Six on Saturday – 30/9/2017

We managed a few decent days this week and the autumnal slide has been put on hold. The late show is now on, Asters, Cyclamen, Nerines et al, joining the long season Dahlias and Fuchsias. When I worked on a nursery I often got the impression that customers rushed out to buy plants as soon as winter showed signs of giving in and probably ended up with gardens where it was all over by June. I may have gone too far the other way.

Here are my six for this week’s Six on Saturday, hosted by ThePropagator. A growing band we are, and diverse too. Links to the rest from our hosts blog.

One.
Zingiber mioga ‘Crûg Zing’. This is a 1m high, easy, robust plant with great architectural/exotic qualities, until it flowers. The blooms are, frankly, a disappointment. Eating the buds, which is what people do, is not going to cost you much in display terms.

Two.
Impatiens omeiana ‘Ice Storm’. I count myself very lucky to have the sort of gardening friends that give me stuff like this without me even asking. Just two weeks ago I included the original, unnamed clone of I. omeiana in a six, noting that having more than one sort opened up the possibility of seed being produced. I now have three. (The other side of the Anaphallis label says Impatiens. Label upcycling)

Three.
About certain things it is best to say nothing.

Four.
Nerine bowdenii ‘Ostara’. I was advised to get these going in pots before planting them out. I think I shall plant them when they start to leaf in spring. The usual pink ones do well for me so I thought I’d try some different varieties. ‘Stephanie’ is still to come.

Five.
June’s Aster. I don’t know which variety of Aster this is. It was given to me by an elderly lady called June, after I admired it in her garden. There has been plenty of moisture this year, so it has grown tall and flopped. Gardener’s are such generous folk, they’re a nightmare for nurserymen trying to make a living.

Six.
Begonia ‘Garden Angel Blush’. There has been a steady trickle of hardy Begonias turning up in recent years. Encouraged by my success with B. evansiana alba, I succumbed to the charms of this beauty at the Plant Heritage market in Tavistock on 17 Sept. It has passed the first test, ten days in the ground without being devoured by slugs. The nursery was Barracott Plants if I can get away with a plug for an excellent local nursery.