My Boxing Day blog. After a decidedly Zoomy Xmas, we’ve just moved into Covid Level 4 in mainland Scotland and Storm Bella seems to have arrived already. Hmmm. It’s going to be a good day to sit by the Xmas tree and browse the seed catalogues. The reason my blog is a bit late today, is that I’ve been transfixed all morning by garden wildlife. I have not managed to get any good shots of the 3 pheasants, 12 blackbirds or multiple fieldfares, but this little chap finally posed for me. We have at least 2 red squirrels in the garden (I witnessed a fight over the feeder this morning), possibly 3. They are endlessly cute.

With the storm coming in, it’s warmish and wild out there, but yesterday was a bit more ‘Christmassy’, at some point I added some boiling water to one corner of the pond, to allow birds to bathe and drink, which was frozen solid all day.

I’ve been fairly relaxed with clearing the garden this year, due to general grumpiness with grey wet weather, but also a sore shoulder. I did manage to get in and tidy up the gunnera for the winter. There are many new buds coming, this plant is a beautiful brute.

Just one veg triumph this week. I DID it…..provided some precious sprouts for Christmas dinner. Home grown do really taste so much better than the bought ones.

I will finish this week with some end of year colour. The first is very surprising. I grew ragged robin from seed for the first time in 2020. They took a while, eventually flowering well into December. But still flowering, and each little flower is like a little Christmas decoration in the sunshine.

Last, some seasonal cheer from skimmia japonica. 2020 has been the year we didn’t expect, I’m getting ready for a few surprises in the New Year, when it comes, hopefully some of them nice ones.

 Don’t forget to follow #SixonSaturday on Twitter, and take a look at other sixer’s contributions via the great Propagator himself.

Six things, can be anything, in the garden, on a Saturday.

Time for a festive six, as this time next week will be Boxing Day. We’re going for a quiet Xmas for two here in Fife, but hope to share garden joy online and with family and friends via Zoom. Let’s start the party with something festive, my home made seasonal wreath, full of berries (though a bit less full than when I started as the blackbirds have had some of them).

For the next few offerings, I’ve gone for things I didn’t expect to see in flower so close to the winter solstice. First, I’ve certainly never seen schizostylis thriving in Fife in mid December, but it’s 12 deg out there, so why not?

Next, roses don’t make it this far usually. I even transplanted this one in mid November, and she’s still flowering away.

And in the veg garden, the Swiss chard are still going strong. A great veg all year round. Hope we’ll have this well into the brave (!) new world of our New Year, when it comes…..whatever that brings, we’ll have vitamins and minerals from these chaps.

Here’s something that should be starting out in December. Hellibore are budding and soon to flower, I need to clear some more of the borders to see if any more of these are hiding underneath.

And last, to celebrate the impending winter solstice, a recent sunset from the garden, looking to the Fife Lomond’s beyond. On the shortest day the sun will set here at 3.36pm…..a change-point in the year….BRING ON THE LIGHT.

That’s my six for this week. Seasons Greetings all, and don’t forget to wasail your apple trees (more on that in the next couple of weeks). Also don’t forget to follow #SixonSaturday on Twitter, and take a look at other sixer’s contributions via the great Propagator himself.

Six things, can be anything, in the garden, on a Saturday.

It’s beginning to be tricky to find new things to share. There is still colour in the garden, but a lot of it has been shared on this blog in recent weeks. So, instead of looking for new, I looked a little closer and found joy in tiny things. First up, I have just one little dianthus in flower, cheerful, but a little lonely.

For the rest, I moved around the garden armed with a macros lens…it is totally amazing what one can now do with just a phone and a little macro lens. Fruits of the season are scarce now that blackbird and fieldfare have been scoffing, here is one of the few remaining cotoneaster berries, hosting a raindrop.

Another flower that has featured on my six in recent weeks is worth a closer look. Individual flowers on each hebe spray are delicate and yet robust to the weather.

There’s a new season on its way, heralded by catkins on the hazel tree. Each is composed of many tiny exquisite scales.

One of the first to come to life in January (not that I’m wishing time away or anything….) will be magnolia. The fluffy buds are already coming to life.

Last, but not least. i did feature this sedum last week, but right up close the individual flowers on the flowerhead are gorgeously bursting with life. It’s December, but there’s so much to see when you look close.

That’s my six for this week. Don’t forget to follow #SixonSaturday on Twitter, and take a look at other sixer’s contributions via the great Propagator himself.

Six things, can be anything, in the garden, on a Saturday.

Winter proper now, and quite a week for me. Our family have decided to make this is virtual Xmas, so I’m looking forward to making mince pies for me and the other half, and sleeping a lot. Meanwhile, the garden needs ‘closing down’ for winter, but non-work days have been wet and horrible…it’ll have to wait, maybe this weekend. The garden itself currently still boasts a mix of autumnal colour and winteriness. My first this week acknowledges that it is still National Tree Week in the UK. I celebrated by moving a suffering quince out of the half-barrel where it was way too dry, to a (hopefully) sheltered corner against a west-facing wall. It’s a low bar to cross for next year, I’ll consider this a success if I get more than ONE fruit next year.

Second this week, I don’t know the clematis variety, but near the quince the garden itself gets a bit dry, and this clematis looks dead for most of the year. yet in autumn, here she goes. Lovely rich red flowers.

Things got a we bit chilly on Thursday, when we woke up to the first snow of the winter, so I nipped out to get some shots. Still trying its best to keep going is feverfew, a few flowers and lovely lime green foliage, with a touch of snow.

Azalea is budding ready for spring, and does look lovely with some winter sparkle.

Sedum autumn glory might not be standing for much longer, she’s even prettier in the snow.

Friday I was woken at 5am by the now infamous ‘thunder snow’….by the time we got up the thaw was well on, and by evening we’d had 4.9cm of rain. In between, I spent a squally morning sitting watching the local native squirrels on the bird nuts (including a fight between 2, too fast to film). Here’s the winner.

That’s my six for this week. Don’t forget to follow #SixonSaturday on Twitter, and take a look at other sixer’s contributions via the great Propagator himself.

Six things in the garden, on a Saturday. #SixonSaturday

It’s not quite advent, so still Autumn? The nights are very dark now, and the days have a liquidy watercolour light. Gloomy, but sometimes very beautiful. That light lit up a few late flowers for me this week, and also highlighted surprising colour as the garden starts to fold itself away for winter. First then, some of the colour. Welsh poppies just keep popping up and having another go.

Periwinkle creeps its way around the house walls, and has time to pop up the odd flower. I like the way this one cast a pretty shadow onto the wall behind.

I’m not a huge fan of winter heather. The garden hosts one diminutive little plant, small, but cheerful.

And now for some proper autumn shots. The gunnera is taking much longer than usual to wave goodbye to the growing year. Still not frosty, but the cool nights around 3 deg C are having an impact, resulting in an odd multi-coloured look. These leaves are close to going the journey to the compost heap…maybe this weekend!

The other day I spotted this lovely colour combination of the New Zealand holly juxtaposed against browned stems of the lysimachia, a very pleasing mix.

Last, but not least, shrub roses are having a go. Lots of buds on several of my plants, including this one. I hope the frost holds off a few more days so that this lot come into proper bloom.

That’s my six for this week. Don’t forget to follow #SixonSaturday on Twitter, and take a look at other sixer’s contributions via the great Propagator himself.

Still no frost. I’ve been here 15 years and never seen an autumn this mild. There are therefore a few stragglers still going in the now very gloomy garden. First up this week, I grew ragged robin from seed this year, somehow managed to mislabel and thought I’d lost all the plants. But this week, my mystery plant came into flower. She’s ragged enough, yet beautiful. I’ve put her near the pond and will plant on into the margins when the flowering is over.

In the pond itself is a surprise new flower on the water hawthorn. Very late, but adding a welcome splash of white to the pond surface. I’ll leave the leaf clearing until this one has finished.

Clematis have certainly stopped flowering now, but the seed heads on this one will last until a strong storm blows them off. I’ll leave on for a while, as I’ve seen small birds making cosy roost pockets from their soft glossiness.

In the courtyard, one of the half-barrels hosts summer herbs. A flat-leaved parsley is still growing strong, no sign of tiredness yet, it looks lush and tasty, especially when wearing a scattering of raindrops.

Newly coming into flower are my winter wonders. This viburnum looks good, and some of the stems come into the house for winter flower arrangements.

Last, but not least, I’m never sure whether sowing autumn sweetpeas is worth the bother this far north. I sewed 2 trays from the seeds collected from this year’s finished plants. One has been nibbled by mice, but the other has new shoots. I’m not sure how they will winter but some new growth now is just what’s needed to keep me motivated through the long dark days to come.

Stay safe, keep growing, and don’t forget to view all the other Six’s on Saturday, via The Propagator, or on twitter #sixonsaturday.

Just past bonfire night. As we’re under Tier 2 restrictions, there were no bonfire parties. Cosy at home, didn’t really miss it to be honest. There’s brightness and twinkles in the garden, a surprising amount for November (no frosts yet). First this week, the last of the prunus leaves are hanging on, and look stunning against a blue blue sky.

I don’t know how to say Schizostylis, but these Autumn bulbs have popped up late this year and are cheering me up as I head onto the drive.

You’ve got to love a good hebe, they flower on well into Autumn, giving a few stems for a pretty vase and nectar for any bees that are still hunting for food.

I wasn’t sure about yellow bobbly buddleja in the past, but again, they just keep on trying to flower. This one is pretty much all that’s left in my long border now.

One more detail this week, perennial cornflower. This is one plant that does reliably respond to a good chop back after flowering. The little flashes of purple will stay until the first frosts (still not much sign, fingers crossed).

Finally this week, spiraea with a view. A misty morning set these stems off against the fields and woods beyond the garden.

Don’t forget to view other Six on Saturday blogs, via The Propagator, and look for #SixonSaturday on Twitter.

I’m looking out at a very stormy Halloween day and feeling smug that I got my six photos taken yesterday. This week, I’ll focus mostly on seasonal foliage, but a few late blooms will sneak in too. First this week is the wonderful colour of radicchio. Looks great in the slowly emptying veg beds and tastes great as a bitter component of a stir fry or pasta sauce.

Next, some Halloween colour from the changing hardy geranium leaves. There’s a whole gamut of colour here, from green, through yellow to rusty red. It’s almost meditative to just consider one leaf at a time.

While I’m showing off leaves, here’s a mixed bag from the lawn. These do need sweeping up today, but storm Aiden is encouraging me to stay indoors and watch them swirl around instead. The leaves are a mix from garden trees including whitebeam, prunus and birch.

The last of this week’s leafiness is from the hazel tree. Leaves are still in place (just), but the new catkins are coming. This tree had a fair number of fruit this year, but the nuts are all long gone, taken by the cheeky little red squirrels that regularly visit the garden (one day, I’ll get a decent enough photo of them to post.

Now for the flowers. I’m glad I moved a couple of dahlia into the greenhouse. This one has now flowered nicely and there are more buds, so hoping for a bit of sun to bring them on next week.

And to add some seasonal colour, nasturtium are still going strong in a warm corner, you have to love them, I certainly do.

That’s my six for this week. Don’t forget to follow other Six on Saturday blogs, especially the originator, The Propagator, and look for #sixonsaturday on Twitter.

Six things in the garden, on a Saturday. #SixonSaturday

I’ve moved my blog to WordPress. Wow, so much easier to use than my previous provider. This week, I’m highlighting the still-vibrant colours on display in the October garden, and the last few edibles maturing in the greenhouse. First, WOW, the cotinus in the sunny border gets a bit leggy in summer, but now it’s all so worth it for the fabulous.

Next up, some dahlia love. I bought some extra dahlias at the end of summer. They have been, well, slow to develop. This beauty is boasting it’s first flower this weekend.

And this one has a couple of flowers come, since I moved it into the greenhouse.

There are still edibles on my plot, if you don’t fancy brassica, then most of the interest is in the greenhouse. First up here are the last few grapes and a fine looking cucumber.

And second, there are several achocha vines still fruiting. These strange little fruits are related to ‘exploding cucumber’ but thankfully they don’t explode. Nice in a stirfry, tasting a bit like sweet pepper.

To prevent the chillies from suffering from blight before the fruit ripen, the good plants are now in the house. The windowsill is hosting this lemon-drop. Very hot fruits with a lemony flavour and delicious dry fried and popped into a curry or stir-fry.

Last, this plant suggest a lesson for our times, hang in there and don’t give up. This clematis seemed dead until late August when a few green shoots appeared. And now the flowers come with a rich ripe wine colour. Beautiful.

Ooops, did I squeeze 7 in there this week? Shhhhh.

Don’t forget to follow other Six on Saturday blogs via The Propagator or follow @SixonSaturday on Twitter.