All the lushness of late spring is still here, despite the heat bomb over most of Western Eurpoe, it made it just to about 25 degC here last week. I missed it as I was away up in the far northwest corner of Scotland for an anniversary. The day it hit 33 degC in England it was 13 degC in little Scourie. But it did hit 20 degC for one day only, and I got some sunburn from forgetting to cream my les before a bike ride!

Luckily, a friend back at home checked the garden watering, so my veggies survived despite a rabbit attack (bye bye broccoli). To celebrate th weekend that we move from spring into summer, I have some lovely reds-to-purples to show off this week for #SixOnSaturday

At the red end, a small perennial always atches my eye, a red thiste, called cirsium rivulare. Wonderful colour, and it flowers weeks before the native purple ones.

Into the pink with my first rose of the year. It has just appeared, perhaps egged on by the wram spell last week. Fragrant and beautiful.

Pinker still, dianthus have really dried out in a pot in the courtyard, which seems to have triggered them to deliver flowers. One of my new summer faviourites, all over the garden now, and all from a single seed packet a couple of summers ago.

Pushing out towards purply-pink, these wonderful alliums have burst open. I hope they will last a while, they are stunning.

And proper purple is represented by aquilegia, rapant as always at this time of year, and as usual dominated by the basic purple variety, in swathes of rich colour.

My last this week shows off the end of the lilac season. This one is a fully lilac coloured lilac, delicate, but with a rich spicy scent. i must cut some for a vase.

I hope you enjoyed this week’s roam through a colour pallate. There will be more colours coming soon as we head into summer. I hoped you enjoyed sharing my spring #SixOnSaturday. Do join in with your own 6 things from a 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

All the lushness of late spring is here, and we’re due to finally have some warm weather this weekend yeh!!!!. Here are some of the amazing shapes made by plants in my garden for #SixOnSaturday

Green lushness of a perfect host (not yet attacked by slugs or snails, thank you to garden thrushes). What a wonderful plant to walk by, this once loves living on the edge of the pond.

A very odd plant, but one with so much interest in leaves and stem, is euphorbia. The colours and complexities here, when one looks close, is fabulous.

Back to some leafiness: ferns have been slow to develop in this year’s cold spring, but slowly they unfurl. This is my favourite time to view them.

The bluebells are doing their final mass show of the year before they seed everywhere and I race to dispose of the seeds before they take over completely. They do have such wonderful colour in the evening.

Also a wonderful woodland plant, cow parsley featured on Gardener’s World a week or too back, now it’s popping up of its own accord as spring progresses in eastern Scotland.

And last, always coming into full flower at the end of May, and this time showing off in the evening light, next to the westerly view (with just a peak at the ripe rapeseed field beyond. WOW, my most spectacular rhododendron.

A wonderful mix of satisfying colour and form this week, hope you enjoyed it. I love May, and I hope I have managed to spread some of the love through my photos this week. I hoped you enjoyed sharing my spring #SixOnSaturday. Do join in with your own 6 things from a 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

This week, I’m not around. I’ve left my partner in charge of the garden. but I did remember to look at some lovely blooms before I left. Here they are for #SixOnSaturday This time pinks to purples again, it’s a colour theme I love.

The very palest pink comes first. My edible quince tree flowers really well each year. Usually almost all the blossoms drop off and I get very few fruit. Maybe the bed is a bit too dry?

Clematis montana is next. last week, the white ones were out. This week the pink blooming plants have enjoyed the sunshine and burst forth.

Now, aquilegia seems early this year, and the pink ones have come out first. This one has a good large solid flower, with lots of intricate form.

Now more pink than purple, close to end of it’s season, pulmonary has been really magnificent this year, blooming through the direct of our endless wet winter, and still having a go now.

My favourite plant of the moment, in the pond edge, right in the mud, are wonderful candelabra primula. I planted one plant a few years ago: look at them now.

Last for this week, rolling right round into purple. These hardy cornflower pop up all over the garden, they will flower for months and months if I remember to cut them back!

Ahhhh, look at all that wonderful colour. I love May, and I hope I have managed to spread some of the love through my photos this week. I hoped you enjoyed sharing my spring #SixOnSaturday. Do join in with your own 6 things from a 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

Spring continues, May rushes on, I’ve never understood how these longer days seem to go faster. For #SixOnSaturday this week I present my first colour theme of the year, from whites to very pale pink.

On the old walls of the house, I grow an almost white clematis Montana, this has just come into bloom.

Suddenly white edibles are in flower. The first are strawberries. Last year the flowers were few and the harvest poor. It’s looking a lot more promising this year.

As the first pink rhododendron from a couple of weeks ago fades, the white one takes its place. This is often buzzing with insect life, but the early morning photo didn’t reveal much wildlife.

In a very sheltered warm corner of the garden, with high stone walls to the north and east, and wonderful clematis with huge white flowers is blooming away. I’ll have to cut it back after flowering as it tends to strangle the plum tree it grows next to.

Broad beans were encouraged to an early start in the greenhouse, went out about 3 weeks ago: now the first flowers have come. This is one of my usual varieties, with flowers shaded from white through pink to black, later I’m trying one that apparently has all-black flowers, we shall see how that looks in a few weeks time.

Last, here’s one of the very last tulips in bloom. this one hides behind a big shrub, so mostly shaded. It has kept its pointy-petalled form for a few weeks now. What a delightful combination of form and colour.

I hoped you enjoyed sharing my spring #SixOnSaturday. Do join in with your own 6 things from a 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

Spring continues, it seems such a gallop into May, everything is growing, including the weeds. I have lots of little plants to pull out of the greenhouse and into the veg beds, what a whirl of activity. Its starting to get hard to choose now, but here are some lovely colours and some edibles for the new month. Here is #SixOnSaturday.

It is wild garlic time around here. This year I’m trying a new recipe to ferment wild garlic as a spicy healthy condiment. 2 kg went into a pair of 600 ml pots with 2% salt….and we shall see how it does after a week or two. Here is some of it before it got harvested.

Some lovely wild violet have popped up in the lawn this year, many more than usual, making a wonderful purple carpet amidst our untidy moss-n-grass lawn.

A white favourite of mine to end the narcissus season. I have tried pheasant eye all over the garden, but it comes back year after year in just one shady spot, soon to be covered by hosts leaves. Dry shade must be it’s favourite summer habitat.

Some of my blueberry bushes look a little tired, but others are now bursting with tiny perfect flowers, giving us lots of promise for July and August.

We are a good few weeks behind most of the Uk for this one……bluebells have just started to flower. Sadly, my garden does not host the native type. Instead I have a garden full of Spanish bluebells. Not so delicate but bursting with wonderful blue colour that we rarely see at other times of year.

And finally, here we go with the apple orchard. It’s apple blossom time. I always love this time of year.

I hoped you enjoyed sharing my spring #SixOnSaturday. Do join in with your own 6 things from a 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

Spring continues with the last weekend in April really hotting up. It’s been 17 DegC outside on Friday and will be sunny all weekend. This is a short look at some lovely colours as we’re busy with friends this weekend. So here is #SixOnSaturday.

Late springs see azalea flowering. I love the simplicity of a white bloom.

In a boggier area, hosts and beginning to come into leaf, looking fresh green and pristine at this early stage.

The tulips have lasted well this year, though I suspect a warm spell this weekend will see them bow out for the year.

Hopefully, there won’t be too many more frosts — if not the gunners will continue to grow and grow. it has just started it’s comeback for the year.

The last of the doffs are hanging on, but are now going a little curly at the edges. It has been a great season for them.

Last this week, the bridal veil is in its gentle fluffy flowering, a delicate and beautiful sweep of tiny flowers.

I hoped you enjoyed sharing my spring #SixOnSaturday. Do join in with your own 6 things from a 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

Spring continues with April being the most colourful month in my Scottish garden. Here is a riot of colour for the week’s #SixOnSaturday.

My favourite blossom of the slightly later season must be amelanchier. Not as full blown as the cherries, but set against a lovely red-brown set of stems. It wafts in the gentlest of breezes, yet holds it blossom for a good long time.

After years of trying to get tulips to naturalise in the garden, they are finally doing it. We’ve had a few warm wet winter lately, maybe that’s what they need. I love this bold rich red against the fresh growth coming on the border perennials.

At the pond’s edge, spring marches on, with marsh marigold enjoying its couple of weeks in the sunshine.

Another almost-as-favourite blossom is pear, this is a very old tree trained up against the 200 year old house wall. I’ve always wondered if the tree is as old as the house. I suspect it is.

Everyone has been marvelling at the huge and numerous blooms on camellia this year. Including nearby, such as my neighbours garden. Yet just a few yards down the hill, my camellias just have not been up to much this year. Each bloom is rather lonely, set in a flush of green leaves. they are so beautiful despite (or because of) their scarcity.

To finish this week, my garden must have been well designed 100 years or so ago. I host a succession of different rhododendrons, that flower in succession, giving us huge splashes of colours for weeks on end. this one is the first. Wow!

I hope you have enjoyed the wild and crazy form and colour that the Scottish spring brings. That’s all for this week’s #SixOnSaturday. Do join in with you won 6 things from a 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

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