I’ve been a bit remiss with keeping up with my blog. I was away last weekend so that’s my excuse. Anyway, here I am for a Six.
I’m going to start with a couple from our trip away. We went to Edinburgh for a few days for my birthday and we had a really great time (more of that on another post somewhen). I thought I’d come back with loads of planty photos because we’d planned a trip to the Botanic Gardens, but, as luck would have it, the day we’d planned that was the only day we had rain! Typical! We decided to do indoor things instead but we were fully booked every other day so had to take a literal rain check on the gardens. Good excuse to go back!
We came across this house in Prince’s Street gardens and I was taken with how pretty it is set in its lovely garden which was blooming with roses and lots of colour. I googled it to see if I could find out anything about the house and it’s the head gardener’s house but was also used in a BBC children’s programme.
On my birthday we’d booked a trip to Loch Ness which was absolutely brilliant. It was a long day, we met the tour at 8am and arrived back in Edinburgh at 8pm, but it was worth it. We stopped at several picturesque places on the way to Loch Ness and back.
Our tour driver was super knowledgeable about all things Scottish and he told us that there came a point when trees were dangerously low in numbers because there was no legislation in place to ensure replanting of trees after felling and it became a critical issue, so now for every tree that’s felled, another has to be planted. However, when this legislation was introduced, most of the trees that were planted weren’t native to Scotland meaning that now Scotland has more non-native trees than native. They were pretty impressive at this stop on our way back to Edinburgh.
This isn’t the best of photographs because I took it from a moving bus but you get the idea. We saw a few restaurants and shops whose entrances were entirely bedecked with beautiful flowers and plants, but this is the only picture I managed to snap. This is in the New Town part of Edinburgh where the architecture isn’t quite as lovely as it is in the Old Town, but the injection of colour really perks the buildings up.
Back home and the garden is in sore need of some tidying, but given the weather today and the upcoming forecast, it’s going to have to stay messy for a while! I have sunflowers which have flopped, wind battered runner beans and straggly pansies.
My ornamental kale is looking beautiful though.
This is hanging off the catio facing outwards in case furry friends nibble it, so we can’t see it unless we go out, but I’m happy just to know it’s there!
My fuchsias are still providing some much needed colour on these dreary days.
I feel that there hasn’t been enough fuchsia love on my blog this summer and I think it may be because they haven’t been as impressive this year, and I think that’s my fault. I must research fuchsia care so that they thrive next year. I have three and they all flowered, but they didn’t get many leaves and they didn’t get bushy like they were originally. Maybe some timely pruning is needed.
I may be slightly cheating with this last photo as it encompasses six in one! The photos may be multiple, but the point is singular.
And that point is, simply, colour! I took all these photos this morning before the rain started and it did make me happy to see all this colour after a week of dreary weather and the prospect of months of it to come.
That’s my Six for the week. As ever, the link to join in or just to read more Sixes is https://thepropagatorblog.wordpress.com/2020/10/03/six-on-saturday-03-10-2020/#respond
Green Girl Gardener 
A friend, a past pupil, lives in Edinburgh and adores the city. I have always planned to visit and to go on to visit gardens in Scotland. Your reports adds to me wish to visit.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh it’s an amazing city! I’ve been twice now and I’ll certainly go again. I could wax lyrical for hours but I’ll leave you to discover the delights for yourself 😁.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Some day!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great Aunt Lizzie’s! Oh, to get up in that cottage everyday! I loved your post today! I have been to Edinburgh and can say it is a wonderful city although when we were there it was quite rainy too! Like almost every day! My sister and I went shopping one day to skip in out of the rain and bought little feathery looking hats since the Queen’s garden party was going on and every woman in Edinburgh seemed to be wearing hats! What memories we have! On occasion I still get out my hat and wear it just because I can!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I don’t know which I like best, Great Aunt Lizzie’s or the kale! What amazing kale!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Municipalities in California are very protective of trees on private property. Trees must be planted to replace those that get removed. What few realize though is that mos of the biggest cities here are in desert or chaparral regions. There are vastly more trees and other vegetation here than there was naturally. I do not mind of course. San Jose is somewhat nicely forested.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Love that kale! I also have plans to visit Edinburgh — had to cancel summer 2020 plans due to COVID-19, but hope to go before too long. I’ve heard the Botanic Gardens are a must see.
LikeLiked by 1 person
We passed by them on the bus on our way out to Leith to visit the Royal Yacht Britannia and from what I could see they look pretty good so we’ll definitely go next time we go to Edinburgh (which will definitely happen because we loved it!) It’s free entry too. We had to prebook everything because of COVID so we couldn’t juggle things round to go on a dry day 😁.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Edinburgh is my home town originally. Hope you enjoyed your trip! I prefer the New Town which is more than just Princes Street and George Street – all sorts of interesting street so explore there. Anyway, love your cabbages! Would love to have space for some.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh absolutely loved it! We’ll definitely go back to do some more exploring. I think the Old Town has the edge for me (so far) probably because I’m a huge Harry Potter fan and more of it looks like inspiration for the books 😁.
LikeLike
I think deer have quite a part to play in stopping natural forest regeneration in Scotland, not to mention sheep and grouse shooting. The North American conifers that Douglas and Menzies introduced have grown fantastically well in Scotland and most of the tallest are up there. Your picture hammers the point home though, Scots Pine, but almost certainly not Scottish Scots pine. The Scots pine up around Loch Maree, in the Caledonian Forest remnants, are very distinctive and very beautiful. I love the flower montage, a bit of zing on a very dull day.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes our tour guide talked about the deer being a problem and the need for hunting of them. Apparently they are considering reintroducing wolves as a population control, but the fear is that they’d target the sheep instead as an easier option. I don’t like the idea of either (hunting or wolves) but I understand the delicate balance needed in nature.
LikeLike
edinburgh is a fab city, our summer holiday last year was in that area. rained the WHOLE TIME. your curly kale is my favourite picture.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Our daughter was at Edinburgh University for five years so many happy memories of the beautiful city. The floral displays were always amazing. Love your kale picture
LikeLiked by 1 person
It really is beautiful. I’ve been twice now and I’ll definitely be back. I’ll have to go out and check the kale to see if it’s changed during this week 😁.
LikeLike