I was going to go and collect my onions from the allotment but it’s just started raining. Today may not be the day I had planned. Tomorrow we’re off down west to the rare Plant Fair at Tremenheere and a jolly round the Dahlia field at Varfell. I’m expecting it to be one of the highlights of the year. I lead a quiet life. I hope the weather behaves itself for that.
In the meantime, six on Saturday has to be negotiated.
One.
Bomarea edulis. I bought this a couple of years back for what seemed too low a price. Last year it languished, slug ravaged and miserable, six inches tall at most, no flowers, looking poor value for money. This spring I potted it on and got it up off the floor. It grew; I gave it an obelisk to climb; it outgrew its obelisk, then it flowered. It’s supposed to be hardy in southern England so next year I’ll plant it outdoors. It’s related to Alstroemeria. Bomarea multiflora is the one I really want.
Two.
Hedychium ‘Tara’. Flowering for the first time in several years, to my considerable shame. It has struggled in dry ground with too much shade and competition for years. It will get moved this winter. I’ve said it and the world is my witness. It’s on the winter ‘to do’ list, near the top.
Three.
Agapanthis inapertus ‘Icicle’. Not for the first time I have learned something interesting while getting some background for one of these posts. This was collected in the Transvaal by Michael Wickenden, who used to run Cally Gardens Nursery until his untimely death a couple of years back. No wonder it’s such a classy plant. I must give it a proper label before I lose track of it.
Four.
Hydrangea serrata ‘Cap Suzin’. I’m very fond of Hydrangeas and if I had a bigger garden I would have many more. As it is I only have ten and this is probably the best of them. It’s a French raised variety that is undecided whether it is a mophead or a lacecap. In my garden it flowers a clear blue and does so in great abundance at normal hydrangea season in June. This year it struggled in the heat but has a smattering of late blooms now that it is cooler.
Five.
Primula Belarina ‘Pink Ice’. The Belarina series is extensive and includes some lovely varieties. Arguably they lack something of the refinement and charm of some of the older double varieties but that’s a bit of a hackneyed argument. All double primroses lack the simplicity and whatever of wild primroses. I grow them too, lots of them. We’re a week into September and it looks like this, I’m not complaining.
Six.
It’s Dahlia season, I have to have a Dahlia of the week. It shall be ‘Penlea’, about which I have only good things to say. Except that it’s a bugger to get a decent picture of. It has that velvety texture combined with maximum colour saturation and it never seems to look quite right.
That’s yer lot. Now scoot over to The Propagator’s SoS post for links to other fascinating sixes from around the world, and join in, show us what you’ve got happening.
garden ruminations 
Really beautiful selection this week. I need a bigger garden.
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I often think, and say, that I need a bigger garden. I really don’t.
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Beautifully taken photos – I am in Granny’s group here, just taking snaps with the mobile. I love the oranges of the Hedychium, I always love an agapanthus and that is a special one but possibly my fave is the primrose…or is it the agapanthus, sigh! You do seem to have a good collection of quality nurseries in Cornwall.
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I was in the privileged position of working for many years at a nursery in Cornwall, which gave me access to a huge range of plants. There are some very good nurseries in Cornwall and I’m very pleased that the various plant fairs, where lots of them congregate occasionally, seem to be going from strength to strength.
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As a rule I dislike primula but those are pretty. A fabulous six all round Jim. Just the ten hydrangea eh? Tsk. I think i have one…
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I did a count, it’s eleven. At least three aren’t worth having. Space!
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I’m finding it impossible to choose my favourite, what a choice. Brilliant Six. Oh, to be able to grow blue Hydrangeas. I was in Belfast a few weeks ago and there were the most amazing blue ones there.
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Fortunately I prefer blue to pink in Hydrangeas, which is just as well because blue is pretty much all you get in Cornwall. I have one, ‘Garden House Glory’, that stays reddish pink, the rest are blue.
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What fabulous clear/sharp photos! They can’t be from a mobile phone camera can they? Love looking at your SOS it gives me great ideas for new plants, thank you.
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Canon 800d with various lenses including 60mm macro for focus stacked close up of Bomarea.
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Oh I am loving that picture of the Dahlia. That will be on my list. That Hyderandea is a bit special as well.
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So many plants, so little space, and time, and money. Sigh!
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The 1st plant is gorgeous Jim! I didn’t know it, but you’re right that it’s related to alstroemeria. We can recognize the flower in the closeup.
I also liked your red dahlia: you succeeded to take the true red color I guess (probably with the evening light)
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10:48 in the morning and a bit of tweaking the white balance which didn’t help much, mostly made the background reddish. It’s so annoying to have quite a good camera and have people posting better pictures that they’ve taken with their phone.
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The camera settings are complicated and I recently bought a DSLR and I must say you’re right. It’s a learning experience … The phone’s camera sometimes gives better quality pictures
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You only have 10 hydrangeas?! I made room for one last Autumn (Miss Belgium) but it hasn’t flowered yet. Fingers crossed it will flower next year. That Bomarea edulis is striking.
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Well there might be eleven, I only have ten fingers.
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Lovely six. Are the primulas early (for next year) or have they been out since the spring?
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Early I guess, they stopped normally after this spring’s flowers and started again in the last few weeks. Mind, I saw a wild primrose out a few days back. I have a polyanthus out too.
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And the winner this week for me is Flower #1! The bomarea has such an unusual color combination!
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I have subsequently discovered that it is monoecious, with separate male and female flowers. It is an unusual colour and I’m not sure that the photos get it quite right. More will be taken, you can count on that.
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Well this was a lovely change from onions. Love your Primula Belarina – never heard of them, and I am so impressed that you have so much flowering in your garden. Mine is mostly nasturtiums! And my shady border is just green…
I might have a look in at the plant fair, but I really shouldn’t buy anything else this year and I just know I shall be tempted.
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Kernock Park Plants list 11 of the Belarina series, several of them gorgeous, though they’re wholesale and you probably wouldn’t want 50. They do have the odd open day for the public though. I should have stopped buying plants years ago but always manage to fit them in somehow.
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I bought a Belarina for my mum for Mother’s Day – must ask her if it’s still flowering. Love the blues of your agapanthus and hydrangea.
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Don’t tell the wife, but I love Tara and want her next year. Great plants and photography Jim. Love your work.
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Thank you, and your secret’s safe. You could buy her ‘Stephen’ perhaps?
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Breathtaking plants again, Jim! I don’t know whether you get “photo enhancing” suggestions sent to you but I can see you certainly don’t need/use them! They keep sending them to me showing a gaudy, artificial looking version of my amateur, but quite reasonable, pictures. Anyway, I will say no more except to repeat… breathtaking!
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No, I don’t get photo enhancing suggestions; who sends them, WordPress or someone trying to sell you photo software? I’m often displeased with how a picture looks but I try to find my own answers if I can. So many pictures on line are “enhanced” massively that some people seem to think that’s what the world really looks like.
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I think it is Google but my next venture into technology will be to remove the App responsible! However, any unnecessary time spent on the computer is time wasted in my book. I was emphasising how beautiful your plants are and how, clearly, you neither needed nor used enhancing. As I wrote and happily repeat, this week is a stunner, even by your usual high standards!
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Thank you, you’re very kind.
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