At first glance there didn’t seem to be a lot happening in the garden and I thought about a six of repeats, same subjects but a progress report angle. It could still turn out that way, depending which pictures I choose to use.
There is merit in things that perform over an extended period, a garden full of spectacular but short lived flowerers is only flowery if they all flower at once, and then not for long.
Right, six things from the garden this Saturday. Participants guide is here, we’d all be chuffed to bits if you’d join us.
One.
Camellia ‘Minato-no-akebono’ and C. ‘Fairy Blush’ appeared together here at the end of December and they are still flowering. ‘Minato-no-akebono’ has been in a couple of sixes since then. Both have small, single, scented flowers and a fine branch framework with quite small leaves. One is in the garden, the other in a pot; both would be fine the other way about.
Two.
Corydalis cheilanthifolia self sows around the garden, never enough to be a nuisance, in fact I worry it might disappear, but it hasn’t yet. It really does look like a fern until it flowers.
Three.
Pachyphragma macrophylla is another self sower and a little more pushy in its behaviour than the Corydalis. It’s a bright white flower early in the year though, and tolerant of shade, so it’s useful and mostly welcome, provided I watch for it smothering other things. The petals of Camellia ‘Charles Colbert’ threaten to smother it, but soon disappear. It’s all well and good that x williamsii Camellias don’t hang on to their dead flowers, but they’ve got to go somewhere.
Four.
Skimmia ‘Bowles Dwarf Female’ hasn’t had many SoS outings. In November 2018 I described it as a foot high and wide after at least ten years. It’s now 16 inches high and 3.5 feet across, quite ornamental in flower with last years berry crop still intact. The seeds germinated while still in the fruits a few years back and I have one seedling still going, but not flowering yet, so I still haven’t sexed it.
Five.
Anemone nemorosa ‘Mart’s Blue’ is the darkest of the assorted wood anemones I have about the place. It is very early and may yet get better, so you may see it again. Depressingly, it’s starting to get the malaise from which they suffer, with swollen leaves and loss of flower, due perhaps to Anemone alloiophylly virus. I should probably dig them all out and bin them but it only seems to affect the odd shoot. I must at least remove the affected parts.
Six.
The weather has not been conducive to flowers staying in good condition for long. A plant looks reasonable from a distance but get up close and it’s hard to find a perfect bloom. When I’m taking pictures I usually home in on the best individual bloom I can find rather than taking a picture of the whole plant. So here’s a picture of Camellia ‘Annette Carol’. I picked off the brown flowers I could reach and would have shaken the bush if it hadn’t been soaking wet. It’s still pretty good but you should see it in a good year.
That’s it. Have a sunny weekend.
garden ruminations 
It seems amazing to have had some camellias flowering since December, as I always assumed their season was much shorter than that, which perhaps it might be for some. I see what you mean about the foliage of your yellow corydalis – very fern-like, and I am intrigued by the Pachyphragma, which is something I have not come across before. Thanks for hosting – my six things are at https://ramblinginthegarden.wordpress.com/2024/03/16/six-on-saturday-light-bulb-moments/
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I was in such a rush this morning that I forgot to post here! Your garden is really blooming now your Camellia Annette Carol is gorgeous even though the weather has played havoc with it this year.
https://notesfrommygarden.co.uk/2024/03/16/a-week-of-firsts/
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https://thistlesandkiwis.org/2024/03/16/six-on-saturday-16-03-24/
Six from our new place!
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Your Camellias are certainly the stars of the moment. I ‘inherited’ Corydalis lutea and try very hard to keep it in one isolated spot. C. cheilanthifolia has much more going for it and I’m sure I can cope with another self seeding nuisance 😱. Cheilanthes tomentosa foliage stands out well on the fern wall, it would be fun if they were near each other.
https://thequiltinggardener.wordpress.com/2024/03/16/six-on-saturday-16-03-2023/
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Your wish for a sunny weekend didn’t work today Jim. Low cloud and mizzle all day here. I am hoping for a sunnier day tomorrow so I can at least get some chopped down stuff into the garden waste bin for collection. The corydalis does look rather nice. I am looking for new plants for my shady woodland border (no sun at all during winter, late afternoon and evening sun in summer) as it needs a good overhaul.
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Gorgeous camellias as usual. I love Skimmias but have never lived where they will grow. I am wondering about the Cordyalis as well. Probably too far south. Going mad with orchids here. https://theshrubqueen.com/2024/03/16/six-on-saturday-orchid-palooza/
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Corydalis cheilanthifolia and Pachyphragma macrophylla certainly are pretty for something self sows. Were they added to the garden intentionally, or do they just move in from adjacent gardens? Most of what self sows within our landscapes are weeds, but in recent years, we acquired some sort of phlox, some sort of campanula and rose champion.
I am sorry for the delay. Yours did not post last night, so I came back this morning.
https://tonytomeo.com/2024/03/16/six-on-saturday-shabby-spring-ii/
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Both were introduced to the garden, they’ve not become established in the wider landscape that I’m aware of.
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Once again I got a few ideas from you. I’m going to check on whether the Corydalis is shade and heat tolerant. If so it and the Pachyphragma might be good candidates for the wooded area of the garden. This week I have some Southeastern US woodland wildflowers: https://aftereden.blog/2024/03/16/six-on-saturday-16-march-2024/
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Magnificent camellias always make for good photos. In this instance, both the bloom shot and the entire plant shot is worthy.
We are blessed to have beautiful spring weather this week. Here are my efforts for this week.https://mensgardenvestavia.wordpress.com/2024/03/15/the-lion-is-weakening-15-march-2024/
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hard not to be wowed by that amazing camellia, mine are still just in bud. And I do like those wood anemone’s, I bet they’d do well in my cool Scottish garden. I’m rather further behind: https://balmerino.ddns.net/geekygarden
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Lovely choices again this week, Jim, but I’m most impressed by your hedgehog ladder from earlier in the week. I am glad you have one moved into your new abode. Your Camellias are so interesting because they are different from ones we see here. I love your final shot of the entire shrub blooming. I noticed a few more flowers opening, yesterday, on our C. ‘Victory White,’ but failed to get photos. I am more focused on our flowering pear and Magnolia. Enjoy the week! Here is my post for today: https://woodlandgnome.wordpress.com/2024/03/16/six-on-saturday-plant-police/
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Morning all! Here’s my six: https://notesfromtheundergardener.wordpress.com/2024/03/16/six-on-saturday-16th-march-2024/ I’m off outside to try to achieve something before more rain moves in, I shall move indoors and catch up with everyone’s posts when the rain starts!
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Things are definitely coming along in your garden and it is nice to see the entire camellia bush. I had not realized how big they can get until living in Seattle, the arboretum has a nice selection of large specimens. Things here are moving maybe faster than is good for plants, but I will just have to trust that they know what they are doing. I may have the first daffodil today or tomorrow, a full month earlier than usual for me. Here are my six:
https://wisconsingarden.wordpress.com/2024/03/16/march-16-2024-six-on-saturday/
Have a great weekend!
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It was from Seattle Japanese Garden, which I think is within the Arboretum, that I learned the name Camellia sasanqua ‘Tago-no-tsuki’, which had been growing in the UK for a century or more under a variety of wrong names. It pleased me mightily to right that wrong.
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Always something different to enjoy or appreciate from a another perspective. I truly hope we have a sunny weekend as I need to get out there and do some work! Here’s my link https://n20gardener.com/2024/03/16/six-on-saturday-moody-hues/ slugs and rain were causing me heartache but the gardening is putting its best foot forward!
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Weirdly, there are far fewer slugs about when it’s raining or has been very recently. They like the ground to be moist but not running wet. The things you learn from nightly slug hunts. I hope you haven’t got the weather we have right now, drizzle and 150 yards visibility, set in for the day.
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Oh no! Thankfully we are dry here and I’ve been making the most of it!
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If only I could grow Camellias! What a treat at this time of year. My sad little Magnolia stellata is no match for your stonking beauties! Here are my six https://davidsgardendiary.com/2024/03/16/six-on-saturday-110/
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Lovely Camellias. What a shame about the virus attacking the Anemone.
Here’s my six
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I think we will soon all be growing your Corydalis as the foliage is so beautiful, another useful addition to all the shady borders! Camellias still wowing us all, they really are beautiful. Your Skimmia is also very interesting with its flowers and fruits at the same time.
My six are here………………https://www.leadupthegardenpath.com/
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You have some very challenging spellings this week. Like the gang I drool over your camellias and the little corydalis is a beauty. Here are mine https://offtheedgegardening.com/2024/03/16/six-on-saturday-glimpse/
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I feel sorry for Pachyphragma getting burdened with such a hideous name. Strange how Corydalis sounds quite nice and is memeorable while Pachyphragma sounds horrible and I have to look it up every single time. Both four syllable plant names. Do I over-think things?
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a beautiful and unusual collection, Jim… I loved them all, even the pink Camellia petals…
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I echo what Noelle says about the camellias, as ever they’re stunning. I’ll have to look at corydalis as an option for our shady area around the pergola, I hadn’t considered it before and the foliage is lovely.
Here’s my six this week: https://mysanctuarygarden.wordpress.com/2024/03/16/six-on-saturday-16-03-24/
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Individuals of the Corydalis are short lived, a year or two, but it sticks around by self sowing for me, just not in the same place.
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Blimey, if Camellia ‘Annette Carol’ looks that good during an iffy year she must look truly spectacular during a good one. I must admit I thought the Corydalis was growing up through a fern initially – I hadn’t realised its foliage was so fern-like. Very pretty https://onemanandhisgardentrowel.wordpress.com/2024/03/16/six-on-saturday-16-march-2024/
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There are a lot of very good camellias that are not in commerce, mainly because there are just so many of them. ‘Annette Carol’ would be high on my list of the ones I think most deserve to be available.
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Pachyphragma sounds like a disease of elephants…
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Of course, camellias are always featured in your garden every week! And indeed, the Corydalis cheilanthifolia looks like a fern at first glance. We could be mistaken if it weren’t for the yellow flowers. Here is my link for this week. https://fredgardenerblog2.wordpress.com/2024/03/16/six-on-saturday-16-03-24/
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You keep showing these beautiful camelias and have us all wishing we had one. It is time for me to try one here, and Fairy Bush is so pretty. Which nursery would you suggest for buying this one from, of course it has to be Mail Order since at Trahane’s they are out of stock. Here are my six this week: https://noellemace.blogspot.com/2024/03/the-days-are-whizzing-by-and-we-have.html
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The RHS plant finder online lists seven suppliers for ‘Fairy Blush’, the only one of which I’ve ever bought from is Wisley itself. Their plants will be from Stervinou and it may well be that the others are too. https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/search-form
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Thanks Jim.
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