Almost a third of the year gone and it hardly seems to have got started. Things are growing but plants like Dahlias and Begonias, that want a bit more warmth, seem to be falling behind. It’s probably the same every year but just now I’m only concerned with this year. There’s no shortage of things happening, and in so doing, qualifying themselves for inclusion in a Saturday six. If there are six things happening today in your garden then I urge you to share them with us. It’s very straightforward but if you want chapter and verse, the guide is here.
One.
I only have two Rhododendrons in the garden, unless you include my five Azaleas, which technically you probably should. Both are dwarf varieties; this is the mauve one, ‘Ramapo’. I won it in a raffle, which is reason enough to treasure it, given my record of not winning anything.
Two.
I think almost all these seedlings are Verbena bonariensis. It’s a plant that I don’t have strong feelings about but I recognise as useful for giving height without blocking the view. It wouldn’t take a lot to push me into hating it and it’s going the right way about it. Predictably, the slugs aren’t remotely interested in it.
Three.
Camellia season is all but over for this spring, with just a few late varieties strutting their stuff. One such, and a great plant for smaller gardens, is Camellia ‘Spring Festival’. It is naturally columnar, my plant is now 13 feet tall, it has masses of small pink flowers in April and May when the risk of frost damage or petal blight is less and it has quite good colour in its new growth.
Four.
Camellia ‘Minato-no-akebono’ still has one or two of its scented blooms that it has been producing since the turn of the year. That’s not the story here though, it’s the turn of the new leaves to shine.
Five.
Polygonatum odoratum ‘Purple Stem’ is one of those understated woodland plants that almost always gets passed over in favour of something more colourful when it comes to picking six things at this time of year. It can also get a serious mauling from the molluscs but so far seems fairly unscathed this year. If I’d cleared away the fallen flowers from Camellia ‘Debbie’ it would have made a rather different picture. The ground level heart shaped leaves are Maianthemum bifolium, which is taking over that part of the garden but without bothering anything else.
Six.
Dicentra spectabilis ‘Valentine’ is cleistogamous, which is to say it is self fertile without even opening its flowers. Not surprising then that this seedling of it is almost identical to its parent. The seeds also have elaiosomes, fleshy attachments that are sugary and attract ants to disperse the seeds. This seedling is many yards away from the parent plant, so that worked too. Sometimes gardening and doing nothing converge.
That’s yer lot, see you next week.
garden ruminations 
Yes your Verbena bonariensis has self-seeded the same way as my Chef’s parsley, rather too much for my liking! I love the effect of camellias when they fall to the ground, it is a real treat!
My six are here –
https://rosegardenconversation.wordpress.com/2023/04/29/six-on-saturday-victor-harbor-holiday-and-indian-summer-days-29423/
LikeLike
In the natural world, seeding just enough to keep a species going indefinitely seems to be the norm. In a garden, it’s almost always boom or bust. I can think of only one plant in my garden, Corydalis ochroleuca, that adheres to the Goldilocks principle.
LikeLike
It’s always lovely to win something, isn’t it? Lucky you, as the Rhododendron is quite pretty. My heart is definitely taken, though, with your red bleeding heart – I mean Dicentra spectabilis ‘Valentine’. WOW. Gorgeous. And of course, your beautiful camellia ‘Spring Festival’. So much beauty! 🙂
Here is the link for my six:
LikeLike
Garden clubs run raffles where when you win, you pick an item from the raffle table until they’re all gone. By the time you get to the last few, you’re hoping you don’t win. The Dicentra is not just a nice thing to have had self sow, it’s even come up somewhere where I’m happy for it to stay.
LikeLike
I don’t know whether to be in awe of your multitudinous verbena bonariensis seedlings or not…!!
Thanks for hosting – my six are here:
https://ramblinginthegarden.wordpress.com/2023/04/29/six-on-saturday-progress-2/
LikeLike
The Polygonatum stems and Camellia foliage speak volumes about how much beauty the non-flowering elements bring to the garden–and I am a die-hard there-must-be-flowers gardener!
Here are my six for the end of April, e.g. almost the beginning of summer here: https://smallsunnygarden.substack.com/p/looking-around-the-garden
LikeLike
My favorite sentence from this post is, “Sometimes gardening and doing nothing converge.”. You summed up my gardening in those few words. After several rainy days, I pulled weeds and felt virtuous.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Delicious six. I tried to grow Rampanos for years, yours looks wonderful. Thanks for hosting. https://theshrubqueen.com/2023/04/29/six-on-saturday-stormy-benefits/
LikeLiked by 1 person
Spring Festival has changed my perception of Camelias in general. I love its structure – its tall architectural look – and covered in flowers it’s really striking. Maybe that’s why I also like the verbena you’re on the fence about… 🙂 It’s still all about daffs and spring bulbs here!
https://countygardening.wordpress.com/2023/04/29/six-on-saturday-29apr2023-edibles-and-lovables/
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think new leaves are as exciting as flowers at this time of year. The fresh greens are so lovely to see. I won’t be sad to see the back of April, it’s been a challenging month weather-wise, but I am sorry to see how quickly the months are passing by. I always want to hold on to spring for much longer. Lots of colour in your garden, and mine this week:
LikeLiked by 1 person
Such interesting photos this week, Jim. A lot is going on in your garden! Wonderful that you still have Camellias in bloom. It was too hot here too early for ours to hang on, and I love your photo of C. ‘Spring Beauty’ showing the flower along with the lovely new growth. The Camellias beneath the Polygonatum is my favorite of your six this week, framed so elegantly with your fern. Thank you for the additional info about the Dicentra. I have two planted newly this year. One I bought bare root and potted, and the other I bought in mid-winter from a local garden center. Neither one is showing anything, yet. I am hoping to learn to keep these alive as previous tries disappeared in their first season. It is supposed to be easy, right?? We have had some good rain this week, and things are looking lush. Here are my six for the week: https://woodlandgnome.wordpress.com/2023/04/29/six-on-saturday/ Have a productive week!
LikeLike
‘Ramapo’ is impressive. Lovely color. And all the better for having been a prize! But I’m partial to Rhododendrons in all forms as my post shows. https://aftereden.blog/2023/04/29/six-on-saturday-29-april-2023/
LikeLike
As in your recent posts, I really like the camellia photos. ‘Spring Festival’ is especially beautiful today. Azaleas, technically rhododendrons, are still not recovered from our December flash deep freeze. The jury is still out on which will need pruning back of damaged limbs. Your rhodos are a reminder of what are azaleas are not providing this spring
‘Nuff said about those negatives, here are my six for this week.
https://mensgardenvestavia.wordpress.com/2023/04/28/it-is-spring-28-april-2023/comment-page-1/#comment-242
Happy gardening from the American South!
LikeLike
Lucky you winning Rhododendron Ramapro, its beautiful! I’ve not been lucky with Dicentra so far but might give D. Valentine a try and see if it seeds around for me.
My six are here…………..www.leadupthegardenpath.com
LikeLike
Much envy this week! I’ve also included a polygonatum but mine’s the boring one! I was after odoratum but Beth Chatto had none in stock when I visited. Oh well, I will enjoy yours – and mine which looks quite good atm. BH Valentine is very lovely too. We had a rainy Thursday and now some lovely sun, I predict a major surge of growth – at last! Here’s my link https://n20gardener.com/2023/04/29/six-on-saturday-tales-of-woe-and-warming-times/
LikeLiked by 1 person
Everything in our garden is on a go-slow at the moment, except for the forget-me-not seedlings. Soon we will be knee-deep in them. Good job I like them!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Forget-me-not seedlings and bluebells are fighting it out here, with the bluebells winning.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nature is so generous, Jim…
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think V. bonariensis seedlings match Forget-me-Nots in numbers in my borders. Luckily they’re easily removed. I’ve not tried ‘Valentine’ but I like the darker leaves.
https://thequiltinggardener.wordpress.com/2023/04/29/six-on-saturday-29-04-23/
LikeLiked by 1 person
There will be large scale culling of V.b. but if I don’t leave a good few there will be complaints from the management.
LikeLike
Morning everyone. Here’s my Six for this week
https://www.hortusbaileyana.co.uk/2023/04/tulips-and-bluebells.html
I’ve not seen a camellia with the columnar habit before, and I can see how it could be useful in the garden. The Dicentra is lovely, of course, and reminds me that mine have not appeared this year. I think they were in too dry a position. Off to a plant nursery soon, so perhaps there will be a replacement waiting for me there.
In case anyone reading didn’t already know (and I suspect you all do) the Gardeners World mag this month has the two for one offer card for garden entry.
LikeLiked by 2 people
N20: can’t comment on your post this week, so hope you receive this. I was wondering about ‘Maureen’ so it was good to see yours. I sympathise with autumn sown seeds, I think I have had success sowing in August – but don’t quote me! Good luck with new border.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sorry that the site is playing up and you can’t post, but I have seen your comment. Had a great trip to a local nursery this morning to buy the ‘missing’ plants and if the rain stops I might even manage to plant some of them.
LikeLike
The columnar Camellia tends to lose its shape with age. I’ve lost Dicentra two or three times, not really sure why.
LikeLike
Lovely Jim. I particularly liked the Dicentra but can’t seem to grow them in my garden. Here are my six https://davidsgardendiary.com/2023/04/29/six-on-saturday-84/
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ve had mixed fortunes with Dicentra spectabilis but a self sower must be a good sign.
LikeLike
Camellia ‘Minato-no-akebono’ is beautiful, both the new leaves & the flowers.
Here’s my six for this week, I’ll be out & about all day today so will check out what other people are up to later on: https://mysanctuarygarden.wordpress.com/2023/04/29/six-on-saturday-29-04-23/
LikeLiked by 1 person
The new leaves of Camellia ‘Minato-no-akebono’ are gorgeous, they’re a feature in themselves. I like the fallen flowers of your camellia in that shot. I don’t move mine – until I absolutely have to. Hmmm, I think it’s highly possible I’ve been removing verbena seedlings thinking they were weeds! That would explain why they never self-seed in my garden. Thanks, lesson learned! Here’s my contribution for this week.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The Polygonatum odoratum ‘Purple Stem’ is rather striking. I’ll have to look it up later but I’m guessing by the ‘odoratum’ bit it’s fragrant in some way? I didn’t know that about the Dicentra and its seeds – very interesting indeed https://onemanandhisgardentrowel.wordpress.com/2023/04/29/six-on-saturday-29-april-2023/
LikeLiked by 2 people
I suppose the Polygonatum must be fragrant but I’ve never scrabbled about down there to find out. The woodland plant of similar character that excels for scent is Maianthemum racemosum ‘Emily Moody’.
LikeLiked by 1 person
‘Ramapo’ was an odd one. We grew only a few, and probably could have done without it, since we did not sell very many. However, those who wanted it REALLY wanted it. We did a lot of that. It was not great for business, but was sort of fun. It seemed like there were a few that were related to it that were about as odd and rare.
These are my six. Do you happen to recognize larch?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Those fallen camelia flowers and leaves rather adds to the beauty of the Soloman’s Seal, looking so much at this stage like long legged egrets looking down at the blooms. Their stems are quite magnificent. Thanks also for the botany bit on Dicentra. Here are my six this week: /noellemace.blogspot.com/2023/04/six-plants-from-garden-at-end-of-april.html
LikeLiked by 2 people
A dickie bird flew to my blog and twittered that my link wasn’t working. Hope you can see my blog this time: https://noellemace.blogspot.com/2023/04/six-plants-from-garden-at-end-of-april.html
LikeLiked by 1 person
It works for me.
LikeLike
The mauve rhododendron is really pretty and another lovely collection from your garden. Here area my ‘what I found outside today’ post. https://thistlesandkiwis.org/2023/04/29/six-on-saturday-29-04-23/
LikeLiked by 2 people
I agree that some things are slow, we just haven’t had the warmth that we have had in previous recent springs. I am sure they will catch up. Loving your camelia, both flower and foliage. Your solomons seal is quite beautiful. And yes, I recognise the verbena seedlings! Here are mine, hope you enjoy them https://offtheedgegardening.com/2023/04/29/six-on-saturday-on-our-way/
LikeLiked by 1 person
I really like the soft green colour of the new leaves of the camellia ‘Minato-no-akebono’.
Pretty rhodo, the first ones are close to opening here so a little more sun and everything will explode at the same time! https://fredgardenerblog2.wordpress.com/2023/04/29/six-on-saturday-29-04-23/
LikeLiked by 1 person
Another lovely selection, Jim. I’m very taken by Camellia ‘Minato-no-akebono and the name is intriguing.
I’ve got Spring Festival in a large container at about two feet. Now I see it’s potential. Thank you.
Here’s my tuppence worth this week:
https://thethreehairs.com/2023/04/28/six-on-saturday-april-week-5/
LikeLiked by 1 person
‘Minato-no-akebono’ means Harbor at Dawn. No-one here would ever name a plant that and it works best if you don’t think about it too much.
LikeLike
Yes, I agree, some plants are slow to get going this year. Here’s my six, I shall check back later and hop to other posts. You might know of the Cornish garden that I have been visiting in this week’s post
LikeLiked by 2 people
I genuinely think Verbena bonariensis is fast becoming a nuisance plant, in Cornwall at least. It will rapidly take over vast areas and grows huge in damp Cornwall. The only reason i allow it to remain at work is that a parasitic broomrape has taken a fancy to it and that is a fascinating plant for me!
LikeLiked by 1 person