Quite some weather this week. We started with Storm Dave, which was very wet, very windy, but didn’t do too much damage. Then a few more frost nights, then a very disappointing 12 degC in what promised to be a mini-heatwave (apparently it was 25 degC in parts of England). But I guess that IS why the Scottish spring is so beautiful, it is long, cool and slow. The blossoms unfold one after another, the spring bulbs fight the wind. Here’s some of that flavour for this week’s #SixOnSaturday

WOW….my all time favourite flower of the year. I wish you could hear the bees buzzing round the blossoms on my wonderful Japanese cherry. Magnificent!

Despite the wind and rain, daffodils of various varieties are bobbing along in the sunshine, and giving me plenty of pickings for vases in the house.

One of my favourite narcissi is Thalia, there is something so pure and beautiful about the pure white flowers with slim, yet sturdy, trumpets.

I don’t know the name of this multi-headed little gem, but it has really wonderful scent.

This year I planted mixtures of different tulips in pots. I must say I’m very pleased with this yellow and red mix, with different structures. When the sun comes out, so to the flowers for a blast of spring warmth.

And last this week, by 2nd-best-ever plant in the garden is also in full bloom. A huge magnolia near my legs beds. An ancient form of tree I believe, yet a wonderful icon of the season.

That was my joy-of-spring best this week. I loved collecting the images and taking a slow stroll round the cool garden. Hope you liked my selection. Thanks to those leaving comments on the blog. I do read them all, keep them coming. And do join in with #SixOnSaturday. All you need to do is find 6 things in your garden to show us. Then post on social, or add a link at Jim’s blog below. For regulars, our organiser is Jim at https://gardenruminations.co.uk/. And I’m on mastodon @julie3dharris@mastodon.scot

Happy Easter to all who celebrate. I’m celebrating that it’s moon-shot week. I was 5 years old the last time people got anywhere near the moon. This time I have more than false memories. We’ve been geeking out with TV coverage in our house, but there has been a little time to hang out in the early spring garden. This week I have some wonder colour and some promising edibles to show you for #SixOnSaturday

I was very please I brought tomatoes back into the house last week. We have had a couple of firsts. I’ve been moving them out for a warm greenhouse treat on sunny days (at least those days when I’m in from work early enough to get them tucked back into the house). Tomatoes are doing well. Here’s one, still enjoying an indoor windowsill.

In pots in the garden, I’m now a fan of tulips like this one, with pointed and slightly twisted petals. They seem to bear wind and rain better than the goblet-shaped ones.

It is blossom time. I’m going to have a slow walk through the garden Saturday morning, as we have ‘named storm Dave’ bearing down on us overnight. I hope we’ll still ave blossom like this left after it has pushed us through into Easter Sunday.

There’s been action finally in the veg bed. I grew some red oak choi, and some mizuna, in little pots in the greenhouse. I hope there are plenty of hungry birds around now, because I just put this lot out into the garden. Those birds will be needed to take care of the slugs.

Forsythia, so old fashioned, almost gaudy, I’m never sure……on a cold sunny day though, the colour blends nicely with daffodils and lifts the spirits.

To end this week, what would be more fitting than magnolia stellata to represent humankind’s re-emergence into the universe beyond earth.

Spring really IS here now, and some of you will have a long weekend to enjoy it. Hope you don’t get blasted by storm Dave. I hope you enjoyed the colour and promise that has finally arrived in the garden, for my #SixOnSaturday. Thanks to those leaving comments on the blog. I do read them all, keep them coming. And do join in with #SixOnSaturday. All you need to do is find 6 things in your garden to show us. Then post on social, or add a link at Jim’s blog below. For regulars, our organiser is Jim at https://gardenruminations.co.uk/. And I’m on mastodon @julie3dharris@mastodon.scot

My last March post: now that spring is here, things grow SO fast. Even though it has bee cold again. I moved sweetness in pots outside to harden off, I think they have, but they are shivering. I tired a few tomatoes in the greenhouse, then brought them back in during last week as we had frost. I feel they deserve to stay tucked up in the house for another week at least! Out in the garden, there is plenty going on though. Here is a sample for my #SixOnSaturday

I’m proud to shoe off the very first planting and outdoor mowing of the season. Broadbeans have been planted out (grown in the greenhouse in pots), and a few sown outside. I have also managed to sow some radishes. We shall see how that lot does. It is exciting to really begin the growing season again.

Splashes of colour are hard to find, but snuggling amidst the shady woodland growth, I found a wonderful little erythronium. So delicate and beautiful.

There are buds galore around the garden now. The pear tree is going to be in bloom in a couple of weeks, it’s buds are just bursting.

I always enjoy looking at the budding rowans in my garden. You can see so much coming through here, not just leaves but flower buds too, all squashed into a cm or two.

Rhododendron look like they will do well this year. This single example show so much promise, and has its own wonderful furry texture, yet sharp and pointy shape.

Finally for this week, very late this year, camellia are just starting to show. Mine are so far behind compared to the wonderful display from our host Jim (https://gardenruminations.co.uk/) , who featured on Gardener’s World last week (and who knew that Monty Don is Not a fan….I was shocked!!).

Spring really IS here now and needs to be soaked in fully while we have it. As of Sunday, in the Uk we will have an extra hour of evening gardening time: bring it on! I hope you enjoyed the colour and promise that has finally arrived in the garden, for my #SixOnSaturday. Thanks to those leaving comments on the blog. I do read them all, keep them coming. And do join in with #SixOnSaturday. All you need to do is find 6 things in your garden to show us. Then post on social, or add a link at Jim’s blog below. For regulars, our organiser is Jim at https://gardenruminations.co.uk/. And I’m on mastodon @julie3dharris@mastodon.scot

Finally we have a spell of a few days of sunshine, and temperature up to 16 degC. Friday 20th was the equinox, what a turning point. Now those of us in the north will have longer days than you in the south. I’m ready. And to top that, I’ve found lots of wonderful spring blooms for my #SixOnSaturday.

Narcissus are coming into their peak period now. I have several to show off this week. First, is a slightly gentler version of the full-on basics daffodil, this one with a slightly slimmer trumpet and perhaps a paler yellow.

The very first tulip of the season has just appeared. A rather nice dark pink. I won’t have many this year as I was away for a couple of months at the prime planting season in Oct/Nov, so each bloom will have to be savoured. I like this one so far.

My next narcissus is another delicate one, this having 4-5 tiny blooms on each stem. I was excited to see the first of these opening in the sunshine on friday.

In the main borders I nearly missed this beauty. Every year I marvel at the delicacy of the naked head fritillary, what a strange flower.

Another lovely narcissus, this one a much paler lemon, perhaps a little too frilly? Says limoncello to me somehow.

Last up, a local garden centre does a ‘primrose festival’ every spring. Is SO hard to come away without a car full. This year I was craving colour, so bought just one. WOW, look at that pink. And yet, also a delicate yellow with a tiny hint of dark red at the very centre. This will be left to flourish in a pot, and be planted into the border for next year.

Spring really IS here now and needs to be soaked in fully while we have it. This will be a big gardening weekend for me. I hope you enjoyed the colour and promise that has finally arrived in the garden, for my #SixOnSaturday. Thanks to those leaving comments on the blog. I do read them all, keep them coming. And do join in with #SixOnSaturday. All you need to do is find 6 things in your garden to show us. Then post on social, or add a link at Jim’s blog below. For regulars, our organiser is Jim at https://gardenruminations.co.uk/. And I’m on mastodon @julie3dharris@mastodon.scot

It feels like we might be in for another cold spring. After the gloom of February, flowers are late, and currently shivering in a cold spell with sharp hail showers….brghhhh. But managed to find some more signs of spring for my #SixOnSaturday.

In the greenhouse, my red and purple potato varieties are hitting well. I do like to grow potatoes that I can’t find in the shops, and the ones with blue or red flesh and skins are always interesting.

Out in the windy, chilly garden, clematis are enthusiastically budding.

And there is more excitement in the flower borders. My wonderful wallflowers have been blasting out flowers since January, and still going strong. Wonderful rich colour to remind us all of summer colour to come much later.

Primroses are often in full flower by mid-March. I couldn’t find a single one out yet. Instead, this one is trying hard, maybe a couple more weeks before flowers appear.

On the edibles front, we’re a long way from harvest, but I’m excited to see some growing action from my rhubarb. This year I forgot to mulch in the winter, but it still seems to be going strong.

Finally, it is time to nip back into the house. Another squally shower is coming. Here you can see the storm cloud approaching with still-skeletal Appel tress in the foreground.

I hope you enjoyed the colour and promise I managed to extract for my #SixOnSaturday from a brief walk around the COLD garden. Thanks to those leaving comments on the blog. I do read them all, keep them coming. And do join in with #SixOnSaturday. All you need to do is find 6 things in your garden to show us. Then post on social, or add a link at Jim’s blog below. For regulars, our organiser is Jim at https://gardenruminations.co.uk/. And I’m on mastodon @julie3dharris@mastodon.scot

A mixed weather week with little frost. The great thing now is that some days we see a bit of sun. This week’s #SixOnSaturday has some further springy things beginning to appear.

First is the frogs. they took a while to come this year after the gloom of February, but now they are singing away as at least 26 of them are swimming about and spawning all over the place. Here are a few of them guarding the frogspawn.

Out on the metal arches roses are beginning to stretch up, here’s a brand new branch bud, bright in the morning light.

The borders have looked brown and bare all year, but not any more. The first clumps of grape hyacinth are coming into bloom and looking lovely against their thin green leaves.

My first daffodils of the year, these are the miniature ones that pop up in a sunny border in early spring. It really IS spring now.

Elsewhere in the borders, a carpet of little spring things has popped up. Here there is a sprinkling of Scilla with some self-seeded pink and white hellebores in the distance.

And last this week, I have managed to find enough to pop into a vase regularly, even through the winter. Now that spring is here, the display is much more pleasing. Here is this weekend’s offering, with budding branches, faithful hebe and some wonderful wallflowers.

It’s really happening now: SPRING. And we waited SO LONG this year. It is really heartening. Things will accelerate away now. Soon I’ll have a huge choice of images for my blog. It is great to feel that joyful time of year coming again.

Thanks to those leaving comments on the blog. I do read them all, keep them coming. And do join in with #SixOnSaturday. All you need to do is find 6 things in your garden to show us. Then post on social, or add a link at Jim’s blog below. For regulars, our organiser is Jim at https://gardenruminations.co.uk/. And I’m on mastodon @julie3dharris@mastodon.scot

Wow, how things can change in a day. On Friday this week it was sunny and I sat in a sheltered spot by the pond with a cup of tea, listening to the birds and watching frogs gather in the pond. It does feel like spring is on its way. This week’s #SixOnSaturday has some springy things beginning to appear.

The viburnum has almost come to the end of it’s season. Now on sunny mornings it is covered in honey bees. Here’s one having a feast.

Down low in the borders, spring flowers are just starting. This is one of the very first Scilla to pop up its little head.

My various pink, white and whitish-pink hellebores have just woken up, but are holding their heads rather low still.

The bees really were forming a queue this morning, as soon as the sun hit the tubs of crocus bulbs, and the flowers opened, in went bees to collect all the wonderful nectar and pollen.

Spring iris have just started to appear too. These do best for me in pots, somehow they must rot away or get eaten in the open ground. I love the rich purple colour that this one is displaying.

Finally, will this be the last time you see my favourite winter flowering plant this year? Perhaps. The dark pink hellebore looked absolutely magnificent in the sunshine on Friday morning. A wonderful sight.

That turned out to be a very colourful and hopeful array of blooms with which to end February. Bring on Spring, I’m so ready for it this year. And so are the bees it seems.

Thanks to those leaving comments on the blog. I do read them all, keep them coming. And do join in with #SixOnSaturday. All you need to do is find 6 things in your garden to show us. Then post on social, or add a link at Jim’s blog below. For regulars, our organiser is Jim at https://gardenruminations.co.uk/. And I’m on mastodon @julie3dharris@mastodon.scot

There’s still so little growing in the garden that I may be repeating myself each week. This time, I’ve tried to focus in on some interesting details in flower and foliage. This week’s #SixOnSaturday coming up!

I will start where it is nice and warm (ie above 4 deg C) in the greenhouse today. I have had to work hard to prevent over-wintering plants from rotting, making sure to air the greenhouse on the few non-rainy days when I’m also not at work! It has paid off, some of the geraniums are starting to sprout new leaves. They have wonderful texture.

Pulmonaria is good plant for February. This often gets itself going on those sunny cold days we get in winter. We have had very few of those this year, but at last, in the second half of February, here they come. The detail of the subtle colour change across the flowers, and their hairiness is great to get close to.

Briefly back to the greenhouse. I have started seeds in the house, then as soon as they poke up their heads, they get moved to the greenhouse. Some tiny leek seedlings seem to be responding well to this relatively harsh treatment.

Back into the main garden, the brave poppies that had a go a couple of weeks ago seem to have survived last week’s sprinkle of snow and are bulking out nicely now, another plant full of hairy, slightly spongey leaves.

And now for the great news. Anemones are just about making it, here is my first flower, in a pot, in a warm location near the greenhouse.

Euphorbia are also getting the action going, with their new little shoots, each holding a tiny flower. These thugs can be annoying when they spread themselves widely, but it is great to see their greenery in late winter.

There, I did find 6 interesting things to look at this week. Got me into the garden and cheered me up a bit. I hope it did that for you too. Thanks to those leaving comments on the blog. I do read them all, keep them coming. And do join in with #SixOnSaturday. All you need to do is find 6 things in your garden to show us. Then post on social, or add a link at Jim’s blog below. For regulars, our organiser is Jim at https://gardenruminations.co.uk/. And I’m on mastodon @julie3dharris@mastodon.scot

Happy Valentine’s day to all who celebrate. There’s so little growing in the garden yet that it is sometimes hard to summon the love. But something lovely did happen on Friday 13th, and I managed to get out and enjoy it. For the first time in about 25 days we had some sunshine and blue sky. This week’s #SixOnSaturday shows that sunshine streaming onto some lovely sights in my garden.

There are signs of the new season ahead. Here are some tiny lupin shoots, just starting their journey back to life.

Lit by the sun, those magnolia buds that always take forever to open are looking more and more promising….properly furry this weekend.

Back on the ground, I think this will be a rudbeckia or similar, with tall stems and lovely yellow daisy like flowers in mid-summer. It’s on its way.

In the old established border, pieris is flowering hard. The sunlight make details of the tiny flowers much easier to pick out.

Back to the ground for the last time. I think this is either delphinium, or monkshead, or is the latter a wild poisonous variety of the former? In any case, here comes another 2026 plant.

Last, just look at this late winter blue, blue blue sky, with hazelnut catkins blazing away in the sunshine. Here’s the love!

Thanks to those leaving comments on the blog. I do read them all, keep them coming. And do join in with #SixOnSaturday. All you need to do is find 6 things in your garden to show us. Then post on social, or add a link at Jim’s blog below. For regulars, our organiser is Jim at https://gardenruminations.co.uk/. And I’m on mastodon @julie3dharris@mastodon.scot

I’m so glad we are into February now. This winter has felt dreary and endless so far. I hope things perk up soon. In this part of Scotland we are on our 35th consecutive day of rain now…..and most of those days have been grey and wet ALL day. Yurghhhhhh!

Thanks to Jim (https://gardenruminations.co.uk/), the host of #SixOnSaturday, who pointed out last week that what I thought was Lorapetalum, could possibly be Leucothoe. Having looked more closely, I think he’s right — thanks Jim!

I have found it hard this week to get out and find new joys in the garden. Some of this week’s #SixOnSaturday are repeats from January, they ARE still giving me some joy through the gloom. Here they are.

First up this week, moss (and some ivy). There’s a lot of moss here. This patch, with its clinging ivy friend is on an old bit of sandstone wall. When you get close, the detail is lovely and the colour vivid.

Snowdrops are battling on…with no sign of snow. That’s probably just as well with 30mm of rain in February alone so far! At least I have not been snowed-in. They look lovely set against some of the leaves from autumn.

Hellebore are sending out some very healthy new shoots, also in a nice fresh green.

I am always glad to see the first of the hardy geraniums pushing their way through. This one has a charming dark blob in the middle of each leaf. I think it will be the one that has a small dark red (almost purple) flower early in the season.

Also forcing its way through, and I guess because the Grimes winter has tended to be warmish, a big poppy is bursting into life. If we get snow or heavy frost in the next few weeks, its progress will be slammed. Great for now…..

To finish this week, POW!! Here’s is my favourite Hellebore once again. Now at her peak, with wonderful purple flowers, yellow stamens, and lots of buds to come. This plant is loving the wet.

Thanks to those leaving comments on the blog. I do read them all, but the particular way I’m using WordPress (via a private server), I have yet to find a way to actually publish them on the blog. Join in with our #SixOnSaturday thoughts and images. All you need to do is find 6 things in your garden to show us. Then post on social, or add a link at Jim’s blog below. For regulars, our organiser is Jim at https://gardenruminations.co.uk/. And I’m on mastodon @julie3dharris@mastodon.scot