Is it really less than a week since we were allowed out for non-essential activities! I’ve been working from home all week and am going slightly stir crazy, but, it’s got to be done and at least we’ve had a couple of nice sunny days this week and I’ve been able to wander in the garden (at lunchtime, not when I’m busy working!) I do feel for people who live in flats without balconies – they must feel so cooped up!
There’s loads that needs doing out there but it’s still too cold for me to be out there much. I do not do cold! There are leaves and pine needles everywhere that need sweeping up, last years dead stuff to clear, seeds to sow, weeds to pull, roses to prune etc. etc.
Anyway, on to this week’s Six.
I have two Euphorbias. The first was a gift from my Dad and C.
I planted this shortly before we got the jungle at the end of the garden chopped down and it got completely bashed by the guys dragging all the chopped trees. That was two years ago now and it finally looks like it’s starting to recover, although it is still tiny.
The second, Euphorbia Rudolph, was from the sale table in Notcutts last year and it’s done really well and has got pretty big.
Also from the sale table was my Buddleia which I bought in the hopes of attracting butterflies. It’s also got really big so let’s hope this year the butterflies find it. Here’s a before and after.
It’s got lots of new growth coming through. I’ll have to check what to do to stop it getting too leggy.
Next up is some grass (also sale table – do you spot a theme to my plant shopping?)
I planted this in the shade last year, not expecting it to do that well because it likes sun really, but it’s thriving and has thrown up some ears. It needs some combing through to clear the dead fronds – I’ll add that to my list of things to do when it warms up!
This morning I noticed my first lilies coming through. I’m sure these weren’t there earlier in the week.
See what I mean about needing to clear pine needles? These were a sale table find too, but this time from Homebase (I think). I think this is the beautiful yellow one. I have a white one and a purple one too, but they aren’t showing signs of life yet. I’ve a vague recollection that this one was first to flower last year. I’ll have to watch out for the dreaded lily beetle!
I’ve noticed a couple more Cowslips have appeared in odd places.
This one’s growing in the cracks in the path. I’ll relocate it to somewhere where it won’t get trodden on when I can brave the elements. I’ve a feeling I may end up with lots of these now I have a couple, so I may have to be ruthless about which I keep. I do like them though, so I’m happy for them to spring up with their lovely yellow.
I’m going to end with some daffs while they’re still there.
These are Tête-à-têtes that I planted the first Summer we were in our house. They bloom reliably every Spring, and this year I’m loving the contrast of the sunny yellow with the magenta of the Cyclamen underneath.
As ever, don’t forget to check the Propagator for more Sixes. Now I’m off to dream about spending my Saturday browsing a garden centre – that’ll be one of the first things I do after seeing all the people that I’m missing while we’re all confined largely to the indoors!
Green Girl Gardener 
Your theme to garden shopping is the same as mine. It can really pay off, can’t it? Luscious euphorbias and sweet daffodils! Reminding us that there are still plenty of wonderful things around us.
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I chucked all my Lily bulbs away last year as I got sick of them being eaten by S&S – no lily beetles – but the flower buds were continually munched. I decided then I was not going to bother with plants that can’t survive the onslaught. But just the other day I noticed some new growth looking suspiciously like lilies popping up in a container which appears to have a bit of everything in it! They might just get a reprieve! My first non-essential drive will be to the beach! Followed swiftly by a beach bar for lunch and then a NT garden. How our world has shrunk…
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Absolutely! Really makes you appreciate normal life. I hope your surprise lily does well.
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I wonder which one it is? I had orange, white and yellow ones – all Asiatic so no perfume.
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Perhaps ignoring the needles and leaves will make the plants happy? I have cedars, and the blueberries beneath them love it. I have a volunteer Russell lupine in a path that I need to move. It’s as big as the ones I wintersowed this year!
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Let’s hope so because it doesn’t look like it’s warming up anytime soon! 😁
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I leave garden detritus including hedge trimmings (as long as they are not too big) on the garden where it breaks down and becomes mulch eventually. Saves me from having to do a cleanup. I love the idea of buying plants from the ailing plants table and resuscitating them.
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That is a good theme for shopping. I purchase almost nothing, but will go to ‘that’ part of the nursery if I happen to be there to pick up fertilizer. It is a fun way to try new things that I would not pay full price for. The pine needles are from some sort of cypress, but I can not identify it. Is that a Leyland cypress?
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I’ve had some amazing bargains from the sale table that have done really well once given a but of tlc. I’m not sure about the pine needles – they’re from our neighbour’s garden which is a bit of a jungle!!
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I find that even if I don’t want a particular bargain, I know someone who will once it recovers.
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I got put off the sale table after buying a plant that turned out to be full of vine weevil. Luckily the first thing I did when I got it home was tip it out of the pot as I wanted to split it, so I spotted the blighters before they spread.
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Oh gosh! Lucky you spotted them. I’ll be sure to check when we’re allowed out to garden centres again 😃.
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We hard prune our budd every spring to about 18″ & it bounces right back. Cowslips are such opportunists, aren’t they? Gotta admire them.
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Thank you – I’ll keep an eye on it this year as it’s its first proper year but next Spring I guess it’ll need a good prune 😁.
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