I was away last week, enjoying the tiny alpine wild-flowers in Scotland’s far northwest. Not a warm mid-summer, but a light one, with sunset at 10.36pm on the solstice. It appears to have been a warm week back in the balmy southeast of Scotland, though we dragged cool and pouring rain back home with us, all the way down the A9 trunk road. After the sparsity of the north, there’s nothing for it than to celebrate summer with some big blousy colour. This week, I will focus on blues, reds and pinks. First up is centranthus ruber, red valerian, growing nicely in a very dry warm bed, against a big stone wall.

Having started with a couple of large poppies a few year’s ago, I have propagated via splitting clumps, and now have them scattered through several borders. They don’t last long, but these flowers are gorgeously worth it.

My garden has a quite a few borders, I have found that hardy geranium provide wonderful ground cover, the mid summer flush of flowers is superb, and is much loved by bees.

I love lilies: this year I’ve managed to plant lots of pots, and have been donated a couple more by a friend. I love the colour she chose.

Not everyone likes astrantia, they do have an ‘already dried’ look, though are good for moist and shady corners. This variety seem to have made it out in the full sunshine, another fabulous shade of dark pink/red to brighten up a dull weekend.

Last, and very much not this week, my peonies flowered during the week I’ve been away. Perhaps the cool weather will make them last. This is bowl of beauty, she has to be my favourite.

That’s it for this week, I hope you enjoyed a few blooms from my lush colourful garden. If you like Six on Saturday, do join in, there are lots of contributors on Twitter, and more via the regular blog from #SixonSaturday initiator, the great Propagator himself.

An abundance of growth, it always amazes me how much the garden grows in June. Feels like at least 40cm in the past week. Finally the veg are on their way (I’ll feature more of that action next week). For now, I found it very hard to choose what to feature this week. In the end, I’ve decided on just one type of plant. So below follows a series of aquilegia. From the palest of pinks….

…through a decent ‘proper’ pink…

…via purple, which always dominates the main flower beds…

…..to a good solid almost-red….

…via a colour I think I’ll describe as simply dark red….

To……well….chocolate?

And for once, a sneaky extra shot to demonstrate how these beauties really do totally take over the flower borders at this time of year.

That’s it for this week, hope you liked the simple blog this week, early summer is here and I want it to last forever. If you like Six on Saturday, do join in, there are lots of contributors on Twitter, and more via the regular blog from #SixonSaturday initiator, the great Propagator himself.

A combination of warmth and a little damp means that everything in the garden seems to have grown about 20cm this week, expect my not-yet-planted veg, still loitering in pots. Must get them into the ground this weekend. Now that June is upon us, I’m focusing on colour this week, lots of lovely lovely colour and sumptuous blooms.

First up this week, welsh poppy. A weed perhaps? Certainly an opportunist that pops us and suns itself all over the garden.

Nicely contrasting is another thuggish ‘weed’, but one that I let grow almost anywhere, and that i find so pleasing, from afar and close up, aquilegia.

We’re almost past full late-spring rhododendron season in Scotland. The cool weather has made the season a long one, this is my favourite, just peaking now, this plant catches the late rays from the evening sun.

Back towards more purply shades, aliums don’t seem quite as prolific as in 2020, but their strong stems and wonderful flowers last a while, catch the eye, and feed the soul.

Fully back to blue for a ceanothus. Only one of my pair of plants has made it through a very harsh winter. Perhaps it’s time to strike a cutting or two from this one, as these plants are barely hardy enough for the harsh winter winds that feature here.

I will finish, where I started, with another lovely yellow. Laburnum have done their thing this week. This has been in about 4 years now. The label promised it would ‘thrive in a windy spot’. Its right on the west wall, facing the prevailing wind. Despite being blown down to the ground in it’s first spring, it has stood the test and grown itself into a very pleasing small tree.

That’s it for this week, it was so hard to choose what to put into the blog this week, early summer is here and I want it to last forever. If you like Six on Saturday, do join in, there are lots of contributors on Twitter, and more via the regular blog from #SixonSaturday initiator, the great Propagator himself.