As the garden comes into bloom, I have had time to wander round and select from a range of garden delights. For my first colour theme of the year, here are a selection of spring pinks for this week’s #SixOnSaturday.

Starting with a splash, the pink camellia is now in full bloom. Lots of huge pink flowers to enjoy, quickly, before the high winds blow them off.

Pear blossom isn’t pink, but the pear blossom buds are. I’m not quite sure why.

There is nothing in my garden that has the exquisite tiny detail of the flowers on the snake’s head fritillary.

My garden hosts a number of large old cherry trees. Most are rather sparse to blossom, possibly due to a family of bull finch who feat on the buds. Yet there are always a few flowers that sneak through. I don’t think the bull finches could get purchase on these flowers, which seem to be blooming straight out of the bark.

A favourite flower of mine is that from the magnolia stellata. this little shrub, about 2m high, took years to get going, but now has 20 or so blooms that hold their own against the wind, looking especially lovely around dusk.

Last, I’ll end with another splash. The first of several huge rhododendron bushes (this one 3m tall by 4m wide) has begun it’s spring time dance. Wow, what wonderful colour to cheer up a gloomy Scottish spring day.

Thanks for viewing my picks for #SixOnSaturday this week. And 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, its 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

It may be spring, yet we have apparently endless rain again. It’s cold enough to keep the daffs blooming, but you saw those last week. For this wee’s #SixOnSaturday I offer the promise of a few clusters of buds.

Clematis montana grows all over the house stone walls. This year it looks a little thiner than it used to (after a major thinning), but buds are already coming.

In my pot area, it seem I don’t have quite as many tulips as last year, not sure what went wrong there, but there are some, and they will be blooming soon.

One of the oldest trees in the garden (I presume) is an old pear tree growing along the south side of the house. The house is 200 years old, so I suspect the pear is too. The lovely contorted old thing is about to burst into bloom.

A ‘volunteer’ tree at the other end of the garden has popped up, this looks like it might be horse chestnut. I love the way the leaves frame the flower buds, somehow like angels wings.

A favourite tree of mine is the elegant quince. Not sure if it’s too dry where it lives, but this one always is full of flower, then very few fruit appear. Should a garden have 2 quince for better fertilisation? I don’t know.

OK, so my last isn’t really a bud, more of an actual camellia flower, but it is the first, from a huge bush living on the darker north-facing part of the garden. Lovely.

Thanks for viewing my picks for #SixOnSaturday this week. And 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, its 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

Simplicity to celebrate the end of March, almost time for clocks to go forward (an extra hour of evening gardening folks), and Easter for those who celebrate. Simple daffodils for my #SixOnSaturday.

First, here’s one of severl lovely little tubs of mini-daffs that are brightneing up my courtyard this year.

When one has many varieties, the subtle differences between daffodils can really stand out. This one has a sort of droopy look, also a little gentle elegance. The twist to the outer petals adds another interesting variation.

A simliar colour range, and a squatter body on this one, with pale yellow flowers and a more solid yellow centre.

Other varieties go for an even plaer, whitish set of outer petals. This one has a pleasing ruffled centre.

I also appreciate a brighter colour palette, here a fairly small orange centre is flanked by broad bold yellow.

When it comes down to it though, there really is nothing better than a mass of the most simple golden daffodils, bright, bold, trumpety. I’ll go wander lonely on a cloud now….

Thanks for viewing my end of March picks for #SixOnSaturday this week. And 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, its 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

New flowers, new life, it’s all happening in the garden for this week’s #SixOnSaturday. Now that we are past the equinox I’m going to have to work hard somehow (still not 100% leg-wise) to keep up with all the new growth.

First this week must be narcissus. I don’t know what variety this little doffodil is, but she look’s like she’s in a hurry.

We have a pond located fairly near the bathroom window. The last couple of weeks, the bathroom has been filled with a symphony of frogs all night. And the result is a huge clump of frog-spawn. I hope it doesn’t get too damaged in the frosts predicted for this weekend.

As promised a few week’s ago, species tulip ‘Turkmenistan’ is now in full flower. Tiny little flower fully open up to show what is very a much a wildflower.

Primroses offer a lovely little burst of brightness in spring, always coming just a couple of week’s later than I expect. This one is far from the wild-type pale colour, but I love the bold brightness.

I am never sure if I like forsythia. Bright, cheerful, yes, but rather gaudy. Each flower though, if looked at carefully, has an intricate form.

I’ll finish up today with a tub of drumstick primula at their absolute peak. How lovely.

Thanks for viewing my spring picks for #SixOnSaturday this week. And 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, its 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 am now so close to the time of year where there’s a real choice to be made over what to show off for my #SixOnSaturday. This week, I’ve opted for a mix of promising buds and flowers, and some edibles on their way.

Edibles: I sowed tomatoes very early in the house, some have not survived the potting on, they got leggy, but not strong. Yet some are reallt thriving. This is Audrey’s Love, which will offer a mid sized, almost heart shaped tomato, grown on in the greenhouse. This one has wonderful furry stem and leaf at this young stage of it’s life.

Into the long border for some seasonal colour. Chionodoxa has a name I can seldom remember, but a flower that always reminds me that proper spring is nearly here. A lovely flush of blue.

An edible in the garden is starting to get active, this is a blackcurrent bush, now budding beautifully.

My next choice is fabulous colour, from an edible that has been wintering in the greenhouse, but is about to start braving the cold-frame (so it fills out, rather than bolting). A gorgeous radicchio, the green-red rippling of the foliage is fascinating.

New this week, euphorbia have begun to flower. This one is a bright lime-green, rather invasive, but really gives a splash of brightness to an early spring border.

Last, but not least, hellebore will be flowering well past Easter this year (I know, Easter IS very early, but still, they have enjoyed being cold, but not snowy!). These two make a very pretty combination.

Thanks for viewing my spring picks for #SixOnSaturday this week. And thansk 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, its 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

The promise of spring, and a goodbye to some winter stalwarts, this is what my #SixOnSaturday is all about this week. Along with a white-grey-green theme.

First up, it is the last chance to enjoy snowdrops. After some years, my garden has a lovely spread, and even in the shady corners they are beginning to wilt away a little now. See you next year, you tiny peices of winter hope and joy.

I got carried away this winter with a large crocus order, and am very glad I did. The blooms last for weeks and come in a gorgeous range of colours. I’ve only just noticed that these white ones have a few thin little bands of lilac that help set off the bright orange centres.

Late winter and early spring colour is offered by a few large viburnum bushes, and they are doing a grand job of feeding local honey bees, who are out and collecting nector on summy days now.

Spring clematis have got themselves together and are sprouty lots of shoots now. In close up, these have a furry look and feel, pleasing on a sunny morning.

Magnolia stellatar is a little way off yet, but follows right on with the furry feel. This small tree looks like it will have a huge number of flowers this year.

Finally, one of the best early spring flowering shrubs is pieris, also offering a nectar fest, the tiny flowers stand out nicely against a bright blue spring sky.

I hope you enjoyed my celebration of spring picks for #SixOnSaturday this week. 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, its 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

It’s a spring flower special for my #SixOnSaturday this week. I got a bit behind yesterday, seemed to forget it was Friday, hence this week’s blog is a little later than usual. But full of spring promise to celebrate the 2nd day of meteorological spring.

Spring started yesterday and it was also St. David’s day, so it seems appropriate to show off the first shy daffodils in honour of those who celebrate. Dydd Gwyl Dewi Hapus.

There’s plenty of promise showing now in my extensive collection of garden pots. The red tips on a pot full of tulip buds caught my attention. Rather fascinating.

The first tulips are opening. Not the plush cup-sized one’s we’re used to, but some of the ‘species varieties’ — these are tulipa polychroma, essentially a wild variety, coming from western Turkey. Flowers are small (2cm across) and will open fully if we get some sunshine.

In the greenhouse, this week’s novelty is from an overwintering osteospermum. Coming into flower nicely.

And outside the greenhouse, a wallflower sits prettily against the greenhouse wall.

Last, but by no means least, a pot of crocus mixed with pom-pom primula seems to give a spring-like wave whenever i poke my head into the garden.

I hope you enjoyed my celebration of spring picks for #SixOnSaturday this week. 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, its 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

24th February. It’s my Mom’s 84th birthday, and I’m too imobile to travel right now, so I sent her a huge bunch of scented daffs from the Scilly Isles to celebrate. That also makes it 2 years since the Ukraine War started. My #SixOnSaturday will feature some yellow and blue flowers, as well as hints of spring from the greenhouse.

The best of blue comes with iris reticulata. Got to love them, here another lovely specimen from one of my many pots, lovely with a few raindrops.

Last week’s pom-pom primula bud is starting to show a little colour, another lovely blue is arriving.

The very first of my tiny tete-a-tete daffodil have arrived in the window boxes.

Into the greenhouse, some tiny little lemons seem to have made it through the winter.

I have overwintered a few little plants that didn’t quit make it to the garden in autumn. A couple of chard are doing well. They will probably bolt before they get big, but maybe there will be enough for dinner from this pair.

Not sure yet whether these little pak choi seedlings, which will have a red-veined leaf, will be grown as early spring greens in the cosy greenhouse, or whether they will go outside at the end of March. Time will tell. Excited to see the stems looking a little red too.

I hope you enjoyed my ‘are we at the end of winter yet?’ picks for #SixOnSaturday this week. 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, its 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 unseasonal warmth has finally arrived, 10 deg C in the garden, up to 12 in the greenhouse. Even a day of warmth and low winds is making everything live a little faster. Here are a few garden delights that got thoughts of spring going this week for #SixOnSaturday. What isn’t quite over are the snowdrops, so I’ll start with a few of them. I planted just a few a decade ago in this border and they have naturalised nicely.

My favourite hellebore has appeared already in #SixOnSaturday this season, but I just want to sit and look at it all day, what a joy. Here you go, you can too.

Hazel catkins are in flower today, even the tiny red female flower is out, above the 4th-from left male flower.

Drumstick primulas will be while, their buds are amazing, they look like some alien egg is lurking under those early leaves.

Some friends gave me a sorbia sorbifolia a few years ago. They have huge ones at their house by the coast. 20 miles inland, I think we’re close to being a bit too cold. This one is alive and kicking so far though, fabulous dual-coloured early foliage.

And finally, with today’s sun the croci spread their petals wide. The first bees of the year were out enjoying their nectar. I’m rather pleased I caught this one ‘bathing’ in nectar.

I hope you enjoyed my ‘still wintery yet dreaming of spring’ picks for #SixOnSaturday this week. 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, its 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

It is that time of year when sometimes it’s lovely out, sometimes awful. So being stuck inside after a medical procedure this week hasn’t been too much of a restriction. Before that, I nipped out occasioanlly to take a look, and had a little forage in the greenhouse for this week’s #SixOnSaturday.

First up are the start of the late winter flowers. A few crocus have popped up, but something keeps nipping off the flowers. Is it a naughty blackbird, or even a cheeky little red squirrel? I have no idea. This clump has managed to keep a few flowers.

Even more exciting, a lonely little anemone is the first of her kind to brave the elements this year.

I pruned back some budlija weeks ago, as the really high winds were causing them to rock. This one thinks it’s spring, is budding well, though you can see frost damage on the delicate new leaves.

I very often overlook this plant in summer, and forget that it keeps itself going all through winter. Celmisia looks lovely just now, set against the rough browns of the rest of the winter border.

Into the greenhouse now for a colourful forage. I forgot to plant out a tray of radicchio in autumn, so popped into pots in the greenhouse. They are growing VERY slowly, maybe another month and there will be enough to make a mushroom-radicchio lasagne. I’m looking forward to it already.

To be eaten sooner are a few winter pak choi. I managed a few of these in the greenhouse last winter too. Very pleased with how these are looking.

I hope you enjoyed my wintery picks for #SixOnSaturday this week. 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, its 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