Six on Saturday 3/11
I missed last week’s SOS because I was doing a course – missed catching up on all the exciting links from across the globe. I’m guessing that everyone’s gardens have changed no end as the seasons ramp up.
Here in the far southern hemisphere in Tasmania, I’ve also been MIA from my coastal garden for two weeks and in that time, we’ve had precious little rain, howling gales and the swift denouement of spring. I returned to tea-tree tripods flat on the ground, a huge flush of roses on the veggie garden fence, potato off-shoots going wild in the veggie garden, the berry house needing much more water, the hot west-facing flower bed in dire straits, and branches down across the garden.
So I crept around, trying to find six things in my garden worthy of notoriety.
This is what I came up with.
Seedheads of what? I have no idea – I’m having a senior moment and have forgotten the name. Can someone help me as I love them. Can I dry these?
Arum lilies. So hardy, so structural and so striking in a dark corner. Someone called them the Death Lily the other day. Pity…
Two pics of this mint – apple mint – which I planted in the flower garden directly because I just think the variegated foliage is beautiful. I like it with white nepeta and a little black geranium .
Wasabi. It has such a wonderfully airy sprawling habit. And crushed between your fingers it is definitely what it says on the label.
Pretty Euphorbia Characias Tasmanian Tiger. Bred on the island and now distributed worldwide.
The burned and dry bed that greeted me when I returned after the absence. It needs cutting back, feeding, new soil and plants that can cope with a long hot summer. The French lavender is doing well, so it may be repeated along with some grasses. I’ve always wanted to plant a miscanthus. This may be the place. Out of frame is a large oleander which is greedy for water and soil.
And that’s my lot for this week. Happy days in the garden!
That euphorbia is gorgeous as is the apple mint, but you may rue the day you planted it directly in the ground.
I debated the mint, Mala, as all my other mint varieties are in pots for the very reason of rampant spreading, but this has been in the ground for 9 months, is in semi-shade and is an exceptionally slow grower. In terms of beauty, it’s variegation sits so well with the nepeta, the euphorbia and the sweetest little variegated geranium that it deserves a chance to behave itself.
Some lovely plants in your garden. The only ones I recognize are the lilies. I’ve never seen/heard of apple mint. My balcony garden (house plants, various cacti & lemon tree) has come inside for the winter except for mums and portulaca – tucked in and waiting for next Spring!
I too have a lemon tree in a tub (half a wine cask), Judy. It’s a dwarf variety and has been there a year and had lots of flowers and one tiny lemon but then the flowers vanished and so did the lemon. I mulched with lucerne, fed said tree and kept water up when required. It’s struck new growth so here’s to better things this year. Cheers.
I’ve had my lemon tree for about five years and keep it pruned a bit as it comes inside in the winter. I’ve had some fair sized lemons but they were “snatched” by some pesky squirrels lol who after biting into them, left them on my lawn.
Judy, I think it may have been the possums that live in our garden that took my fledgling lemon. And I am sure they nibbled all the flowers. They’ve taken all my cosmos seedlings!
That euphorbia is stunning. I tend to avoid them because of the effect they can have on the skin or eyes but whether that applies to all euphorbias, I am not sure. Lovely, unusual Six-on-Saturday.
I am very careful, Granny! But honestly, the sap is nothing like the opium sap mentioned a couple of SOS’s ago. And I seem to very prone to reactions in the garden. Hellebore leaves give me a scratch that lasts for days and agapanthus sap burns. I once got cellulitis in the elbow crease from pruning Mum’s roses!
Are the seed heads Pulsatilla maybe? The Euphorbia is lovely, I especially like the way the variegation works in the bracts behind the flowers.
They are indeed, Jim. I knew it began with a ‘P’. Trying to remember all the plant names in my little brain is awfully hard! If you scan the comments, you’ll see a link to detail on the euphorbia which you might find interesting.
That euphorbia! It actually made me hold my breath for joy. So lovely.
In close-up, its mindblowing! I’m glad you like it!
The Euphorbia and mint are lovely the other seed head I can’t help you with at all, go me beat
The crowd at SOS will name it for me, Libby. You watch! 🙂
Beautiful Euphorbia. I love it. Is your seed head a Pulsatilla?
It’s a pulsatilla! Yes! I kept thinking of so many ‘P’ plants and coming up with the wrong name every time. Do you know if I can dry the seedheads?
Your euphorbia is gorgeous ! An unusual color that I have never seen here. I also liked your mint, because of the two-colored leaves of course. I grow chocolate mint in my garden, which reminds me of the After Eight chocolate but the plant is more common
Fred, it was bred by a lady called Barbara Jennings who is recognised as a supreme plantsman in our little state. When I read about it, I was pleased to see that it is now selling worldwide. https://www.gardenia.net/plant/euphorbia-characias-Tasmanian-Tiger-spurge It seems that this one might grow quite big.
I have a thing for euphorbias because of the foliage-like flowers and because the greens are often so acid in colour, like a good chartreuse but I do dislike the way they grow quite leggy. I keep mine cut back tightly at pruning-time.
There are lots of lilies around where we live just now too. Nice to see another garden in spring!
Our spring is so shortlived, Barbara. The equinoxial gales and the lack of rain have played havoc with my garden on the coast. Today I am about to have a big cutback and tidy up and because they’re predicting a long hot summer, I doubt I’ll be planting much new stuff. Sad…
That euphorbia is spectacular and is definitely going on my wish list. Spring is pretty much over here, too, with temps in the 30s and lots of wind, and opportunities for planting are almost over- I tell myself before the next visit to a nursery! Isn’t it amazing what one’s garden gets up to when one’s back is turned for a few days!
Hi Jane! The euphorbia really is a lovely thing and I suspect it would cope really well with Mudgee temperatures. It’s being sold as suited to a Mediterranean garden. We’ve had mid-twenties here, no rain and drying winds – the east coast of Tassie is heading to drought mode and we are on town water and fully expect restrictions for the summer. That makes much planting pretty hopeless beyond end-November. My main concern is growing my summer veggies and berries – it will be interesting to see what grows and what doesn’t.
Let the watering begin! We had an unusually dry summer and the watering was a royal pain. I don’t envy you. Well maybe a little bit…
We’ve got an automated system but we have to back up by hand. In our summers,we could have the hoses on all day, if we could afford it (we pay by the kilolitre) and it would just keep things moist and that’s all. There have been some years where we’ve diverted all bath/shower and laundry water to storage bins and we’ve bucketed it over the garden. The orchard has had to fend for itself. Heaven’s knows how the apricots, pears and apples are still living…
When we win the lotto, we shall put water tanks off the three buildings and collect rain purely for the garden and fire safety.
Delightful six Prue. I love Arum lilies but some people do associate them with death and I often see the on Sympathy cards. I just see beauty.
Me too, Katharine. They are so helpful in a vase, like agapanthus. Just arrange themselves, they do!