sedum. I did not realise that the Sedum is so hardy. I like the variegated Aubretia as well.
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Not easy to see how it will evolve but I think the UK will be like us in a few days … We started with restaurants and pubs off but now it’s the lockdown here. What will you do during your holidays ? Stay at home. It’s safer!
Otherwise, very nice choice this week and your photos are very beautiful. Love them!
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I actually have made a bit of an “emploi du temps” for my holiday. Go for isolated walks probably at silly o’clock in the morning, tend to the garden, spend a couple of hours studying on my laptop for a qualification in Wi-Fi deployment, I have volunteered to run errands for old folk in my area and looks after my 72 year old mother who lives with me but no doubt she will look after me!
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Good and wide decisions… ( I didn’t know ” emploi du temps” was used in english or you used it for me… )😄
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I used it for you😀
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I was a little concerned when you started by writing that you were only going to include proper spring flowers. Fortunately, you have included a few dramatic sempervivums. Lovely Six-on-Saturday. As I wrote in my post, we are very fortunate not having to worry about work. I am looking forward to a dry few days so the garden should look wonderful next week. 🤭👍👩🌾
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Primula Denticulata is so lovely. I had a few ‘Apple Blossom’ last year, but no sign of them yet (well, maybe some leaves), you are so far ahead of us! Love the Jelly Bean!
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Great selection – hope you get some sleep soon.
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Thank you. I actually had a not bad sleep last night. It must have been good because I haven’t checked my watch to see how long it reckon I slept.
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Lovely pictures, especially the aeonium. Sounds like a great plan for your week off, we gardeners have a pastime that could help us with the months to come – stay safe and well.
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Thank you. We should be alright up here. Yes we are totally blessed to have such a great pastime that gets is outdoors and get in touch with nature.
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Emploi du temps – I don’t just learn about gardening reading your posts. Love the aubretia.
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Jelly Beans! Rad! I did not know anyone grew those anymore. That might have been the first sedum I ever met when I was a kid. Shortly after that, burro’s tail became very popular.
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My goodness, you’ve got so much going on in your garden. Love the bergenia & primula, but that Firecracker is magnificent.
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A great six, I love the Jelly Bean plant. Hope you’ve had some of this glorious sunshine
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Oh it has been brilliant today. Warm sunshine. Oh and I will whisper this quietly. I could do with rain!!!
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