Our last open day is today, which is just as well since most of the paths around the garden are getting hard to negotiate for all the vegetation hanging over them. Roll on 2025. I did a quick whizz round on Friday morning grabbing a few pictures, then set about some last minute tidying and watering before yesterday’s opening. Now that it’s too late to retake anything, I get to see which pictures are usable.
All of which, as most of you will know, is in pursuit of the six things happening in my garden on a Saturday that this meme requires. Read on, you’ll pick it up in no time. There’s also a participants guide here. Right, action!
One.
We have a lean-to glasshouse on the north facing back wall of the house. We grandly call it our conservatory and sometimes wish it were a bit more deserving of the title. Move a couple of things around and choose the right camera angle and it looks pretty fair. Then there’s the more honest shot. The yellow and apricot Begonias were from Plants Galore in Plympton; they must have had far fewer sales than they’d planned for and were selling off hundreds of them at £1 each. They’re getting better and better, it seems like a bigger bargain with every day that passes.
Two.
Here’s a view of it from the outside. We like plants, all sorts of plants, but we also very much like colour.
Three.
Up at the other end of the garden, in front of Sue’s glasshouse, our visitors get to run the gauntlet of all the overspill from the glasshouse, most of which are spiny.
Four.
I set about creating a small area of large foliage jungle effect in one of the more shady areas of the garden but didn’t get round to remove some of the existing inappropriate plants. Not that all Fuchsias would be totally out of place, just the one that we have. I’m pretty pleased at how it’s worked out and I think it will improve over the next month or two. Then we have difficult choices about what to leave out and how to protect it.
Five.
OK, that’s enough view shots, a couple of individual plants to finish. This is Roscoea beesiana ‘Monique’. It’s had a good year, plentiful rainfall producing far better results than any amount of watering. The red one at the bottom is one of Keith Wiley’s seedlings from Wildside.
Six.
Begonia sutherlandii has proved to be fully hardy in this garden for a number of years. It comes up late and takes its time to really get motoring, then gives a sterling performance for about three months. It produces thousands of bulbils when it dies down and is beginning to appear away from where it was planted, not that I envisage it evr becoming problematic.
My next big task is to purchase and erect a polytunnel on my allotment; that is, the plot I’m keeping as I have two and am giving up the one that currently has my tunnel on it. I’m not going to move it to the other plot but leave it for the people who are taking over. You might get a six from the allotment yet.
garden ruminations 
Your garden is always lovely to see. That glasshouse is just stunning so full of color, what a joy!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Better late than never, Jim
https://pigletinportugal.com/2024/08/12/august-garden-diary-growing-hibiscus-in-pots/
LikeLiked by 1 person
I don’t post often but today was thrilled to find 6 wonderful offerings from the flowers and vegetables. I love summer!
LikeLiked by 1 person
My goodness Jim, what a wall of colour met me with that first photograph! And you have so much else in your garden that is looking good still – I suppose there are bits of mine that are looking OK but at the moment I am mostly seeing the bits that are not! 😉 I am guessing you will have benefitted from more rain down in the SW as everything is looking really lush. Good luck with your last opening 👍 Thanks for finding.making time to host this meme My six are here https://ramblinginthegarden.wordpress.com/2024/08/10/six-on-saturday-more-cuts/
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s been the wettest summer I can remember and a lot of things have made prodigious growth. Flowering has been a bit more patchy; sun lovers like Cosmos, Cleome and Salvias have underperformed.
LikeLike
Very different here, Jim – a wet spring but mostly dry and warm since…or perhaps I have forgotten about any rain!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, you are definitely not shy of colour! I know, a silly question, but why don’t you keep the allotment plot that already has the polytunnel? Hope your open days went well this week, slightly moist here today and very warm. If I ever get myself up your way I must certainly pop in.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The plot without the tunnel has my fruit cage and very well established blueberry bushes and I have spent ten years getting the soil into good shape. Plus the tunnel will soon need re-sheeting and new doorframes, probably around half its total value. It seemed a better bet to get a new and slightly bigger one. It drizzled most of the time we were open yesterday but we still had a few people along so were happy enough. Quite glad that’s it for this year though, it can all go overblown and floppy without us having to worry about it. And you must indeed pop in if you’re up this way, we’re (well I’m) usually here or on the allotment.
LikeLike
Your conservatory seems stellar to me. Love all the colour in your garden. I can’t even imagine leaving a begonia in the ground as I am a harsh zone 3.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I can’t imagine gardening in zone 3 conditions, I would be very surprised if a quarter of what I grow would survive; begonias certainly wouldn’t.
LikeLike
A lot depends on the freeze thaw during winter and how much snow cover we get. We are already getting within the frost range and my squash are just starting to develop! But it makes us all hardy!
LikeLiked by 1 person
It is looking rather like a tropical paradise in your garden this week Jim. I shall return to have a good read and also have a peep at what others have posted some time within the next few days. Here are my six: https://noellemace.blogspot.com/2024/08/six-on-saturday-10-august-2024.html
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s even having a stab at tropical temperatures for us today, 25, wow! Back to normal tomorrow. We’re set to get a week of summer, one day at a time.
LikeLike
I’m in awe of all you have created here. So many lovely plants, appealing planting. My gardening is so haphazard by comparison.
https://tishfarrell.com/2024/08/10/six-on-saturday-more-from-the-random-garden/
LikeLiked by 1 person
Fantastic. Your Begonias are so amazing. I was stabbed in the toe by an Aloe this morning, be careful. https://theshrubqueen.com/2024/08/10/six-on-saturday-summer-survivors-or-not/
LikeLiked by 1 person
Very impressive that you have this and the alotment to keep up.My days for this much work are over but I can dream .
LikeLiked by 1 person
I get a little less done with every year that passes, hence getting rid of one allotment to reduce my workload. Better to do less and do it well I reckon.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I was so eager to get out in the garden I forgot to leave my comment and link! I hope you are having a great day with plenty of visitors. It’s lovely to see every corner of your garden bursting with something interesting. Great work. Here’s my link to a very dry garden: http://n20gardener.com/2024/08/10/six-on-saturday-harvesting/
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for all the view shots. They give perspective. I also like begonias as one of the stalwarts of my garden.
There is a hint of fall in the air here.
LikeLike
Yes, your conservatory is so tidy! Very impressive for visitors! And the garden itself is really beautiful. Hope your day is going well.
LikeLiked by 1 person
We never get as many visitors as we hope for but then have long and detailed conversations with the ones we do get and are quite glad there weren’t a lot more.
LikeLiked by 1 person
What an amazingly clean and tidy conservatory/greenhouse. I am sure your visitors will be impressed! Hope it goes well today. https://davidsgardendiary.com/2024/08/10/six-on-saturday-126/
LikeLiked by 1 person
Such a lot of colour in your garden, love the long shots. You make me realise that I am underusing my conservatory, must do something about that next year!
Mt six are here………….https://www.leadupthegardenpath.com
LikeLiked by 1 person
I don’t put greenhouse/conservatory/house plants into my sixes very often, it kind of seems not true to the concept, but there is a bottomless pit of plants that can be grown with a little protection and I always see an empty glasshouse as something of an affront.
LikeLike
Sue’s plants will keep your visitors from straying off of the path. I remember going to a talk about Ventnor Botanic Garden many years ago and the then curator said that they planted Agaves at strategic points to stop visitors walking into borders.
LikeLiked by 1 person
They’d likely be too worried about getting sued to plant Agaves next to paths these days.
LikeLike
Sad but true
LikeLiked by 1 person
Lovely to get the views of your garden. I hope you had a good number through to see it.
https://thistlesandkiwis.org/2024/08/10/six-on-saturday-10-08-24/
LikeLiked by 1 person
Lets just say it was a good number but not a big number. Enough.
LikeLike
Inside and out your glasshouse looks great. It must be wonderful to sit there and immerse yourself in all those colourful plants. I hope you get decent weather for your final open day. Here are my six:
https://notesfrommygarden.co.uk/2024/08/10/late-summer-gardening-whats-growing-in-week-two-of-august/
LikeLiked by 1 person
Is Begonia richmondensis still grown? That was one that I grew enough of for the entire neighborhood. I do not remember if it was common everywhere, or just where I grew so much of it from six cell pack originals. It was pretty, but I did sort of get tired of it. Of course, I would grow it again if I ever get a cutting of it. All those Agave look intimidating. I would not want to move them all out of the greenhouse. I would not want to move them anywhere! Gee, your astilbe are nice.
These are my six.
https://tonytomeo.com/2024/08/10/six-on-saturday-amiss/
LikeLike
I can see why people love to visit your garden, it is looking splendid! Love the conservatory bursting with colour. Also the Begonia sutherlandii is incredible. Have a good day and then you can relax a little. Here are my six https://offtheedgegardening.com/2024/08/10/six-on-saturday-fallen/
LikeLike
Always good to see views of your garden. I hope the final open day of the year goes well https://onemanandhisgardentrowel.wordpress.com/2024/08/10/six-on-saturday-10-august-2024/
LikeLike