I planted out a group of six Tagetes ‘Cinnabar’; the slugs have left only the ragged stems of three and haven’t touched the others. Which about sums up the garden at the moment, some things are loving an abundance of moisture and cooler temperatures, others are hating it. I’m not one for dwelling on the failures; failures are unexpected planting opportunities.
One.
We had a couple of wide but shallow pots which had seemed like a good idea at the time but haven’t been used for years. Somewhere we went had some very nice Sempervivums which we bought several of and planted them in together. It’s out the front with all our other summer display pots. A success I think.
Two.
Hydrangea serrata as a species is just a bit less coarse than the usual Hydrangea macrophylla and is also generally a little smaller. Both are plusses in my gardening book and I have several. I have an equal number of H. macrophylla forms; my prejudice against them isn’t heartfelt. This is the earliest to flower; Hydrangea serrata ‘Cap Suzin’, which hails from France. We have acid soil and it flowers blue. I think it’s one of the best serrata forms I know.
Three.
Years ago I planted a Dodecatheon. It didn’t survive long but the tiny seedling orchid that was sharing the pot has kept going and increased in size a little each year. I identified it from various books to be Dactylorhiza fuchsii, the common spotted orchid but they’re a tricky lot and I wouldn’t put my house on it being right.
Four.
I did a blog mid week on Sue’s cactus house and went back to try to get a better picture of this beastie. We don’t know its name and I’m not sure that it’s flowered before this year, though it’s probably well over twenty years old.
Five.
Diplarrena moraea comes from Tasmania where it is really quite common and especially prominent after fires. It also occurs in New South Wales and Victoria. It is somewhat variable in height and the prominence of the markings on the flower and in the past some people recognised the shorter, larger flowered end of the spectrum as a separate species, D. latifolia. Mine is flowering about 18 inches tall this year, a little taller than usual.
Six.
Rose ‘Hanky Panky’.
Moving swiftly on, next week should see the completion of our boundary works, nothing having happened this week because the landscapers had moved on to doing paving in the neighbour’s garden. With a bit of luck the weather will be a bit better too. Last year at this time I put together a flowery montage with 64 different flowers. Most are flowering now, might have to do that again for next week.
This morning I woke to the sound of rain but it’s passed through and the sun is shining. I need to space Fuchsias, which are growing like mad. I need to do an inventory of them too, so that the ones that are only just hanging on get propagated, for which it is getting late enough. Sue somewhat scorns my compulsive list making but you lose things if you don’t keep track of them, usually the things you least want to lose.
There are lots of links to other sixes from The Propagator’s comments section, an open invitation to take more and longer coffee breaks if ever there was.
garden ruminations 
Ooh that rose. That is testing severely my generally well disposed demeanour to all things rosy. I have a purple one like that, all stripy and untidy. Bit less in your face though!
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It’s a fine line between desirable and dreadful. I’m uncomfortably aware of thinking similarly broken coloured camellias are the bees rollerskates. Perfectly formed flowers carry vulgarity off better.
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As always a true plantsman’s collective of plants, somebody must love the rose too! Perhaps off the edge will want one for her naughty border!
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Off the edge has a naughty border? Sure it wasn’t a naughty boarder?
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I’ve seen that cactus before, but do not remember its name. It used to be more common. They do quite well here.
That hydrangea is pretty cool. I was just commenting earlier today about how there are so many different cultivars of them now. When I was a kid, there were either white or pink, with a few blue where they got something to acidify the soil.
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Every new thing in hydrangeas, double flowers, purple leaves, repeat flowering; gives rise to a series, not just one variety. There comes a point when massed flower for eight months gets tedious, like municipal bedding schemes.
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I sort of like some of the not so new cultivars of hydrangeas, but so many of the very recent ones are getting a bit silly. Some do not even look like hydrangeas. If I want a hydrangea that looks like a hebe, I would plant a hebe. duh. I no longer get samples to review because those sending the samples do not like what I have to say about them. White seems to be out of style for them right now.
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Did you get all the new varieties of H. paniculata over there? There still seem to be new forms appearing but I’m a bit out of touch with it now. A few significantly improved varieties upped the interest level and popularity so breeders take advantage of the increased demand and flood the market with similar varieties until everyone loses interest. It then becomes difficult to know which really are the best of the bunch.
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I would guess that most of the new cultivars were invented here, but like you, I stopped paying attention to them a long time ago. I have found that the majority of new and improved cultivars are junk that does not survive more than a few years, almost as if planned obsolescence is bred into them.
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Lovely blue hydrangea and I like your bowl of sempervivums. We are on chalk so can only dream of hydrangeas that colour.
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What a wild collection you’ve given us this week. That cactus bloom looks like something out of a Wile E Coyote cartoon. Needs something to perch on it. The little orchidy thing is so delicately beautiful – is the foliage supposed to be spotted? Quite like it either way. When I saw Hanky Panky, my reaction was that it wasn’t your usual fare & your comments confirm. How did it come to be in your collection?
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Sue bought the rose; I think even she is having second thoughts. Of course, when you want something to be a martyr to black spot it’s a picture of good health. Doesn’t even have much scent. The orchid is meant to be spotted, nowt wrong with that.
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I so envy you your blue Hydrangeas growing in the ground! We’re visiting daughter in Falmouth next weekend so I expect I’ll see loads. Love the Orchid but can’t decide about the Rose. Great Six
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That Diplarrena moraea is an very pretty and interesting plant. Thanks for posting that.
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I bought a Dactylorhiza fuchsii about four years ago and it is beautiful with four superb flower spikes but it never seeds around, I would like lots, what a bonus having it arrive for free. I love your Diplarrena moraea, is it hardy? Gorgeous hydrangea too. Not sure about the rose, I can’t take it seriously with such a silly name.
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I have another Dactylorhiza so I thought pollination was covered. I’ve never checked to see if it has seed. The Diplarrena is fine in this part of Cornwall, the only time it has suffered is young plants in pots, which could be wet as much as cold.
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Unlike mine posted today, your hydrangea is a real beauty. The bowl of sempervivums is looking in top peak perfection. As for the rose….sadly not my taste, but it may be something to do with my eyesight!
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No, I don’t think it’s your eyesight.
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Jim, that H. serrata is gorgeous. I lean more toward the blue tones, but haven’t seen one that great. I’m sure you’re ready for that landscaping to be completed! Here’s hoping…
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Cornwall is very good for getting blue hydrangeas, I don’t have to do anything. Getting them to go blue on alkaline soil is trickier.
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That’s one strangely coloured rose. I do like reading your posts because you always have unusual plants to see (and desire). This week it is the spotted orchid and the Diplarrena moraea. I am no cactus expert but could that one be a Cleistocactus /silver torch? I once had a hairy old man cactus, but it never flowered.
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That’s two suggestions of Cleistocactus, looking good, thanks. The orchid originated as plugs supplied by Just Must Perennials (the commercial wing of Cotswold Garden Flowers) back in nursery days. We failed miserably to grow saleable plants of them but they seeded about all over the place. We must have sold loads of them, but all as seedlings in pots of something else. I keep hoping mine will start a colony. Diplarrena is a thoroughly good plant, easy, reliable and reasonably interesting out of flower.
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I reckon you will run out of items for Six-on-Saturday around 2050! You really treat that rose with contempt, don’t you? The plants are all so much prettier “in the flesh”!
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I updated my website list of plants last week, only 428 and that’s without most of the fuchsias or potted Camellias or any of Sue’s cactus, succulents and Pelargoniums. By 2050 I’ll be 98, it’ll not be items for six on Saturday that I’m worrying about in the unlikely event of making it that far. Glad you enjoyed your visit.
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Does the H serrata look like the lacecap variety? I’ve got one like that
Super the cactus in bloom. ! I have one that looks like yours but i’s only 8 yo… I have to wait a bit.
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Most of the serrata varieties are lace caps, but smaller and finer textured than lace cap macrophyllas. Do you have a name for your cactus? I’m trying to identify mine.
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I have Cleistocactus strausii. I googled and it looks like yours. (Or a close species)
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That’s two suggestions of Cleistocactus, looking good, thanks.
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Hi Jim, you have a better knowledge of Aus plants than I do, by far and that cactus is very strange, like some extra terrestrial being.
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My knowledge of the Aussie flora is extremely patchy, you’ll have many times the number of natives that the UK has. I must try to put a name to that cactus, time to get the books out.
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“Failures are unexpected planting opportunities.” I’m going to remember that.
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