I’m getting a bit ahead of myself in that I’m writing this on Thursday, mainly because we have visitors coming tomorrow for the weekend. Barring disasters, what is happening on Thursday should still be happening two days later.
It’s high summer, though it scarcely seems like it, but the flowers know and the build-up continues. Here’s a pretty random set of six.
One.
Filipendula palmata ‘Rubra’ is in the ex pond, along with lots of similar looking Astilbes, which is what most people think this is when they see it. It has shorter, more squat flower heads and completely different foliage though.
Two.
Lilium ‘Purple Prince’. I’m going to including a lily every week for a while now. This one is quite tall, at over 1.5m, and probably capable of getting taller. It has a heavy scent.
Three.
Saccharum officinarum ‘Rubra’ is the name I was given this under but no such name is on the RHS website so I’m unsure. It may well be ‘Pele’s Smoke’, which Tony featured a while back, or S. officinarum violaceum. It roots absurdly easily in water and I have planted two plants that I rooted last year and overwintered in a frost free greenhouse. One is in a large pot, the other in the ground. They are growing fast and I’m interested to see how big they get before winter. It isn’t hardy as far as I know so I will take cuttings to overwinter and not try to keep the parent plants alive.
Four.
Mangave ‘Snow Leopard’ is one of at least six Mangaves that Sue now has in her succulents collection. These are hybrids between Manfreda and Agave. Manfreda as a genus has now been sunk into Agave so they’re all just Agaves now. They grow rather faster than Agave and don’t have vicious spines. The leaves are brittle and easily broken and slugs and snails like them more than proper Agaves. M. ‘Snow Leopard’ is the only variegated one we have so far.
Five.
Veronica spicata is yet another plant that was given to us by a gardening friend. We seem at last to have found a spot that suits it and have been rewarded with this display of blue spires. It seems capable of self seeding in that one has appeared on my allotment, presumably from shredded garden material. I could do with a taller version and am wondering about Veronicastrum but there doesn’t seem to be a good blue variety around. Maybe a white one would do.
Six.
Another generally bomb proof and high performing perennial is Leucanthemum x superbum and we bought the variety ‘Banana Cream’ a couple of years ago with high hopes. Last year it mostly got eaten by slugs but this year has been very much better. Unlike the single white form that we have, this has numerous flowers on each stem, so when it really gets going it should be very floriferous indeed.
And that’s all there is to it. Post pictures of six things in your garden, put a comment down below with a link to your post and you’ve become a fully fledged SoS’er. There’s a participants guide too, which has had more reads than any of my other posts.
garden ruminations 
My Spanish Dagger has black spots but this is because of a fungal disease. Spraying with fungicide when the wind allows.
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They’re all very nice. I particularly like Banana Cream and the Filipendula, I was given a piece of a white one earlier this summer and am looking forward to it getting established in my garden. After a very busy May and June, I’ve gotten back to my blog, and here are my six for the week: https://cosmosandcleome.wordpress.com/2024/07/06/six-on-saturday-im-still-here/ Thank you for continuing to host!
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Your Rubra and Banana Cream are stunning. Here are my six: https://stoneyknob.wordpress.com/2024/07/06/sos-sizzling/
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On the occasions I schedule a post, it always a nice feeling when the time arrives and I haven’t had to write anything (even though I have had to find the time to write it earlier)! I love the colour of that lily – is it planted in the ground and pretty reliable? I am becoming a big fan of veronica and veronicastrum of late – what height are you looking for? I have Marietta which is a nice dark blue and grows to over a metre and could spare you a cutting (or I might still have a small plant) Thanks for hosting – my six are at https://ramblinginthegarden.wordpress.com/2024/07/06/six-on-saturday-a-mixed-year-for-clematis/
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Beautiful photos this week, Jim, and I hope that every lovely blossom survived for the weekend. It is wonderful to see how healthy and vibrant your plants are all looking. How is your allotment planting coming along? Are you having a stellar gardening season there, too?
Here are my six for the week- https://woodlandgnome.wordpress.com/2024/07/06/six-on-saturday-tenacity/
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I usually enjoy seeing what I can’t grow on your blog. You have me considering Mangaves. I pulled all the Agaves out of the garden with my Jeep after discovering I was dreadfully allergic to the sap. So wonderful to see poppies which are impossible here. Are you going to try and make some sugar with the Pele Smoke? https://theshrubqueen.com/2024/07/06/six-on-saturday-summer-delights/
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More great plants again this week Jim. For a moment I thought the last picture was of a Chrysanthemum, ‘Banana Cream’ is looking nice and fresh.
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I was interested to see a mangave in a real garden, not just a garden centre! I do like the spots on Sue’s ‘Snow Leopard’. How big do you expect it to get? Lovely lily too, especially with the penstemon.
Here are my six: https://wp.me/pM8Y1-9a9
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That is one gorgeous lily! Your garden is looking great, have a nice weekend.
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I have a common filipendula, and I did attempt to remove it, but it’s back! Nice smell though not as impressive as the colour of yours. And that lily! What a gorgeous colour. I shall not be tempted though, instead I shall enjoy yours.
https://cornwallincolours.blog/2024/07/06/six-on-saturday-july-joy/
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I love that lily. I went for yellows to help imagine some sunshine this week: https://balmerino.ddns.net/geekygarden
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Hi Jim, great post this week. I tried that Leucanthemum ‘Banana Cream’ a few years ago but it wasn’t as impressive as the white ones. Very short and eventually died like a lot of novelty introductions. The most recommended Veronicastrum seems to be ‘Fascination’ but I can also recommend ‘Lavendelturm’ which is a pinky white and very reliable. Here are my six https://davidsgardendiary.com/2024/07/06/six-on-saturday-123/
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Lovely selections as always! My Shasta daisies are looking rough due to earwigs deciding it is too wet on the ground but wait, what is this yellow deliciousness in the middle of these flowers? Who cares? Let’s eat! So there are but a few undamaged flowers and the bees are visiting them, but there are few bees. I think the wet weather has damaged our ground nesting bee population. Your pink astilbe like flower is very nice!
Things are coming along. I am eating broccoli, snow peas, raspberries and lettuce that s getting long in the tooth. Some is more shaded and densely planted and is not ye bolting, but I like the lettuce spires and so do the birds when the seeds have developed..
https://wisconsingarden.wordpress.com/2024/07/06/july-6-2024-six-on-saturday/
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Envy for two of your simpler plants – the veronica and the leucanthemum, I am carelessly always losing them here, I do have a white veronicastrum which is in part shade and is not yet in flower. I am sure it would enjoy a sunnier spot and perhaps one day it will be moved. Like you, I search for a blue one. Of course the colour of the filipendula is the show stopper. Here’s my link to a garden that has been flattened by rain https://n20gardener.com/2024/07/06/six-on-saturday-flattened-2/
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Lovely filipendula to start off your six, bit of a pink theme going on here! Your lilies are beautiful, I’ve almost given up on them because of the lily beetle, maybe I should try again as I do miss them.
My six are here………………….https://www.leadupthegardenpath.com/
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I gave the lilies three or four sprays with Grazers lily beetle repellent and have had very little trouble so far.
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A lovely six this week, enjoy your weekend with your guests. Here’s much six this week: https://mysanctuarygarden.wordpress.com/2024/07/06/six-on-saturday-06-07-24/
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Your feature image of the poppy and the intensely coloured Filipendula palmata ‘Rubra’ make a bright opening splash to this week’s six! Enjoy your weekend with your visitors. Here is my six for this weekend:
http://notesfrommygarden.co.uk/2024/07/06/a-perfect-identity-change/
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I must admit I initially thought ‘Astilbe’ when I saw the flowers of Filipendula palmata ‘Rubra.’ It’s a show https://onemanandhisgardentrowel.wordpress.com/2024/07/06/six-on-saturday-6-july-2024/
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I love the name Pele’s Smoke, whatever its name it is a lovely plant. I know what you mean about the summer, it seems to think it is autumn here. But the plants aren’t fooled. No spines?! I must get an mangave. Fablous filipendula! Here are mine, hope you enjoy them https://offtheedgegardening.com/2024/07/06/six-on-saturday-hope-2/
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I might have to do a post on Mangaves, they’re somewhat in vogue.
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It’s very unlikely for me to ever be in vogue.
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‘Pele’s Smoke’ was just a guess. I have no idea what I got here. I only guessed at that name because it is the most common option. I will need to check out ‘Violaceum’ now to see if its description suits it better. These are my six, half of which are unidentified. https://tonytomeo.com/2024/07/06/six-on-saturday-homey/
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All three cultivars of sugarcane are described about the same. It is more confusing now.
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Sorry. I’m as confused as you, if I find anything useful I’ll let you know.
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There is no need to apologize. I blame it on botanists and modern horticulturists who are not as careful with nomenclature as our generation was.
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Lovely six. I love the filipendula, so much showier than astilbe. Tell me, how do you keep the lily beetle off your lilies? I love them but mine are all badly eaten this year.
Six on Saturday. July and Something Special. | The Blooming Garden (wordpress.com)
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When I ordered the lily bulbs from Harts Nursery they recommended I add a bottle of Grazers lily beetle repellent to the order, which I duly did. It hasn’t worked 100% but seems to have been very effective. Two thirds have had no beetles at all, the others very few.
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Hi, this is another interesting Six. The colour of the filipendula is really flashy and very nice. I know astilbes but I didn’t know that plant. Regarding the saccharum rubra, it’s a shame that it is not a sugar variety ( not the real sugarcane but it wouldn’t grow in our latitudes..) Finally, regarding the veronica, mine seems less high than yours , and is more compact with many fasciations. But the colour is the same. Here is my post for this week, https://fredgardenerblog2.wordpress.com/2024/07/06/six-on-saturday-06-07-24/
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