Six-on-Saturday: March Week 2

It was on the way, it has to be said. But now that it’s been said, wouldn’t it be good for this miserably icy weather to be off somewhere else promptly? To some plain in Spain, that’d be my suggestion. I’m thinking we’ve had it good thus far this spring winter but in the few days since last Tuesday, thought made a fool of me.

On the positive side I had laughter aplenty from the Dublin High Court and a new verb added to my dictionary. “Enoching” is defined as “repeatedly turning up where you’re not wanted”. So such issues with any of our Six-on-Saturday team. We collectively stand proudly in our scattered gardens, happy to share the joy. That leads me naturally on to my summary of The Garden This Week, together with some things that are unrelated. Jill would say… Shall we proceed? After all that, I start the second Saturday of March with a recent quote from a Welsh mountain gardener:

Never mind – keep smiling and let’s read this week’s Six on Saturday hosted by Jim at Garden Ruminations.

My Tiny Welsh Garden

1. Plant Of The Week: Skimmia

This has featured in the past, and it’s top of the list once again. Lovely evergreen foliage and stand-out berries. What’s not to love?

2. Colder. Much Colder.

It’s been miserably cold. I’m repeating myself. On Wednesday we had sleety showers. It was best to stay inside but I needed to travel. Not so nice at all.

Thursday was even more not-nice-at-all. Two important notes:

• The Lazy Wind from last week is now the colder Lazy Wind of this week. Can’t shift it onwards.
• Schools in various parts of the country are closed, having been given Department of Education approval. All wrong, I say. Let them shovel some snow slush to stay warm.

3. Logo

Now don’t be reminding me that Six-on-Saturday should be six plants from the garden. I’m a minor rebel and “should” has been ripped out of my dictionary. Here’s my logo. I’m happy if it spurs you on to get yours sorted, and if it doesn’t… we’ll, I’m happy anyway!

4. Good Neighbours

Anthony brought plants home for Antoinette. After a twenty-minute horticultural consultation over the garden wall, she entrusted them to my care. In return, I know when her birthday is and there will be a surprise up my sleeve. Already I know what it is, but I’m not familiar with the plant. Plantnet says Rhus typhina (Stag’s Horn sumac) or Sorbaria tormentosa. Time will tell. I hope it’s the tormentosa one. Any confirmation from anyone?

5. Squeezing in another seven!

Left, top to bottom:

• Brompton sold
• Osteospermum in flower!

• A lovely gift from Louise

Right, t-to-b:

• Walton Park, Dungarvan
• Daffodils… too tall
• Camellia
• Another over-the-wall gift.

6. Cycling

I had a cycling-free week, no bad thing every now and then. Instead, I rummaged my way back to 2004 when my team and I were club champions. If memory serves me right, and it rarely does, our prize was a voucher for a good local bike shop. However, in the greater scheme of things, the fun memories last a lifetime. Memories are permanent. We just dig deep at times to gain access.

While I attended my mam’s month’s mind, my club buddies managed well without me. Here’s the Captain’s Report for another great ride:

Group 3 had 9 starting out on a morning that the chilly winter had returned. The group headed into a cold northerly to Affane and on to Cappoquin where we lost one rider to a new tech problem, a flat di2 battery. All remaining riders opted to take on the beautiful Vee road, all making it to the top with the help of a stretching stop for one. We turned left to Lismore and a loop via Glencairn and Ballyduff getting back to Lismore for a much needed coffee. With the wind finally behind us a quick clip through Dromana, Villierstown and Bog Road, Home. Very enjoyable 90km spin.

El Capitano de G3

There’s a strong environmental awareness in place among many cyclists. It’s all we talk about every Sunday. Here’s John’s snap of the striking Lismore Castle Cherry.

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Other Six-on-Saturday Participants

• Here’s The Participant Guide updated by Jim.
• That’s all from me, but for more inspiring gardens and great gardening blogs, head over to Garden Ruminations, the home for Six on Saturday. Have a lovely weekend. By locating his update for today you will be able to catch up with links from all the other folks who take part. After reading, scroll to the comments. (Shamelessly robbed from Sel, because she does it so well.)
• Jim is also over there on Twitter @JamesLStephens

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Yet Another Tangent

I now present yet another Six-on-Saturday tangent. My all-time favourite book is Flann O’Brien’s “The Third Policeman”. It’s not for everyone. For me, there’s cycling, very strange humour, and baffling psychology of relationships. Here’s a quote that put me thinking…

The gross and net result of it is that people who spent most of their natural lives riding iron bicycles over the rocky roadsteads of this parish get their personalities mixed up with the personalities of their bicycle as a result of the interchanging of the atoms of each of them and you would be surprised at the number of people in these parts who are nearly half people and half bicycles…when a man lets things go so far that he is more than half a bicycle, you will not see him so much because he spends a lot of his time leaning with one elbow on walls or standing propped by one foot at kerbstones.

Flann O’Brien – The Third Policeman

Thought for the week:

For a change, very light-hearted. Change is good. Here we have Irish slang medical terms.

Laughter is the best medicine!

My First Book Update

Side by side with my renewed Six-on-Saturday look and feel, I’m also busy at another keyboard. I am now ready to announce that my first book will hit the shelves in early Autumn. As Netflix would say, it’s set to drop. In the meantime, I’ll keep prospective readers updated. For your part, if an open invitation were extended, would you attend launch? Would I need to commit to sign your copy? Something special could be arranged, I’m pretty sure.

Gallery

Click the first PHOTOGRAPH and swipe right or left.

More next week.

Páraig.