Mid July and still the weather persists with being cool and wet. Looking at pictures from the same time last year I see there is a lot less in flower, in particular Cosmos and Cleome, which are way behind where they were then. We also lost several plants over the winter, like Salvia nemorosa and Monarda and have failed to replace them with plants that are now in flower as they were. A week of warm sunny weather would go some way to turning things around before our next opening on the 19th but it’s not what we’re forecast to get. On the other hand we were at the end of our stored water last year having spent weeks struggling to keep everything alive, so perhaps it is not this year that is the unusual one.
Anyhow, the task to hand is to pick six from the many things happening in the garden this Saturday and to post a picture accompanied by a few words; thereby satisfying the criteria for Six on Saturday. Put a comment in my comments section below with a link to your post and you’re in business.
One.
Astilbe ‘Visions’ is perhaps the best of the Astilbes in our ex-pond just now. Dense upright spikes of purplish flowers that closely match a Buddleia further back in the garden for colour and shape.
Two.
Lilium leichtlinii was the one that got me started on lilies. Keith Wiley had used a plunged pot of them at Wildside and I followed suit. Liking the effect very much led me to plant up several more varieties this year, none of which has pleased me to anything like the same degree, so far at least.
Three.
However hard I may be to please it would be difficult to argue that the other lilies are not spectacular. This is Lilium ‘Largo’, 1.4m tall with blooms 23cm across and strongly scented. The sunny picture was horribly contrasty in this morning’s strong sunshine but the other version looks dull. Take your pick.
Four.
I was trying to poke bits of my massive Molinia grass back into its support when I spotted this beastie, meaning I had to find something else to do. I think it’s a male southern hawker but I know next to nothing about dragonflies and am happy to be corrected.
Five.
I have no idea what this Hebe is called, it was grown from a cutting off a bush in a neighbour’s garden. The question yet to be answered is whether we can keep it healthy, downy mildew having rendered a good many hebes ungrowable in our part of the world. It’s pretty much the same colour as our purple Iris ensata.
Six.
At this point I’m thinking I maybe should have saved a lily till last, whereas what you’re getting is Fuchsia ‘Delta’s Sarah’. She can hold her own against the blowsy lilies and will be still going months after they are finished and gone.
That’s yer lot for another week. I have a request. I have been asked to do a talk to a garden club about Begonias, of which I grow a few. They want a catchy title to put on their poster for it and I cannot come up with anything: any ideas?
garden ruminations 
Wow! Love all of these. That fuchsia is a dream, I’ve never seen that one.
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You have a wonderful garden ! Same here with the weather, we have one or two summerdays and then it it cool and wet again.
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Love the lillies. I stopped growing the asiatic varieties when I discovered the pollen is poisonous for cats and we had two at the time. Here’s my six, also reflecting on the autumn weather in July. http://lifeonalondonplot.com/2024/07/13/six-on-saturday-13-07-2024/
Which begonia heading have you chosen?
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I’m still mulling the Begonias title and will probably make a couple of suggestions to the garden club lady. Alliteration will feature, so some combination of beautiful, beguiling and begonias, possibly with the addition of baffling, since they are certainly that as well.
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Hey Jude’s ‘Beguiling Begonias’ is great, and I would add, ‘Bountiful Begonias’ because they are so very generous with their flowers and beautiful leaves once they get going. I love your Fuchsia photo today. The color in your other photos is strong and rich, and it shows that your plants are well watered. You didn’t mention your Verbena bonariensis behind your ‘Largo’ lilies, but that is a lovely association. And your beastie is lovely, too. He must be very contented in your garden.
Here are my six for the week, and I am very happy to say that finally, we’ve had some good rain: https://woodlandgnome.wordpress.com/2024/07/13/six-on-saturday-is-it-tasty/
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Your lilies are breathtaking! Wow, gorgeous. Love dragonflies,too. https://theshrubqueen.com/2024/07/13/six-on-saturday-mixed-feelings/
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I know some very good B words if you need any help. 😁 Lush lilies.
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Great selections! what a gorgeous dragonfly! They have been busy here trying to keep the mosquito population down but they are not winning the war! I also love the fuchsia – such delicate colors! I focused on flowers today, but feel an insect post coming on, as I have a new photo of my little katydid, which I persist in assuming it is the same one, however unlikely that may be!
https://wisconsingarden.wordpress.com/2024/07/13/july-13-2024-six-on-saturday/
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The lilies are spectacular. I am a fan. If I could trade you some of our heat for some of your rain, I would. The beastie is intriguing.
Happy gardening to all!
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Yeah, the lilies are certainly spectacular, but that final Fuchsia is like a gown on a princess at a royal ball. ‘Bet on Begonias!’
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beguiling begonias! Because yours certainly are. Some lovely rich purples from you this week. The hebe flower is almost like a buddleia it is so long.
https://cornwallincolours.blog/2024/07/13/six-on-saturday-still-waiting/
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great photo of the dragonfly..very nice
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Your Lily leichtlinii is a real Wow, fantastic! Must try mine in pots in future. Super photo of your dragonfly, My six are here…………………https://www.leadupthegardenpath.com
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The Fuchsia ‘Delta’s Sarah is lovely.
A mini six from winter in the Southern Hemisphere https://thistlesandkiwis.org/2024/07/13/six-on-saturday-13-07-24/
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This week my no. 1 choice is the lovely Lilium leichtlinii, followed closely by Fuchsia ‘Delta’s Sarah’ – which is one I always plan to get only to find that I’ve left it too late and it’s out of stock. I’ll choose the lily in overcast light, it shows the detail in the flower whereas the sunlight has cast too many dark shadows on the plant. It’s a gorgeous lily. Here’s my effort for this week:
https://notesfrommygarden.co.uk/2024/07/13/why-we-abandoned-the-garden/
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Morning Jim. That dragonfly pic is superb. I get a lot of Red Darters carelessly wafting into the kitchen through open patio doors which I am summoned to remove. There are very often two together, if you know what I mean! Here are my six https://davidsgardendiary.com/2024/07/13/six-on-saturday-124/
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“Mit Adam und Eva hat alles begonien” I read in the web.
So maybe: “Everything begonia with Adam and Eve”. Or: “Let’s begonia”?
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Your lilies certainly are spectacular, and it was interesting seeing the contrasting versions of ‘Largo’. Do you plunge all your lilies in pots into the ground in pots, or was it just the leichtlinii? Thanks for hosting – it’s unlike me to be so early in the day with my contribution, but here it is: https://ramblinginthegarden.wordpress.com/2024/07/13/six-on-saturday-whats-new-3/
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All the lilies are in pots, it means I can get them up to two or three feet in my tunnel before plunging them, relatively safe from slugs because they’re bigger and it’s later in the year.
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Hmm, perhaps I will try lilies other than Asiatic then, if they are happy in pots. I always keep the latter in the g/h until they are well in leaf (or I run out of room!)
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Beautiful Astilbe, I wish I had a damp area in the garden but there’s nowhere left to make one. A new garden needed! https://thequiltinggardener.wordpress.com/2024/07/13/six-on-saturday-13-07-2024/
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That fuchsia is a special one! I also enjoy the Visions astilbe here in my Pacific Northwest garden. Its brightness shines in the shade. My week is full of peonies (still!) and many roses, here — https://gardensatcoppertop.com/2024/07/13/saturday-july-13/
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The pretty hebe flowers and this close-up of a dragonfly are my favourites this week! I also do like the Lilium leichtlinii with its many flowers. This week I have a few more exotics…. https://fredgardenerblog2.wordpress.com/2024/07/13/six-on-saturday-13-07-24/
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‘Delta’s Sarah’ is such a great fuchsia, – mine is on the cusp of flowering. Wow to Lilium leichtlinii. Just looked up Begonia puns online. There only seems to be one – Begonia as in begging ya/begging you. ‘Come to our talk, we’re Begonia’ may be a bit a long for a poster though – and cause a bit of head scratching! https://onemanandhisgardentrowel.wordpress.com/2024/07/13/six-on-saturday-13-july-2024/
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https://tonytomeo.com/2024/07/13/six-on-saturday-variegata/
Gee, now that I see all your flowers, I realize that I have none within my six. Your ‘Visions’ Astilbe is rad! So is that ‘Delta’s Sarah’ Fuchsia, with its Navy like color. I have no idea what that Hebe is either. I did not recognize it as a Hebe. It looks like Buddleia.
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Oh bother, please tell me my comment went into spam, rather than the either of the internet and I need to write it all again?
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It did go into spam and I’ve rescued it, along with a couple of others.
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Many thanks.
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What a great Dragonfly and I love the dark colours of the hebe.
A catchy title hmm….It depends what you are going to include in your talk…Begonias for beginners? Beautiful Begonias? Begonias and Me? Belt and Braces Begonias? B for Begonia? Begonias and Beyond?
Anyway here’s my six for this week:
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Alliteration has to be the way to go. I’m going to get dozens of suggested B words and must be able to string something good together from them all. Thanks for your suggestions.
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