Happy New Year. 2026 already? I remember the millennium almost like it was yesterday, how fast the days and years pass. Thinking back to 2025, there were not too many gardening triumphs, it was a year of recuperation and just about managing the garden. I hope this year there will be a bit more action. Things are happening, despite the winter chill that has finally arrived. Here is my first #SixonSaturday of 2026.

First up, I waved the old year goodbye while viewing a wonderful Hogmanay sunset through the skeletal apple trees at the west end of my garden.

This New Year has finally brought some winter weather. Looks like we’l have daytime high’s hovering around 0-3 degC for at least a week or so. The garden needs it, we can do with some pests around here being frozen (not least the deer ticks in the local woods). It also brings some wonderful sunshine and intriguing garden textures. The pattern of ice frozen onto the pond is an excellent example.

I wonder if the wallflower buds will make it through the cold snap? I hope so. This one is looking good, it gets morning sun, fingers crossed. This is a great variety, with oddly multicoloured buds — they tend to open into streaked yellow-red or orange flowers.

What keeps going all year and just hangs around in a pot waiting all winter? Sempervivum of course. Lovely colour and texture, this should sit through winter outdoors.

Just blooming for the New Year, sarcococcus. Deep green leaves and tiny white flowers with an almost pungent lily-like scent. This shrub lurks in the shadiest spot in the garden all year, then bursts forth while other plants are resting.

And finally, another January favourite, hellebore are starting. These first ones need to be looked for. The lime green flowers are beautiful, but they don’t catch the eye in the garden unless one looks for them. Lovely form and colour.

I’m looking forward to lots of lovely colour, texture, weather, scent, and, initially, clearing the garden, in 2026. And stopping to look and enjoy sometimes. I hope you are too.

Thanks to those leaving comments 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

The last #SixOnSaturday of the year. I often use this space to reflect on the year and show some highlights. This time I’m going to show what is happening in my garden right now. The changing climate is having such a huge influence now. We’ve had 2 nights frost this winter so far, resulting in strange happenings, and there being a shocking amount of colour for the season. Here are some examples for this week’s #SixOnSaturday.

The most surprising plant is the garden is autumn raspberry. These should be chopped back soon, yet we’re at the end of the year and they continue to flower, and fruit. Wow!

Another plant that now really does have a go all year, is ivy-leaved toadflax. This lives in my lime-mortared garden walls and hops into pots from time to time. Tiny flowers are out now.

Something more appropriate is the flowering of mahonia. I have several large mahonia shrubs in the garden. Most of the year I find them rather spiky and ugly. In the middle of winter, it is good to see them come into flower.

Skimmia Japonica is another shrub that is rather old fashioned, that I’m not sure I love, but that loves my garden. I now have one that is about 4m wide by 2m deep! Great colour to brighten up a seasonal flower arrangement.

And finally a crop I having been harvesting over the break. Last winter I didn’t make it into the garden as I was rehabbing a new hip. A patch of Oca (also called New Zealand yam, a type of oxalis) got left in the ground last winter. The foliage died back and I just left it all to grow up again in spring. Now I have a fabulous harvest, including plenty of the smaller tubers to sow again in spring. You can see the withered leaves and stem next to my harvest (well, part of it). And we had some of these beauties roasted with sprouts as part of our Boxing Day dinner yesterday.

Of course, all that digging around in the soil attracted a little helper. My robin friend got really close!

It’s been quite a year for me, coming back from illness and injury to enjoy my garden and contemplate the passing years. I hope you have time to sit back and look at your own (or someone else’s) garden at what is now the slow-time after the stress of the build to the Xmas events. I like this week of the year, despite the dark and drear feel.

Thanks to those leaving comments 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

Almost the shortest day. We are due for just under 7 hours of daylight on Sunday. Happy solstice all, when it comes. Let’s bring back the light!! For my #SixOnSaturday even I have got into the Xmas spirit a little, and enjoyed some of the colours of the season.

First up, a seasonal wreath to brighten our spirits and call back the light from this deep dark time.

Second, for years now, some of my mature hardy hebe have flowered all around the year. Like this one.

In a cleared flower-bed, I came across this tiny tree, just 20cm high. Not sure what kind of conifer, maybe a yew? It’ll be coming out soon and into a pot, and it’s far too close to the edge of the border.

At this time of year, it is good to get around the garden and admire the evergreens. Some of my shrubs are more ever-red. I don’t know this one’s name, in spring it will have tiny white flowers.

Sometimes, structure is even more interesting than colour. A clematis seeded caught my eye here. There is such delicacy to it’s feathery structure.

And to end my set of six on this darkest weekend of the year, here is a tiny rose,, hanging in there to bring us flowers in the deep midwinter.

I hope you have enjoyed this week’s #SixOnSaturday as much as I’ve enjoyed prepping it. I hope everyone gets some rest and relaxation over what can be a taxing time of year. Thanks to those leaving comments 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

Very mild, very stormy, this seems to be the new normal (for now) for Eastern Scotland in December. It’s a busy time, but I managed to pop into the garden before the rain started and picked a few lovely little things to show you for #SixonSaturday.

A very little, very seasonal plant, sarcoccocus has just come into bud in the darkest, saddest part of the garden. Those lime green buds are about to burst into tiny white winter blooms. If things stay mild there will be a strong scent from its blooms very soon.

A ghost from the summer time, plums seed heads stand strong against the winter wind.

WOW, some early colour from another winter-flowering plant. Wallflowers are starting to bloom. the rich orange-red blooms give a real colour boost in the winter garden.

I probably need to cut back budlija further, for now they hold their leaves and it seems as though they might be trying to grow more.

Another seed-head favourite for me is the local wildflower teasel. these plants tend to pop up not quite where wanted, but their tall flowers and wonderful seeds are worth holding onto. They look fantastic right now.

And last, southern European herbs can thrive though winter. this is the blue-green foliage of a wonderful sage that has keep going through thick and thin for at least a decade. Some will be picked for seasonal deliciousness soon.

Whatever the weather, however grim and dark, there is always beauty in a garden. Hope you have had the chance to inspect one this week. Thanks to those leaving comments 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

It’s SO nice to be home after almost 8 weeks away for work. I’d forgotten I had a garden that would need attending to very soon….that has come as a wet and muddy shock. But hopefully this weekend will offer the odd hour or two. Better than the -4 degC daytime high and blizzard I left behind in Canada on Thursday!

For this week’s #SixOnSaturday, I just ran round the garden before it got dark and collected a bit of garden love. First, what could be more appropriate than a wonderful rose, still trying to bloom in the darkest month.

Evergreen tree heather is looking bright and breezy with it’s lime green foliage.

I love a bit of honesty, don’t we all! Here in it’s plant form, its a wonderful structural addition to the garden in winter.

In the greenhouse, a few of the non-hardy geraniums are still in bloom. I’ll need to go through them all carefully to chop out any rot.

Last, WOW, garden veggies, I’ve missed those. It also looks like my partner, who has been here at home the whole time I was away, didn’t spot them either. Brightly coloured chard will be eaten very soon.

It’s so great to be home and fall immediately back in love with my garden. Now I just have to cope with darkening days for just a couple more weeks. Thanks to those leaving comments 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

The end of November, the time of dark and drear. I’m enjoying my last weekend in Canada, with crisp (and getting crisper) bright days dominating. This week, I’m showing some plant-related scenes from Toronto’s city streets for my #SixOnSaturday. First up, the city authorities decorate the streets for Xmas.

There are a few trees still holding onto leaves on a breezy pier.

There’s only a little plant-life on show here, and it seems to be coming from a building-top garden, quite near the spire of the church. I love the juxtaposition between old and new buildings in Toronto.

In the suburban streets, Japanese acer somehow make it through the harsh environment here. This one is still holding on with its lovely autumn colour.

Another piece of planting by the city, set amidst the tall buildings. There’s so much to see as one wanders through the city.

And finally, I’m celebrating so much blue sky. It’s very different from the typical colours in Scotland in November. Here’s some wonderful blue sky, Almost the colour of the St. Andrews flag. Happy St. Andrews Day tomorrow (30th Nov).

That’s me for this week and for this trip. Next weekend I’ll be back into my more familiar dark stormy world. have a great week looking at plants and gardens. Thanks to those leaving comments 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

I’m still enjoying the late Autumn in Canada. That early snowfall has gone, and it is really noticeable that I’m in a very much ‘continental’ place. The weather is stable, a few grey days, but many bright sunny ones. Cold and crisp, but SO MUCH more light than Scotland at this time of year. And some of the autumn colour has held on, despite the snow. It has been an interesting experience learning about the different species of tree that grow here, so there will be a couple of these in my cheerful and still bright #SixOnSaturday

First up, something very familiar, hostas are yellowing in the garden of the house where I’m staying. Interesting, I had always thought the cold killed them, but now I think it’s the wet. This plant has been through a ump of snow, but dried off and it somehow still standing.

This robust looking tree has big thick leaves, and is still holding wonderfully colour. I think this is a callery pear, an ornamental relative of edible pears. Still stunning.

Again, something very familiar, and robust seemingly everywhere it grows. The wonderful hardy geranium, still bringing a pop of colour near the end of November.

Another wonderful tree, this one is a tamarack larch, not quite the same as the European larch, but similar lives here in the boreal forests, which begins just 60-80km north of Toronto (this one has been planted here!).

This little bedding plant looks familiar, but I’m not sure what it is. Tiny flowers are still pushing out an apparent defiance of the winter.

Last up this week, again by now at home, ornamental grasses have turned to mush. Here the dry air lets them change into lovely colours and still adorn front gardens, even near the very centre of Canada’s biggest city.

I hope you enjoyed what will be my penultimate offering from North America. It’ll be time to go home soon. Thanks to those leaving comments 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

I’m still in Canada, and boy did Autumn and its gorgeous colours end suddenly this last week. From sunshine to 30cm of snow in just a day, and there went ALL the leaves. Here’s a snowy #SixOnSaturday from the streets of Toronto.

First up, such a wonderful national emblem, here are a couple of maple leaves emulating the Canada national flag.

The whole world seemed covered in snow the morning after the storm, at least some of the yellow leaves were still hanging on, on this garden shrub.

And these plants were so covered in snow, they were pretty hard to identify at all.

As the storm melted away, leaves fell at some rate, here the street is 4-5cm deep with newly fallen leaves.

Further down the street, one of my favourite trees, a ginkgo, has lost all of its leaves, really carpeting the curtsied.

It was possible to stand and watch the leaves fall. This car was parked for just a little too long. I rather liked the arty look of the car-cloak.

I hope you enjoyed my still remote #SixOnSaturday. There will be a few more of these weeks. I know it’s really wet and leafy back at home as my partner sweeps and sweeps the wet soggy mess. Thanks to those leaving comments 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

Wow, we are into November. I’m still in Canada, and there’s been a lot of Halloween garden action this week as I’ve been on my travels around Toronto. Here’s a partly spooky, partly glorious autumn colour #SixOnSaturday from other people’s garden in Toronto.

WOW — to a European the sugar maple at this time of year is an astonishingly beautiful spectacle. This one was back lit by the afternoon sun. What a glorious plant.

Next, as I’ve wandered around there are surprising things in people’s gardens, even small front gardens. Look at these sunflowers! There’s been no frost here yet.

Now for some spooky stuff. These people went to town with a garden full of Halloween activity.

And these spooky giant cats were many metres tall, in a very elegant front garden.

On my walking travels, I took in some fabulous colour, just along the side of a road, leading into a park. What wonderful reds.

And to finish this week, this isn’t a garden, but it is the Humber River, near it’s mouth at Lake Ontario, a peaceful scenes in wonderful sunshine with autumn loveliness.

I hope you enjoyed my travelling six this week. there will be more of these if I can find some gardens to enjoy. Thanks to those leaving comments 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

No six last week due to some technical issues, and to me being away travelling. I still am. I’m lucky enough to be in Canada for a few weeks. My posts may include some of my home garden (with my partner busy keeping the place tidy, sweeping endless winter leaves, etc), and some of my environs here. Last week I visited Vancouver Island and went to the ‘world famous’ Butchart gardens. And WOW, they are certainly in the top 3 gardens I have ever seen, still full of summer colour, with autumn leaves on top. So here are the highlights for this week’s #SixOnSaturday.

This is the classic view of their most iconic garden: the sunken garden is built inside a former quarry. The planting and colours are fabulous, the lawns are immaculate. Really WOW!

Another favourite area was the Japanese Garden. A much shadier, informal place. There was lots of wonderful autumn colour, here with the Japanese Bridge brining out acer colours.

And here a view through the foliage of bronze-leaved acer.

Everywhere, there were varieties of maple in full colour. This wonderful specimen is even redder than the Canadian flag.

I wasn’t as keen on the Italian Garden, perhaps because, although the design was Italian, I don’t things the blooms on display would make it through a summer in Italy. They have done wonderfully in the temperature pacific north-west maritime climate.

And finally, my favourite thing in the whole garden was this delicate flower. This is Abutilon Tiger Eye. shrub that is sometimes also know as the Parlour Maple. It had the most perfect flowers, I’ve never seen anything like it.

I hope you enjoyed this week’s exotic Six. I’m travelling for a while, so there will be more to come. Thanks to those leaving comments 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