Six-on-Saturday: May Week 1

I’ll be gardening all day from sunrise until late afternoon, doing my best to avoid watching certain stuff on BBC, being broadcast round the world. None of that celebration of inequality and imperial plunder for me, thank you very much. As soon as my gardening day is done, I am off to Ballyporeen, ancestral home of my Nana and of Ronald Reagan, for a family get-together. We will sprinkle some gold dust and flowers on a few graves and drink some lemonade. We will honour our queens! While I’m busy doing all these things and avoiding all those other things, you relax a while with a hot chocolate (spoonful of brandy optional) to read through my Selected Six, part of the bigger picture of the many other Six-on-Saturday posts from around the world, curated by Jim at Garden Ruminations. Ar aghaidh linn…

Bluebells

Bluebells appear in April, yet I regard them as a summer flower. May being the start of my summer, I appreciate their arrival. I have a second clump that had been partially hidden behind the large-leaf rhubarb. The solution was to eat the stalks and dispose of the toxic leaves. Mentioning toxic, I’ll also stay well clear of The Camilla Crowning. No business of mine.

Virginia Camilla Creeper

When nature does colours such as this, I’m in my element. On the other hand, if everything were like this, it would not stand out in the same way. Virginia Creeper grows well on my east-facing fence. In winter it looks dead, but returns to cheer me up. I have tried propagating it, unsuccessfully. Could anyone offer assistance? Turns out I’d be offered specific advice today about everything regal, most of it in sombre tones and most of it useless. I do not want to know what the fifth in line to any throne had for breakfast.

Aquilegia

Aquilegia is known as Lady’s Fingers. I’ve tried a few down through the years, but one lady is enough for any man! I got this (these) last week and I like that they are slightly smaller than usual. They fit in very well where the daffodils were. There is no connection intended or implied with anything other than anything else.

Tiarella

Here’s what I wrote last year… On the Lazy Scale, I’d give myself a seven.

“Bought last February (2021), this little thing has been in flower ever since! It likes shade so I’ve given it some. Amelia reminded me that it’s native to Atlanta, Georgia and grows particularly well in creek banks. I think I’ll add another to my collection for next year, as well as dividing this one when the time is right.”

I have divided the original into three. Sadly, they were in full sun, so I rushed out to relocate them. I intend staying out. I mentioned that already, but just to be certain I don’t forget, I mention it again. I have a habit of listening to myself second time around.

Bubbles

What a plonker I am! I paid good money for these yokes. Filled with water (not supplied), they are supposed to drip slowly into the soil, but because there’s no hole on top, the water stays inside. Nature abhors a vacuum. If there’s any merit in having them not vacuums, it might just be to add some plastic colour. Even at that, it’s stretching it a bit. Note: This is not to be mistaken in any way for a crown of any sort.

Plastic!

I should be ashamed of myself, but I’m not. I covered this bare wall with plastic trellis, held in place with plastic cable ties. There’s a small section of brick behind the plastic water butt and I’m likely going to cover that with… bamboo trellis. The phrase watch this space means exactly that.

Behold also the rhubarb, producing freely. It’s obviously in a very favourable spot.

I had a terrible thought, but banished it quickly. This wall would have been ideal for a royal Banksy rebellion. It is out of sight from the house and partly hidden by rhubarb. I scolded myself for even thinking about it and congratulated myself upon deciding to put plastic there. What an inventive plonker I am!

About Six-on-Saturday

We are a group of gardeners who write. We write about six items in our gardens, and we do it on Saturdays. Many more choose to publish on Twitter and Instagram using the #sixonsaturday hashtag. Here’s The Participant Guide updated by Jim. For more  gardens and gardening blogs, head over to Garden Ruminations, the home for Six on Saturday. Have a lovely weekend.

P.S. I wish my Royalist Friends a happy Coronation Day. My personal views on the matter are my own, and I respect all opposing viewpoints. No crown for my wife, please and thank you. May the Fourth be with you.

If you could put up with my latest Friday Fiction, read about The Coronation of Camilla, a lighthearted scene set in hairdresser salon.

Gallery

The Three Hairs

By going to TheThreeHairs.Com anyone who wants the bits of Gaeilge, cycling or other random thoughts will find everything there. I invite you to browse and hope you enjoy some of what’s there.

Páraig.