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.

At the end of October, there are flowers and a few veg enjoying the oddly warm weather. And, of course, fabulous autumn colour. It wasn’t hard to find colour and interest for a slightly spooky #SixonSaturday.

First up, I don’t know the fungus variety: this one popped up in the middle of the lawn and is a beautiful mushroom, with various garden leave falling all around.

Second, some wonderful autumn colour. Not to missed, but all too fleeting, Boston ivy leaves are starting to fall, and in the few days before they do, are really glorious.

Here’s a Halloween hopeful. A lovely little squash, looks big in close up, but was smaller than my fist. Must admit, this is from last week, has already been baked and featured in a veg curry.

Is it just me, or do these clematis seed heads look just a bit ghostly?

I guess the vibrant oranges of nasturtium suit the season. In my pots and barrels, they are giving their best, still lots of cheerful flowers.

Last, my firm favourite, again, dahlia, here in a very seasonal colour, is (probably) one of the Bishop’s Children. Perfectly lovely.

I hope you enjoyed my #SixonSaturday as the autumn is now moving at full pelt.. 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.

I no longer recognise the country I live in, but at least the garden thrives and I find joy and brightness all around it. This week, there’s so much colour for later autumn in my #SixonSaturday. I’ll start with an experiment. Cold weather is on its way, and so many dahlia had buds, so I’ve moved some into the greenhouse to try and stretch the flowering season a bit. This one seems to like it, though glowering at me in a slightly sinister manner.

Also sheltering from the wind and rain is a stunning small, but perfect flowered bright red dahlia. It is so hard to capture the colour when the camera over-saturates.

On the theme of red colour, euphorbia foliage will get knocked about by the wind soon, but while it stands, it glows.

At the other end of the garden, in a very dry spot against a south-facing stone wall, nerine have come into their own. the very dry summer hasn’t stopped them.

And yet, there are still outdoor dahlia performing for me. This one had red-yellow blooms in summer, which are washed to mostly-yellow now, still looking lovely against chocolate foliage.

And surely, this must be the LAST flush of flower for the big blousy all-white dahlia, which is too big to manhandle into the greenhouse? Check in next week to find out.

Another week, another Pm resigns, hay ho…. I hope you enjoyed my #SixonSaturday despite all the fuss. Stay safe, take care out there, get a flu jab if you can afford to (its going to be a tough old winter, again) and don’t forget to follow the crowd on twitter. Apparently the Propagator is taking a rest, but has handed his trowel over to Jim at https://gardenruminations.co.uk/.

It feels like a long autumn – in a good way. There’s barely been a frost (just-about one morning), trees are still partly green, and the garden has some colour. To celebrate, I’ve gone for a mishmash of flowers and foliage for this week’s #SixonSaturday

First up, witch hazel foliage is offering a bright yellow patch of colour in a shady corner.

I’ve tried various mixes of nasturtium this year and come up with some lovely colours. In a close-up the flowers details are beautiful.

Although their main offering of lush flowers was many months ago, peony foliage provides some lovely colour just now.

Hardy fuschia love Scotland. These looked absolutely hammered in the heatwave, but with the late summer rains, they have recovered and are at their best now.

Boston ivy on an east-facing wall is doing that colour change thing. I like the way you can see how the chlorophyll slowly drains from each leaf to reveal a vivid red.

Last, but not least, another lovely nasturtium. I hope they keep going for a few more weeks.

That was my attempt to keep chipper with colour, despite world and national chaos. I hope you enjoyed my #SixonSaturday. Stay safe, take care out there, get a flu jab if you can afford to (its going to be a tough old winter, again) and don’t forget to follow the crowd on twitter and via the web from links to the originator of #SixonSaturday, the Propagator himself.

No frost, still lots of flowers, I’ll go for warm autumn colours for this week’s #SixonSaturday. Of course, the first must be dahlia. This is a small plant, with perfect little red flowers. Well above the ground, it has managed to avoid critter damage.

Himalayan honey-suckle got hit by the summer heat, slowed down, but now is doing its flowery thing.

Summer bedding in window boxes and pots has geld on. Perhaps this is the last chance to show them off before they head for the greenhouse and an autumn prune.

Autumn raspberries are offering two bowls full per week, still sweet, delicious, although a bit battered by the strong winds.

Autumn colour is coming. Blueberry bushes have long finished their fruit but now putting on a lovely show of foliage.

Last, and of course, never least. Another stunning red dahlia. I’m going to move a few pots into the greenhouse to see if I can extend the flowering season.

That’s my #SixonSaturday for this week. Stay safe, take care out there, get a flu jab if you can afford to (its going to be a tough old winter, again) and don’t forget to follow the crowd on twitter and via the web from links to the originator of #SixonSaturday, the Propagator himself.

October? How did that happen? Thankfully there is still lots of colour and a sort of Indian Summer feel going on, at least for 4-5 hours around midday. Cheerful bright whites contribute to this week’s #SixonSaturday.

Having never got around to planting mallow, it is lovely to see it finding a home in the garden by itself. The slight purple fuzzy detail at the centre of each flower is something I did not notice until I took photos.

I’m hoping to get to this year’s local Scotland’s Garden Scheme (@scotgardens) plants sale, on Sunday 2nd at the St. Andrews Botanic Garden. In years past I’ve picked up some excellent bargain, not least this persicarium. Again, look at the detail of the tiny purple anther at the tip of each stamen…wow.

I love geranium, and probably need to try a few more next year. I’ve left it very late to chop this one back hard in early August, but it has responded with a few more flowers. What a hard little worker!

For several years I’ve tried growing ammi from seed. I don’t know if they will overwinter for me, but this warm summer has resulted in some delicate late structural flowers.

Of course, last, but very much not least, I cannot help but show off yet another lovely dahlia. This one is pure white joy.

That’s my #SixonSaturday for this week. Stay safe, take care out there, get a flu jab if you can afford to (its going to be a tough old winter, again) and don’t forget to follow the crowd on twitter and via the web from links to the originator of #SixonSaturday, the Propagator himself.

I have been enjoying the sunny warmish Autumn weather. There is lots of colour left in the garden, enough to do another colour theme, despite the fact that we have just passed the equinox. So here are some pink flowers. I will start with the remains of summer: cosmos are still going strong.

A late summer favourite of mine is Japanese Anemone, this year there are fewer than usual, perhaps a casualty of the hot weather in July?

Over the last few years I’ve been slowly growing my dahlia collection. They do bring so much joy. This new one JUST started to flower, gorgeous.

I guess it really is Autumn when the sedum appear. Great for the now sluggish and hungry bees.

Another classic plant that pops up in September if I’m tidy enough to free space for it: I love how cyclamen grow, and spread, even in the shadiest cool corner.

Last, this is an odd one. It happened last year too: azalea, that usually flower in March, are doing their thing in September. Anyone know why?

That’s my #SixonSaturday for this week. The garden keeps me going in these really odd times, and I hope there’s a green patch somewhere that soothes you too. Stay safe, take care out there, and don’t forget to follow the crowd on twitter and via the web from links to the originator of #SixonSaturday, the Propagator himself.

Time to reflect this week on a fabulous growing season in Fife. Despite the heat and drought (much less than further south), or perhaps because of it, some of the fruit and veg have been the best ever, including outdoor figs and STILL flourishing courgettes. We have a weather forecast for close-to-zero temperatures in the next few days. Instead of showing off my veg, I’m thinking this might be the last chance for dahlia, which are magnificent this year. So here we go.

A favourite simple red open flower, i think this is one of the ‘Bishop’s Children.

Possibly another in the same series, the next plant has lovely rich purple foliage and a red-yellow petal. these last for ages.

A purchase from a ‘posh’ dahlia supplier has produced a few new wonderful varieties. This one might be ‘Totally Tangerine’. The petals are simple, the centre complex and interesting.

I’m particularly please with this little beauty, in its second year after being grown from seed in 2021. Has become a lovely plant in its second year.

A mini-dahlia I bought as a cheapy supermarket plant, also in its second year. this one flowered in the August heat wave, then had a rest, and is now coming back strong for an early autumn flourish.

For the finale, I can’t remember the variety, and the flower is barely out (first one of the season on this plant), but just LOOK at the fabulous red-wine colour on what I hope will be a rich full cactus-type bloom.

That’s my #SixonSaturday for this week. Will the week ahead bring the first frosts? Stay safe, take care out there, and don’t forget to follow the crowd on twitter and via the web from links to the originator of #SixonSaturday, the Propagator himself.

What a week, biblical floods and historical momentousness….so here’s some lilac(ish) flowers. First up, Michaelmas daisies.

Buddleja are still blooming.

As are the hebe, though with tiny drought-shrunken flowers. And free bee.

Canterbury bells have popped up a few more blooms for some lovely late summer colour.

A few of the echinops survived Thursday’s strong winds and 90mm of rain.

And last, but not least, at least the sun came out for some much-needed cheer for an hour or so, allowing the colchicum to really show off.

That’s my #SixonSaturday for this week. Stay safe, take care out there, and don’t forget to follow the crowd on twitter and via the web from links to the originator of #SixonSaturday, the Propagator himself.

I don’t want to admit that Autumn is on its way, but gosh, here we are in September. Hopefully not too many mists yet, but there is a fir bit of mellow fruitfulness around, hence fruit will be the theme for this weeks #SixonSaturday.

Part of my garden hosts what must have been a small orchard. There are 8 old trees, each one a different variety that fruits at a different time. One has finished already, the next one to come will be a lovely crisp, green-red variety. This year the apples are particularly large, and there are huge numbers of fruit weighing down the boughs.

I’ve a couple of old trees that offer cooking apples, as well as a fairly young one (10 years or so). This lovely fruit is from the latter, the big old trees have been hammered by the heatwave and their fruit are still small and hard.

For mid-to-end September, there’s another tree, this year having a great year with huge numbers of little red apples. This one has a pink blush to the flesh too.

Attached to a south facing wall, I have an old pear tree that I suspect was planted when the house was built (>200 years). The tree tends to fruit every other year, despite the drought it is doing me proud this year. A soft sweet variety, delicious, though they do all ripen at once.

I’ve also got some slight more exotic fruiting action. On a sheltered south facing wall, this is the first year when my outdoor figs have ripened properly, they are sweet sticky and very tasty.

To finish with a flourish, this far north, grapes only work well under glass. I’m fortunate to have a large greenhouse with a big grapevine. We’re almost there. these are dark and juicy, last year there was so much fruit I made some very tasty raisins.

I hope other growers are also having a good harvest. That’s my #SixonSaturday for this week. Stay safe, take care out there, and don’t forget to follow the crowd on twitter and via the web from links to the originator of #SixonSaturday, the Propagator himself.