The last Saturday of 2024. I thought I’d do a review of the year for today’s #SixOnSaturday, especially as it’s been dull and grey over the holiday week, so not much incentive to approach the garden. I must say, it has not been the best year. Dull, cool, damp weather has coincided with my ability to get working in the garden being compromised by 2 hip surgeries (on the same sad joint) that bookended the year. Urgghhh, bring on 2025 and let’s make a fresh start. There’s have been a few plusses this year.

First plus is that it turns out Swiss Chard love a cool, grey damp summer. Some have grown almost 1m tall, as you see on farmed crops. We are still enjoying the harvest (if the frosts don’t get too bad in January).

I always exhibit my fabulous (and sometimes less than fabulous) veg at the local village show, always near the start of August. This year was poor, mostly because the veg simply wasn’t ready. I often win one or two prizes for tomatoes, that are grown in a wonderful large greenhouse. This year, no such lock, there were barely any ripe for the show, but they were marvellous about 3 weeks later. the striped ones to the lower left were really juicy (Audrey’s Love I think). The black ones were fun, but tend to have rather thick and bitter skin. Perhaps we’re too far north for such exotic delights.

Garden beans usually require a really good summer. I was unsurprised that my ‘climbing French’ varieties just disappeared. However, runner beans and borlotti did well, and well into September. I had a couple of bowls to enjoy in winter soups (as we are doing now).

2024 has not been a wonderful year for flowers. I love dahlias, they really did not like the lack of sunshine. Others did well though. Spring was long and cool. A number of different varieties of narcissus enjoyed the cool, and bloomed for weeks.

In what wasn’t exactly a tall ‘high summer’ in June, there were lots of lovely blooms around. It is fun to look back at the photos, hard to imagine all this pink in the garden when December dark hovers over all.

Finally, this was very much the year for roses. Across most years, they don’t do much. Maybe a combination of dry and coolish. They flourished in this year’s wet spells, there are just a few even trying to send out buds now. Here’s a stunning example from September.

That’s my #SixOnSaturday for this week, and for the year. Time for a refresh, bring on 2025. Enjoy it when it comes folks. Thanks to those leaving comments on the blog – sorry if I don’t always get back to you on time! The blog is going well, but it would be great if more folk on Mastodon, or other parts of the Fediverse got into tooting a Six! Go on, it’s a much kinder form of social media, not controlled by crazy billionaires. 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

As the sun set to herald the onset of the longest night of the year (at 15.36!!), I was pleased I’d remembered to take some photos for this week’s #SixOnSaturday. There’s a double celebration this week: Happy Solstice to those who celebrate our coming out of the dark. I’m looking forward to it. Here’s a bonus view from the west end of my garden, for once the solstice sunset was stunning.

And of course, this is Xmas week. I’m never sure, what a hugely over-hyped load of nonsense. But I do like a tree, and some tasty food and drink, so Happy Xmas to all who care. With celebrations in mind, I sought out blooms that had weathered the storms at the darkest moment of the year.

Courtyard roses, in a tub, probably never get enough water, but the stone walls shelter them from storms and cold, so here they are still flowering.

In full shade (all year round), just coming into bloom, and displaying last year’s fruit, I do like to view a sarcococca in the winter.

Nearby, growing out of the lime mortar in the garden’s old stone walls, ivy leaved toadflax has a few tiny delicate blooms, and some fresh green foliage.

A more classic winter flower comes from the viburnum shrub, I have several of these, they always bring forth copious flowers mid-winter. The trick is waiting for the wind to drop to get a good close up of the detail of their many flowers. I managed it.

I will admit that I had to resort to the greenhouse for today’s brightest bloom. A wonder geranium, which will hopefully winter in the greenhouse to provide next spring’s windowsill planting.

And, as the year turns and the light slowly starts to come back (tomorrow’s day will be 1 minute longer!), here’s a festive wreath to celebrate the circle of life.

That’s my #SixOnSaturday for this week. I hope wherever you are, and whether it’s the longest or shortest today, you enjoy seeing my garden while thinking about yours. Thanks to those leaving comments on the blog – sorry if I don’t always get back to you on time! The blog is going well, but it would be great if more folk on Mastodon, or other parts of the Fediverse got into tooting a Six! Go on, it’s a much kinder form of social media, not controlled by crazy billionaires. 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 is dark dark dark, but not quite the shortest days yet. This week, the garden has been filled with weird light, as the freezing fog comes and goes and the plants stand tall, or drop away. Here are my #SixOnSaturday, illustrating some of that light.

The greenhouse has been a pleasant place to be when the sun is out. I’m hoping to winter some non-hardy geraniums and a few snap dragons.

Outside, honesty seed seems to create it’s own light source when the low sun shines through.

Sunshine on the glossy foliage of camelia shows the robustness of this plant, and buds of those later winter flowers are promising.

Much smaller than holly, but similar in appearance in winter, the leaves of berbers darwinii shows gloss and spikes.

Afternoon sunshine coming low from the southwest shows up one of the few remaining roses. this one is pure white, though looking slightly rosy in the afternoon glow.

Last but not least, reflections on the pond on a calm day are beautiful, relaxing and absorbing.

That’s my #SixOnSaturday for this week. I found it absorbing to think about light when we have so little in the almost-mid-winter. Thanks to those leaving comments on the blog – sorry if I don’t always get back to you on time! The blog is going well, but it would be great if more folk on Mastodon, or other parts of the Fediverse got into tooting a Six! Go on, it’s a much kinder form of social media, not controlled by crazy billionaires. 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

Into December, this weekend is our 4th major storm of the season. These storms are getting regular in the winter. We REALLY need to attend to fossil fuel burning…..and in the garden, things are quiet and I’m struggling to fins much to look at as we head to the darkest days. A bit of a mish-mash therefore for my #SixOnSaturday

I managed to catch some blue skies somehow and discovered that hazel catkins are already on their way.

In another part of the garden, ivy are coming into full flower. They do have an interesting form, noticeable when the rest of the garden goes to sleep.

Down at ground level, a borage plant has somehow got the wrong message. This really isn’t a great time to be trying to flower.

In the hedge, some hawthorn has held onto it’s Autumn colour for just a few more days.

In another sheltered spot, pulmonaria is trying to grow. this will be bad news, as heavy frosts and snow to come will simply turn this to mush in a few days or weeks. Ah well, good for the soil I guess!

To finish off this week, I wonder if this will be the last vase of the year of fresh flowers. A few plants are giving it a go, so I will continue to pick. In the background on the windowsill, you can see my Xmas cactus has decided to go early…as usual!

Thanks to those leaving comments on the blog – sorry if I don’t always get back to you on time! The blog is going well, but it would be great if more folk on Mastodon, or other parts of the Fediverse got into tooting a Six! Go on, it’s a much kinder form of social media, not controlled by crazy billionaires. 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