Note: Many of you have found me as @julie3dharris on Twitter. I’m not sure I can face Musk-world now, even if the company survives, so you’ll find me more and more on Mastodon @julie3dharris@mastondon.scot

The rain finally eased off early this week, we had one frost, now it seems to have warmed up again, so, yet again, I’m posting my #SixOnSaturday as a motley crew of November survivors. Some edibles, some flowers, some…just nice colours.

I will start with flowers. Despite the dark, wind, rain and general November miserableness, a few cosmos are hanging in there flowering away. I don’t have the heart to cut them back until they flop. Cheery on a sunny morning.

On the edibles front, leeks are doing very well. They slowed right down in the unusual summer heat this year, but now are looking blue-green, healthy and bug-free. Friday night’s dinner featured creamy leeks mixed with ‘home-grown’ back-bacon from some friends with a small-holding. Yum.

Back to flower, I accidentally got pansies, instead of the usual viola, for my autumn-winter bedding. they get a bit knocked around by the rain, but they do like a bright blustery day to show-off in.

Another edible that often makes it to November are my autumn-fruiting raspberries. They are very much doing that this year.

I am very slowly starting to clear away beds for the winter. Hampered this year by an elbow-tendonitis issue that means I shouldn’t even be using secateurs….hmm…I did, a bit. And whilst doing so, felt a burst of joy from back-lit persicarium leaves. What colour!

For this week’s finale, wow, here’s a brand new flowering Welsh poppy (sorry about the football Wales, I’m not watching, but sad to see one of the UK nations struggling). I love the brightness of this little beauty.

I hope you enjoyed my #SixonSaturday. Stay safe, take care out there, and don’t forget to follow the crowd on twitter. I THINK we can also get the sixes going on Mastodon. For regulars, our organiser is Jim at https://gardenruminations.co.uk/. Also on twitter @JamesLStephens. And I’m now on mastodon @julie3dharris@mastodon.scot.

Note: Many of you have found me as @julie3dharris on Twitter. I’m not sure I can face Musk-world now, even if the company survives, so you’ll find me more and more on Mastodon @julie3dharris@mastondon.scot

In a normal November, the area I live in gets around 66mm of rain. We’ve had over 80mm here in the last 48 hours. The garden is rather blasted, the street awash. I’m very lucky I live on steep hill, many down in the valley are in trouble. What can I do for #SixOnSaturday? Cheer myself and everyone else up with some flowers. These WERE flowering this week in the garden, I didn’t dare look in the last couple of days.

First up: there little that more cheerful than a wonderful marigold (though check out my sixth this week). Last year, these overwintered. Still looking good.

I wonder how long my roses will keep going for. This first lot are tiny little pink ones that do flower well into winter if there’s not too much frost.

I don’t know the name of this big blousy bright pink rose either. I suspect there’s not much left of this lovely bloom, this was how it looked on Thursday!

A self-seeder is giving some joy. Feverfew, thought to be good to use flowers and leaves to make a tea if you have a fever. The tea tastes pleasant, a bit like camomile.

Possibly my ‘best value’ family of plants for flowering on and on and on….one or two teeny weeny geranium flowers left (<2cm across). just look at that fine detail of pink stripes in the petals?

And for my sixth little joy this week, another blast of colour. Fabulous nasturtium.

I hope you enjoyed my #SixonSaturday. Stay safe, take care out there, and don’t forget to follow the crowd on twitter. I THINK we can also get the sixes going on Masterdon. For regulars, our organiser is Jim at https://gardenruminations.co.uk/. Also on twitter @JamesLStephens. And I’m now on masterdon @julie3dharris@mastodon.scot.

By mid-November, my #SixonSaturday offerings are often reduced to bits of the garden I’ve tidied or let rip for winter: not this year. This week we have had the highest November night time temperature ever around here at 15 deg C. I had assumed that, as someone within a decade of retirement, I wouldn’t get to see the effects of climate change. I think that assumption may have been wrong. But let’s focus on the joys that can still be had from the garden, with this week’s theme of ‘what’s still going?’.

I’ve always loved drifting around gardening Twitter on a Saturday morning (@julie3dharris). But I’m not sure I want to stay in what looks like an increasingly hostile environment that may not respect my data privacy. So I’m (for now at least) also posting on Mastodon: @julie3dharris@mastodon.scot.

For the first time, I have my summer window boxes still on the go, no need to bring into the greenhouse and prune for winter yet. There’s nothing as cheerful as a bright red pelargonium.

In the greenhouse, there isn’t enough space for the pellies yet anyway, as tomatoes are somehow still ripening.

Waiting in the wings to go into my dark winter courtyard are a couple of boxes of winter violets. Despite very high winds, they are doing their best to get into flower now.

It has been a tremendous apple year. Eaters came early, didn’t store well, and have long been eaten or turned into juice. With mild weather and very high winds, I’m picking up 2 buckets a day of cookers. I like juice from these, but my partner finds the juice too sour…any ideas for novel apple use?

I’d always thought that snap-dragons were annuals in the Scottish climate. These were grown from seed for me by a dear friend, in spring 2021. They came through last winter and look like they are ready to take on this one too.

Last but not least, a smoke-bush is offering it’s last flash of brightness. It wasn’t possible to catch these is a quiet moment, but perhaps you can get a feel for the 25 mph winds that have lashed the garden all day.

I hope you enjoyed my #SixonSaturday. Stay safe, take care out there, and don’t forget to follow the crowd on twitter. I wonder if we can also get the sixes going on Masterdon? For regulars, apparently the Propagator is taking a rest, but has handed his trowel over to Jim at https://gardenruminations.co.uk/. Also on twitter @JamesLStephens. And I’m now on masterdon @julie3dharris@mastodon.scot.

Bonfire night in the UK. By now there have usually been a few frosts and masses of leaf fall. It’s starting, but still rather warm, which has led to some garden surprises that feature as my #SixonSaturday this week.

In the greenhouse, I have edibles. I guess it is a bit optimistic to hope for more ripening on tomatoes, but I don’t have the heart to pick them and clear out the plants yet.

A new variety of chilli for me, Chilhuacle Negro, have been reaching their ripe brown state — interesting variety, hot yet also sweet and rich. I’ll try them again next year.

Into the garden proper now, and cooking apples are looking ripe and juicy. There’s more of a flush of pink/red this year, and this lot are sweet enough to make delicious juice.

There’s a splash of colour coming from the last blast of euphorbia foliage. Stunning red. I’ll have to try these in a vase before they finally collapse.

Flowers too. I have been vigilant in deadheading a couple of late-flowering budlija, and here’s one, still performing for me. Perhaps also feeding the odd late hoverfly or bee.

Last, but very much not least…..WHAT a year we’re having for nerine. Perhaps baking hot and dry weather in summer offers these kinds of compensation.

I hope you enjoyed my #SixonSaturday. Stay safe, take care out there, and don’t forget to follow the crowd on twitter. For regulars, apparently the Propagator is taking a rest, but has handed his trowel over to Jim at https://gardenruminations.co.uk/. Also on twitter @JamesLStephens.