There are things that are definitely not better late than never, Covid being one of them. I have it; I don’t like it.
I’ve spent a fair bit of this week on my allotment and almost none in the garden. It’s looking increasingly autumnal, to a degree that is all the more noticeable for spending several days away from it. What’s it like where you are? The guidance notes for joining in are here, it’d be great to hear from you, the more so as the challenge of finding half a dozen things in the garden gets trickier.
One.
Crataegus prunifolia or Crategus persimilis ‘Prunifolia’ as it seems to now be, is in next door’s garden but overhangs ours by a good way. I don’t have a problem with that, in fact the people living there were going to cut it down when they moved in and when I expressed disappointment with that they kept it. I dare not ask whether they’ve grown to like it, it’s probably not a question they’d understand, or not in the way I meant it.
Two.
Miscanthus sinensis ‘Septemberot’ is going to be moved sometime this winter. It has outgrown its space, is now blocking the path and muscling in on other plants. I’ve moved it back from the path once but that made worse its encroachment on its neighbours so it’s going where the Camellia I dug out earlier because of honey fungus was.
Three.
The top corner of the garden was where our polytunnel used to be. It was moved up to one of my allotments late in 2020, the space cleared, the glasshouse extended. 2021 was the first year we opened for NGS so we planted the space with things that would grow fast and look decent by midsummer when we would have our first visitors. Four years on and it needs a bit of a rethink; it is looking overcrowded and out of scale with its surroundings. It’s been very successful in giving us abundant summer colour right from the first year so the challenge is to keep the good aspects and sort out the problems. It would be nice to be able to sit on the seat and see something other than a wall of plants a foot from your face.
Four.
This was the week when our entry for next years NGS openings had to go in. National Gardens Scheme, for our overseas visitors, whereby people open their gardens for a charity. They publish a book (“The yellow book”) and have a website, so they need to get commitments to open early so that the people who open to show off their snowdrops get a fair crack. Our first opening next year will be in the middle of June, which seems an eternity away. I was wanting to update one or two of the pictures of our garden that they have on the website, at least one of which shows the tunnel which went in 2020. I tried to take a few pictures this week but at this time of year, as well as the garden looking more than a little shabby, much of it is in shade except in the middle of the day and the sun has been unbroken most of the week creating harsh shadows. This was a half hearted attempt at getting creative, it won’t get used.
Five.
It’s getting to the point in this country where the lack of insects is impossible not to notice and equally impossible not to worry about given their significance to gardeners, and the rest of the populace, did they but know it. Here’s a cricket, we get a few most years.
Six.
It seems quite likely that we are at peak Salvia right now. They’ve had a terrible year; most of what was left in the ground died last winter and lack of sun has meant the young replacements have made slow growth and been late and reluctant to flower, at least as compared to what we regard as normal. These are Salvia ‘Black and Bloom’.
I hope I’ve shaken off this pestilence by next week, it really isn’t much fun and it seems highly unlikely that I’ll get to do a garden talk I was booked to do in Devon next week. Just now I can’t get half a dozen words out without going into a coughing fit.
garden ruminations 
Hope you feel better soon. I’m impressed that you had the energy to put together a blog post while in the grip of the plague.
Here are my six, coming in just under the wire. I know it’s Sunday where you are, but it’s still Saturday here.
LikeLike
Ugh. I’m sorry about the Covid. We had it last year, The fatigue was the worst part, I think. I hope you can get some rest. The garden looks good. I had the Black and Bloom Salvia last year and never saw it again. I have been planting for pollinators, makes quite a difference in the insect population.
LikeLike
Huge commiserations to you, Jim – I didn’t succumb till last year, having thought I was invincible, and wouldn’t wish it on anybody. At least I didn’t have the lingering cough that all recent cases seem to have, so I should be grateful for that. I hope it doesn’t knock you back for too long 🤞
LIke you, I end up leaving our NGS reistration to the the last minute, even trhough nothing is changing other than the dates – although I could do with uploading some more recent photos too.That miscanthus is astonishing, as are all plants, really! I see you wanted your neighbours to keep ther tree because it hides intimate detail of their washing… 😉 Trees look so much better if they are kept in their natural shape, so lopping random branches off doesn’t really help – hence we are (probably) getting rid of another of ours soon, as you will see here:
https://ramblinginthegarden.wordpress.com/2024/09/21/six-on-saturday-room-for-more-roses/
LikeLike
Sorry you’re sick. I hope you get over it fast. Why is your insect population dropping? Here’s mine: https://stoneyknob.wordpress.com/2024/09/21/sos-happy-autumnal-equinox/
LikeLike
Yuck to the covid, I hope it passes quickly. I love all the summer color in pic #3, but understand when things go overboard it’s time for a chop. Here we are heating up again but with the shorter days, I can’t complain.
LikeLike
The plant enclosed bench is great. But what gardener gets the chance to sit and rest anyway? After a few months of weather and life getting in the way, I finally managed a SoS post this week. Here is the link: https://aftereden.blog/2024/09/21/six-on-saturday-21-september-2024/
LikeLike
sorry for your illness but your garden is still looking good.
LikeLike
Here it has been hot for two weeks, but we had a nice rain and it is set to be around 20-22 C this week. Leaves are beginning to turn, birds are ravaging the seedheads of Echinacea and Agastache. Plants susceptible to powdery mildew are beginning to show signs as the garden has shade earlier in the afternoon. And the sandhill cranes are beginning to stage for their migration. Asters figure heavily in my landscape (even along the roadside) and seeds are ripening. If only this did not mean that soon I will be in for three months with average daytime temps below freezing, six with nighttime average temps below freezing. Shudder. My garden will be protected by spent plants and hopefully a good layer of snow during that time. We get too many thaws and snow comes later than it did historically. Here are my six: https://wisconsingarden.wordpress.com/2024/09/21/september-21-2024-six-on-saturday/
LikeLike
Haha, I got all involved in your question of what it is like here that I forgot completely to comment on your awesome cricket! do you have Sphex wasps there? They are gorgeous, but they paralyze one of these (cricket, grasshopper, katydid) to lay its eggs in. The salvia is lovely too – is it easy to grow from seed? I happen to know where I can find some…Bet hummingbirds would love it…
LikeLike
Am in awe of your lovely garden, Jim. Wishing you a speedy recovery.
https://tishfarrell.com/2024/09/21/six-on-saturday-of-flying-saucers-scorpionweed-and-an-end-to-the-great-gobbling/
LikeLike
Hope you’re feeling better soon, Jim – you’ll need your strength to move that really beautiful Miscanthus, I bet. I dread whenever I feel the need to move an ornamental grass – they often have such deep roots! Loads of bees and crickets here as usual but a real dearth of monarch butterflies. It’s very troubling…
LikeLike
Sorry, here’s my link for this week.
LikeLike
The initial COVID symptoms that I had were some aching and sinus congestion. Annoying but tolerable. But the sensitive upper airway with bronchial coughing seemed to last for weeks. I hope yours passes much more quickly.
I am also editing my garden. I have moved a rose and an azalea yesterday a more suitable garden environ. That does look like a large clump of Miscanthus.
I have a similar Salvia which has been rejuvenated the past few weeks.
LikeLike
I really hope the coughing clears up soon, it’s so exhausting. I share your thoughts on salvias for this year. I have two survivors that have just about flowered. From Fred’s comments it doesn’t sound like moving the miscanthus will be fun! I wish you luck with that when the time comes. Here’s my link https://n20gardener.com/2024/09/21/six-on-saturday-celebrations/ I’m in happy mode!
LikeLiked by 1 person
So sorry to hear you have been nobbled, Jim. May it pass quickly. As for suitable images, you have posted some lovely images this year!
LikeLike
Hopefully COVID will finish with you soon.
LikeLike
Get well soon!
LikeLike
So sorry to hear you have been poorly and hope you get back to normal fairly soon. I agree with you that this time of the year we need to think whether plants ought to be moved. Your miscanthus is ready to take over for sure. We seem to have a good crop of insects here and have seen crickets and grass hoppers, though we don’t have a lawn, maybe they are being attracted by the other grasses I have been adding to the garden over the last couple of years. Here are my six: https://noellemace.blogspot.com/2024/09/six-on-saturday_21.html
LikeLike
I think most of us are noticing the lack of insects now – butterflies are particularly absent from my garden – and I can’t remember the last time I heard a cricket. We have new neighbours and there is a very large apple tree in their garden full of apples that they’re not picking. I’m not holding out much hope for the trees survival but it is literally the only plant (not including grass) in the garden. Wishing you a speedy recovery.
LikeLike
So sorry to hear you have covid. It’s not pleasant and I’m surprised you’re on you feet and still working on your allotment. It’s times like this where rest is helpful. The miscanthus is a beauty as are the salvias. This is my final Six, Jim, until probably late winter/early spring – explanation on my blog. Meantime here’s my ‘double’ effort for this week:
https://notesfrommygarden.co.uk/2024/09/21/autumn-glory/
LikeLike
Yes, gone are the days of having to clean myriads of insects from your windscreen when out driving on a summer’s day. One of my farming friends has an explanation, he says that you don’t see beasts in the fields like you used to and where there’s cattle there’s flies!
Hope you are well soon, covid is something I have never had and certainly don’t want.
https://ricksplantworld.blog/2024/09/21/six-on-saturday-21-09-2024/
LikeLike
Covid is definitely doing the rounds again, we know of quite a few people who’ve had it recently. I’m sorry you’re one of them and I hope you’re feeling better soon.
Your salvia is looking better than mine, which I also feature this week in my rather lacklustre six: https://mysanctuarygarden.wordpress.com/2024/09/21/six-on-saturday-21-09-24/
LikeLiked by 1 person
I forgot to say that I echo your sentiments about insects. My garden is full of plants for pollinators but the number of bees I see in it doesn’t reflect that. The number of butterflies I’ve seen this year is woeful, and very concerning.
LikeLike
Oh Cuss! I did not expect to read about COVID here. Well, at least you ‘sound’ good. As an arborist, I have encountered several trees that one neighbor ‘disliked’ in another neighbor’s garden. When they hang over the fence, it can get ugly. One of my six is a flowering cherry that I like to brag about. I know that it will be a popular tree in the future.
https://tonytomeo.com/2024/09/21/six-on-saturday-yoshino/
LikeLiked by 1 person
Lovely views of the garden. I hope your neighbours have grown to like the tree. Round here they all seem to chop them down which is a shame – they can add so much ‘borrowed’ greenery to garden views. Wishing you a speedy covid recovery. My mother-in-law has caught it for the first time this week.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hmm, with a link this time https://onemanandhisgardentrowel.wordpress.com/2024/09/21/six-on-saturday-21-september-2024/
LikeLiked by 1 person
I had “fun” moving a miscanthus this week and I wish you good luck…. !!
Mine is 80cm in diameter and what a weight! I had to split it into 4 to succeed and the cut had to be done with a chainsaw because it is so dense. So I have 4 miscanthus now 😂
Nice successful photo of the cricket and vibrant colour of this Salvia ‘Black and Bloom’. https://fredgardenerblog2.wordpress.com/2024/09/21/six-on-saturday-21-09-24/?_gl=1*1xvarp2*_gcl_au*Mjk1OTgwMzc2LjE3MjM0NjYxNzk.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Absolutely not the kind of fun I need just now, I’ll probably wait until spring.
LikeLiked by 1 person
certainly because of your health / covid… There are many people affected in France too. My assistant is the closest but she still comes to work… so I protect myself!
LikeLike
Oh no, what a nightmare, so sorry you have succumbed to the dreaded COVID. It is so boring being ill. Will you divide the miscanthus or move it in it’s magnificent whole? Love the cricket, the salvia and always good to see pictures of your fabulous borders. Take it easy, here are mine http://offtheedgegardening.com/2024/09/21/six-on-saturday-windy/
LikeLiked by 1 person
Boring is exactly what it is. Time slows to a snail’s pace and you don’t have the energy to do anything. I’m not sure about the Miscanthus, it’s of a size to completely fill the place I’m intending to move it to, perhaps a smaller chunk would make more sense.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh dear, Get well soon, the garden needs you!
The salvia is lovely, interesting to hear your thoughts on its struggle this year.
LikeLiked by 1 person
One of my neighbours on the allotments is growing cut flowers for weddings and it’s been interesting to see the turnaround on her Cosmos in the last week, with pretty much wall to wall sunshine. They’re flowering their heads off above terrible foliage. Some plants seem to be highly dependent on full sun, including some but not all Salvias.
LikeLike