August. How did we get here? Summer is flying by, as it always does. I wish the weeks would slow down a bit. This week I’m focusing on blooms that insects love for my #SixOnSaturday. Specifically, you’ll see my different varieties of lily and budleja.

First, a lovely yellow-red lily that hoverflies flock to. These have lasted a long time this year, despite being in pots.

Second, a very typical lilac-coloured variety around here, attracts a range of butterfly species. The red admiral has only just started appearing in the garden this summer.

A fabulous bright pink lily has become one of my favourites this year.

Despite being in eastern Scotland, my hillside garden get’s very dry. All kinds of budleja do well. This bobbly one is just starting it’s flowering journey, and can go right into Autumn most years.

The most scented lilies in the garden are the white ones, which also seem to bloom in clusters. Unusually, there were not many hoverflies around for this shot. I suspect it was a little cool and windy.

Last this week, a newish ‘mini’ budleja, in bright pink. The iconic peacock butterfly appears to be particularly partial to its nectar. So here’s a real blast of colour to keep us going until next week.

I hope you liked my high summer blooms for #SixOnSaturday this week. It feels like we’ve had a pretty warm summer this year, even if a little great at times. 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

Summer has simmered down. After a cataclysm of rain last Saturday, things have been more usual in terms of temperature (20 deg-ish), not much rain, not too much wind. The summer carries on and late summer blooms are starting to appear. There’s so much colour now, and seemingly endless pruning and trimming. For my #SixOnSaturday this week, I’ve gone for wonderful red tones, I hope you like them.

Just about red, bordering on rust, my helenium is a bit late this, with just a few blooms. Loved by bees and hoverflies.

Much more on the pink side of red, I have a number of penstemon plants, all grown from cuttings of a single mother. I love the rich colour of the drooping blooms.

It hasn’t been my best dahlia year so far. This is a new one, and I think I have several of this rich plummy variety, very pleasing. A beer, a hoverfly, and another hoverfly is just coming in.

Just one edible this week. After a slow start due to some frosting of young plants early on, runner beans are now in full flower. I’m hoping for a good crop in a month or so.

Another plant late to flower this year is my favourite day lily. I love the way the rich red is picked out strongly because of the yellow stripes. This is the reddest day-lily I’ve managed to source.

To end this week, one of my favourite garden flowers, some of which will end up in my vase tomorrow. Crocosmia Lucifer. Fabulous.

I hope you liked my high summer reds for #SixOnSaturday this week. Some wonderful warmth in Fife now this summer (though I feel very lucky we are so far north, I can’t take real heat). 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

I didn’t manage a six last week as we were having a few days away in Northumberland, near Hadrian’s Wall. A fabulous spot, often windswept and chilly, even in summer. This time we sweltered in humid air and 26 degC. And similar things (not quite as warm) have been happening at home. Lots of warm humid days, allowing us to sit out in the garden with 20 degC even at 8pm. Makes for some unusual outdoor dining, and a pleasant outdoor evening, before we head in to watch the daily highlights of the world’s best sporting event — Tour de France of course. Anyway, to keep us cool in all the excitement (also just happening to be close to the team colours of the current yellow-jersey), here are 6 lovely white blooms for this week’s #SixOnSaturday.

My first this week is cosmos. Perhaps my seeds were old, somehow this year I’ve managed to raise very few plants. This white one looks lovely in the evening.

Nearby, I’ve got some tatties in tubs (as the veg bed is too full). I think these are Shetland black, yet oddly, they have a white flower.

Some of you will know that I love dahlias. They have been slow to start this year. A new one for me is a big plant, delivering lots of white flowers. Hover flies seem to love them too.

In the last couple of years I have grown a few wild carrot from seed. They turn into a a huge annual plant, with side-plate sized flowers. Wonderful.

My garden is host to other native wildflowers. This is a tall daisy of some sort, very pretty.

The final flowers this week are another self-seeded wildflower. Feverfew smell a bit like camomile, with larger flowers that apparently make a soothing tea. they are also very pretty, flowering feeling in swathes of delicate colour.

I hope you liked my high summer white #SixOnSaturday. Some wonderful warmth in Fife now this summer (though I feel very lucky we are so far north, I can’t take real heat). 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

Some wild weather this week. From a couple of lovely 22 degC days at the end of June, to a chilly, windy, wet 14 degC on Friday. Luckily no crazy heatwaves this far north. In fact, it is now as cool here as Shetland was when I was there for summer solstice 10 days ago.

There’s lots of luscious growth in my early July garden, though the wind is battering the blooms. And I don’t even want to mention my courgette plants, shivering in the wet and wind with just 4-5 small leaves each. Yet, elsewhere, there is veg aplenty. Edible therefore feature for this week’s #SixOnSaturday.

Straight into the greenhouse this week. I’m very proud of this year’s peaches. My peach tree is never very happy, and often plays host to vine weevil, but this year a few more of the flowers were germinated. These are as delicious as they look.

While we are in the warm and dry, a few tomatoes are having a go. This one is a 3ft high variety, early fruiting, ideal for the greenhouse bench. These fruit are on the west facing side, and have been enjoying those sunny days.

Outside, I have been less lucky this year with strawberries. I had a few plants die back last year, the new ones are not really thriving, and I caught a red squirrel sneaking under the bird netting to get at the juiciest fruit. But they are a few, and such a gorgeous thing to behold, and to taste.

For once I’ve managed some successional sowing of lettuce, so we have lots of lovely salad right now, and they seem to be thriving in cool wet weather.

Some of the potatoes are looking good. I think these are ‘salad blue’. the purple flowers have a lovely scent, so far the foliage is standing tall against wind and rain.

Last, but by no means least, herb fennel stand 3m high, provide lots of interest and some tasty salad leave. And the flowers are just coming, delicate, pretty, and covered in overflies when the rain holds off.

I hope you liked my veggie #SixOnSaturday. Still not much sign of any longish warmth in Fife yet this summer. 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

Some of you may have noticed that my midsummer Six was missing. I was busy touring, walking, and viewing birds in the stark yet fascinating Shetland Islands. At more than 60 degrees north we were as far north as Bergen, Norway, or St. Petersburg, Russia. Gardens are scarce, lots of wildflowers on moorlands and cliffs, but tiny, to protect against the wind. And of course, it doesn’t get dark there, the sun skims just below the horizon for 3 hours in the middle of the night! They have an astonishingly compressed growing season, growing a few hardly grains like oats, and various kales and roots.

It was such a joy to get back to my lush, tree lined and flower filled garden this week. To celebrate, here’s a special #SixOnSaturday, featuring my roses.

I don’t know the variety of this rose. Almost dinner-plate sized, and very fragrant.

Just coming into bloom, this is a ‘small climber’ with lovely orange petals and a slightly spicy scent. I think it might be Lady of Shallot.

Another recent rose is a pale pink one, also from David Austin. This one enjoys a bit of shade.

This is a very pretty white rose, very old I suspect. In full sun against the west wall of the house. A wonderful form, but no scent at all.

Another majestic ‘old rose’ — a shrub that looks like it could have been in 60 years. Perfect rose shape, and yet another shade of pink.

Finally, always a joy, my huge rambling rose performs only once, in a huge flush of colour and scent in June. She’s been a little late this year, perfect to come home to after my wild holiday in the north.

I hope you liked my #SixOnSaturday as the year already is turning towards shorter days! Not much sign of any longish warmth in Fife yet this summer. 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

We are now fully into the swing of summer. Currently we’re a little less warm, and a little ore wet, than most of May. The garden loves it. To celebrate this crazy ‘don’t know what to pick’ for my Six season, I’ve chosen some lovely blooms and the first edibles of the season, to show you for this week’s #SixOnSaturday.

I’m very proud to present some super-early tomatoes. The variety is Galina. This plant is only about 0.3m high still, but just could not wait to start flowering and fruiting. Lots of wonderful tomato salad coming soon.

And to go with them, some wonderful lettuce, although these will have gone to seed long before the tomatoes are ripe. I’d better sow some more, fast.

And what would make a really lovely salad is to throw in a few broad beans. As you can see, these are a little way off yet. This is one was being pollinated this morning by, I think, a common carder bumble bee. Our family name for this is the ‘mink shawl bee’ as it seems to be wearing a little fur coat!

As for flowers, there are SO many! Some llovely lemony sage has burst into incredibly bright tall flower this year. What a gorgeous purple flush in the herb bed.

One of my favourite flowers of the year is astrantia. Wonderful form, fantastic details and lovely colours. I could look at this bloom for hours.

Finally this week, I planted a load of mixed dianthus in a slightly sorry-looking bed near the veg garden. Though it might be nice to coax in some insects. POW…..an amazing flush of colour, and they also smell lovely. I’m a complete convert to these plants now.

I hope you liked my #SixOnSaturday now we are fully into summer. I wonder what this summer will bring, hopefully a warm and stable weather pattern, but only time will tell. 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

How did summer come so quickly, and why do I feel it is so ‘rushed’ every year? The mysteries of time perception are fascinating! Summer has started with the end to the long dry warm spell, and some ‘April shower’ sort of weather. The new normal maybe? The garden loves it. I’ve been away for a week, in that time, spring flowers have finished (still lots of dead-heading to do) and the summer ones are coming. Here is a mixture for this week’s #SixOnSaturday

Water iris have been late-comers this year, almost a month late. But well work waiting for.

I grow this daisy-like plant in a pot, to offer a ‘pop’ of colour on the little bench by the greenhouse. There’s a good pop going here just now, with the most wonderful saturated red/pink.

I started growing dianthus just a couple of years ago. What a revelation. Lots of different colours, many scented, robust to winds, and the flowers are beautiful.

Despite the dry spring, several of my clematis are putting on a great show. This one is magnificent. I watched a tree bee slowly extracting nectar from the centre of this one.

Summer hardy geranium have popped out their first flowers, I hadn’t noticed until I walked round to the south-facing borders. This is such a great plant, with loads of ground cover and wonderful flowers. The detail of the flower centre is worth a close inspection, and the array of many blooms looks stunning from a distance.

Last this week, another iris. The colour and intricacy of the form of the flower make one stop and contemplate these blooms. One of the most interesting blooms that appears in my garden.

I hope you liked my first #SixOnSaturday of the summer. I wonder what this summer will bring, hopefully a warm and stable weather pattern, but only time will tell. 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

A fifth Saturday in May, feels like we have a bonus spring #SixOnSaturday. Here are another set of beautiful spring blooms from my garden, plus a bonus Lepidoptera.

First, my gently honey smelling Lady of Shallot rose has started to bloom. She seems to have enjoyed the mild winter. She’s a ‘small climber’, perfect to grow up an arch I have into the main garden.

In the main border, the first iris Sibericum has begun to bloom. I’m particularly fond of the rich purple colour.

Into the boggy area beside the pond, and here is a ragged robin. I planted a couple of these from seed a few years ago, then they seemed to die off. They are back with a lovely shot of raggedy pink.

Also in the boggy bit, the native flag iris has started. we have to dig out up to a dozen of these every year, they are such thugs. For a short couple of weeks though, they will be very pleasing.

All over the place a variety of alliums are pooping up in the dry borders. This one has wonderful individual little sparkles of flowers.

Last but not least, a daisy-like plant I can never remember the name of, has big furry great leaves and these wonderful flowers. I managed to catch a green-veined white butterfly on this one. Until I looked it up, I’d never realised they were in my garden.

That’s my bonus late-spring #SixOnSaturday this week. I hope you have some wonderful sunshine to enjoy gardens and green spaces too. It finally did rain, we seem to now have a scattering of bright days with showers, the sort of weather we’d expected earlier in the month. 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

There is a garden full of flowers to choose from for this week’s #SixOnSaturday. I’m going for a pink six this week. Just a quickie as it’s too nice to stay inside. Still no rain!!

The most delicate pink in the garden must be this almost peach poppy, with huge plate-sized blooms.

Also pale and interesting is nigella, a shrub that has enjoyed the mild winter and dry spring here.

My first roses of the season are here. This one has a lovely honey scent.

Moving into the brighter pinks, the aquilegia are almost finished. This one fits the pink bill well.

Some ornamental thistles are also enjoying the dry sunny spell, and have a rich deep pink colour.

And who could end a pink-flower special without an actual ‘pink’. My first dianthus flower is out.

That’s my #SixOnSaturday this week. I hope you have some wonderful sunshine to enjoy gardens and green spaces too. But when will it rain? 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

Still no rain. It has been several weeks now. Scotland’s lush green is turning dry and dusty. We must get some soon! In the meantime, spring flowers are enjoying the sunshine. Here are some of this week’s including a couple of edibles for #SixOnSaturday.

Sweet woodruff is an unassuming little plant, yet provides great ground cover and delicate white flowers in shady corners.

In the veg bed, some of my broad beans are very much in full flower. We should get an early crop this year.

Another edible, just finishing its flower show is blueberry. I have been irrigating these a little as the plants do not like a dry soil.

My favourite spring bulb (after diffs, and of course tulip…..) is the allium. They love my garden, and have self-seeded all over the borders.

Phlox does well in a tall border — borders are very tall this year. I fear when we do get rain they will be smashed, but for now, they look fabulous.

Last night I spotted a blue-tit making it way around all the red-hot pokers. I don’t know if it is sampling nectar or taking insects. Didn’t catch a good photo, but here is the strange yet wonderful flower.

That’s my #SixOnSaturday this week. I hope you have some wonderful sunshine to enjoy gardens and green spaces too. But when will it rain? 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