Once again, I’m scheduling this post and going out for the day. Rosemoor garden is hosting the RHS National Rhododendron show, with a late Camellia competition thrown in. The weather forecast isn’t great, so I probably wouldn’t have got a lot done in the garden but there is plenty needing doing. It feels like it’s between seasons, the spring bulbs and Camellias are winding down and looking a bit scruffy, though there’s still plenty of colour. Yet there is still quite a bit of bare ground as perennials are slow to fill out and there are spaces where things have died or bedding and tender perennials will be planted later.
You know what’s required; six things happening today in your garden. Post pictures on a blog or on Twitter or wherever takes your fancy, then leaves a link in the comments below. Further instructions in the participant’s guide.
One.
Our first garden club visit is 12th June, which is starting to seem worryingly close. Chaos is the current theme and never more so than when I have a load of stuff to go through the shredder. I collect it up and have a good session when I run out of big pots to put weeds into. It then gets spread on my allotment mostly, sometimes in the garden.
Two.
This is the overview from yesterday morning. There’s a lack of coherence which doesn’t bother me because I’m quite happy to home in on a single small plant, even a single bloom. It just makes me a little uncomfortable when I think of other people coming round, most of whom will look at it as a whole.
Three.
There are bits where the picture is more complete and the advantage of taking photographs is that you can point the camera at the bits that look good and leave out the dross. Here are a few more views.
Four.
There is much industry, with plants being brought on to plant on the allotment, in the garden or for plant sales. I’ve started bringing back plants that have been overwintered in my allotment tunnel. Every morning sees seedlings moved out of the glasshouse, every evening sees them return. There’s never enough room so some things have to take their chances outdoors.
Five.
Veltheimia ‘Rosabella’ is one of the things in the greenhouse in the last item. Just been kept frost free over winter, which seems to have suited it.
Six.
I came back on the train from Kent last weekend with precious cargo. Viburnum setigerum and Camellia forrestii, both from wild origin material. I managed to get the Camellia back with both buds still attached and they’ve since opened. The flowers are very small but there will be many of them in time. I must check if it’s scented.
Last Sunday I had the privilege of going to a garden I’ve wanted to visit for a long time. It doesn’t open, so I won’t tell you where it is. When I left I was buzzing, the Viburnum and Camellia forrestii were two reasons why, here are three more.
garden ruminations 
The Veltheimia is wonderful; I’m hoping to try some here once the garden is better established.
And it’s lovely to see the plants bringing more form into the garden after the winter months.
My Six come late as a burnt-out water heater had to be investigated instead of finishing my post yesterday. The garden has a new hummingbird and a new iris–what more could one want? (Other than hot water, of course!) https://smallsunnygarden.substack.com/p/shimmers-of-spring
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I love the long views of your garden, it is very beautiful. I also love a good plant production area, it all looks very exciting!
My six are here : https://rosegardenconversation.wordpress.com/2023/04/16/six-on-saturday-second-spring-22-4-23/
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This is the logjam time of year, once I can start planting things out it all hopefully comes back under control.
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I would definitely have a bit of a panic if I had a garden club coming to tour! Good luck as you prep! Here’s a surprise–I posted on Saturday this week! I think it’s even still Saturday for you!
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We have four garden clubs coming between June and August, plus eight open days. I will permit myself a small level of panic.
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Just realised that I haven’t come back here to add my link. Veltheimia and Cyrtanthus have gone on the list.
https://thequiltinggardener.wordpress.com/2023/04/22/six-on-saturday-22-04-23/
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The Cyrtanthus had me revisiting Silverhill Seeds, a candy shop like very few others. Haven’t placed an order, yet.
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Sounds interesting, one to look at
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Interesting to see more views of your garden JIm. We open a couple of weeks after you (no group visits booked this year, so far anyway) but you can almost sense the time ticking… Thanks for hosting https://ramblinginthegarden.wordpress.com/2023/04/22/six-on-saturday-pests-problems-and-plans/
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Could just do with it being a few degrees warmer, bog standard plants are growing like mad, the more exotic stuff hardly at all.
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Yes, I thought it is probably the cooler spring that is holding them back – my appleblossom is only just beginning to bloom, which is a good indication. It has definitely demonstrated which plants need a few degrees more – hopefilly a warm spell will kickstart the slowcoaches
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Your garden is coming along so beautifully! It takes a lot of time and dedication to keep so many different plants coming along in good health. Congratulations on the new acquisitions! We are into the season of plant sales in our area now, too. Here are my six for the week, heavy on the native trees and Iris: https://woodlandgnome.wordpress.com/2023/04/22/six-on-saturday-at-what-price/
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The Veltheimia is jaw dropping. I have bog standard Veltheimia capensis and V. bracteata in my greenhouse, but I have never seen anything like that cultivar. Wow!
Here are my six. I’m quite pleased with the first flower on a bright red Peony.
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It’s the only Veltheimia I’ve successfully grown, sounds like I got lucky with my uninformed choice.
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I walk a dog daily, and you walk your plants. I know they will reward you with good health and blooms.
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You’ve been busy! The views of your garden are wonderful. I’m still working on a mystery: https://stoneyknob.wordpress.com/2023/04/22/sos-mystery/
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I know it’s not good to compare, but I really like your garden, Jim! Your ‘3’ with the three pictures, I just really like how things are laid out. I suppose it is good for me for inspiration 🙂
Here’s my Six: https://mominthegarden.com/2023/04/22/a-very-pink-start-to-spring/
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Love the delicate blossoms this week! Things are slowly unfolding in Wisconsin, but alas, it is another day of frozen or mostly frozen precipitation here. I am happy to see buds forming and blossoms unfolding, and agree that sometimes we have to focus on the lovely bits while waiting for things to fill in. https://wisconsingarden.wordpress.com/2023/04/22/4-22-23/
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Enjoy the trip! Me and OH are just considering a visit to Rosemoor. We have daunting things happening in the garden just now. Find out about it here https://junegirvin.substack.com
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Sorry to be anonymous. It’s June Girvin here.
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Your garden as a whole is quite voluptuous, for my eyes. Like you, I also hone in on individual plants…good luck with the June open garden! It’s still spring here, and it’s quite glorious!
https://countygardening.wordpress.com/2023/04/22/six-on-saturday-22apr2023-springing-and-blooming/
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I’m sure things will have changed a lot by June and most garden enthusiasts home in on the small things anyway. And you have a lot of unusual plants too. Enjoy your day out. It’s been a long time since I went to Rosemoor, maybe I’ll get there this summer. Tulips from me this week, though they are not looking particularly happy today.
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I didn’t see anything of Rosemoor garden; tied up with the flower show to begin with, then the rain really set in. How so many people find so many perfect blooms to put together a show like that I shall never know.
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It all looks good to me; you are busy and productive. Enjoy the Rhododendron show. Thanks so much for hosting! I’m joining in: https://plantpostings.blogspot.com/2023/04/six-ephemerals-on-saturday.html
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Camellias are such a beautiful plant. They bloom in the dreary months and their shiny evergreen leaves are a constant reminder of the persistence of nature.
My garden also may seem random to others but has an organization that I can see.
Thanks for keeping this Saturday morning place of sanctuary alive.
Here are my six: https://mensgardenvestavia.wordpress.com/2023/04/21/its-finally-spring-21-april-2023/
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And just when you think you’ve seen all there is to see in Camellias up pops something quite different from anything you’ve seen before.
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A mystery garden that doesn’t open. The camellia sleuth strikes again! So intriguing. The little camellia is lovely. https://pruneplantsow.wordpress.com/2023/04/22/sixonsaturday-april-22nd-six-things-i-didnt-learn-until-now/
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I have found the weather to be cold again and then wordpress to be freezing, but finally I have made it to the garden chit chat of the week. Your euphorbia is making me long for another one. One is definitely dead here but one is showing some promise. But the absolute fave this week is meliodendrum, so very pretty. Here’s my link to tulips (of course) https://n20gardener.com/2023/04/22/six-on-saturday-almost-all-tulips/
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You always show such lovely plants and you have been so industrious, all those seedlings! My favourite this week is the Meliodendron, such pretty flowers!
My six are here…………….https://www.leadupthegardenpath.com
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That last photograph is incredible. Those flowers are so unusual and fairylike!
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My eyes lit up at the words plant sale! Do bad that I’m so far away. I hope it all goes swimmingly. Lots of plants in this weeks Six that I haven’t seen before, but I’m going to pick out the Veltheimia and the Meliodendron as being particularly lovely.
Here’s my Six for this week
https://www.hortusbaileyana.co.uk/2023/04/more-tulips-and-some-better-weather.html
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Hello! I love this time of year in the garden. Sowing seeds is so exciting, even though I know I’ll run out of greenhouse space in about two days time. Here’s a little update from me in my wildlife friendly garden in Somerset.
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The Veltheimia ‘Rosabella’ is so pretty.
It has been raining here all day….https://thistlesandkiwis.org/2023/04/22/six-on-saturday-22-04-23/
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It won’t make you feel any better but it’s been raining all day here too.
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There’s a lot that will change & grow between now and 12th June, and if your visitors are also enthusiasts, chances are they’ll hone in on individual plants too. I see your garden as a fabulous place to browse around. I love the drooping flowers on your Meliodendron xylocarpum. That’s one I’d be happy to have here. Enjoy your day at Rosemoor.
Here’s mine for this week:
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Not my Meliodendron sadly; it was in one of the gardens I visited last weekend.
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Your musings about your garden were enlightening, and I also understand your feeling of buzzing after visiting that garden, all the efforts of the journey were well worth while Jim. Here are my six: https://noellemace.blogspot.com/2023/04/six-things-from-my-garden-this-saturday.html
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Camellia rosthorniana ‘Cupido’ is an odd one! Is the bloom simple white? Is Camellia forrestii more upright? We grew it only a few and only in #1 cans for collectors. The stock plants were quite small, and seemed to be relatively upright and twiggy. I do not know what they would have looked like if they had not been stock plants, but I do not believe that they were as limber as Camellia roshorniana ‘Cupido’ seems to be. Meliodendron xylocarpum is very pretty also. These are my Six on Saturday.
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‘Cupido’ had pink on the buds, so on the back of the petals when open, like transnokoensis. C. forrestii was upright, the tallest 7-8 feet.
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That is sort of what I would have guessed for Camellia forrestii. I never saw one so tall, but would not be surprised to see one mature to that size.
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It is said to get to 7m in the wild, growing in mixed stands with C. reticulata. That would be something to see.
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Superb Veltheimia! Luckily it seems easy to grow and in the frost-free greenhouse in winter. Good to know. Mine from the south: https://fredgardenerblog2.wordpress.com/2023/04/22/six-on-saturday-22-04-23/
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I bought another Veltheimia at the same time as that one and it was always weak and sickly, perhaps had virus?
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A lack of coherence combined with industry! That’s a wonderful combination, Jim.
My favourite this week is ‘Rosabella’.
Heres my summary this week:
https://thethreehairs.com/2023/04/21/six-on-saturday-april-week-4/
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Industrial incoherence, or the incoherence industry; just needs a marketing angle and it’ll fly for sure.
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You certainly have been busy judging by all those seedlings. Always good to see views of your garden and this time I spotted the dry stone wall which I’ve never noticed before. Veltheimia ‘Rosabella’ is lovely https://onemanandhisgardentrowel.wordpress.com/2023/04/22/six-on-saturday-21-april-2023/
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I like to put views in now and then because I always like to see the same in other people’s posts. It can feel exposing though.
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