We’ve had nearly a week of cold nights, with frost forecast but not materialising to a significant degree. Tonight and tomorrow fit the same pattern, then it warms up a little. Sadly, it currently looks like the last cold night might be the coldest and there’s a world of difference between +1 and -1. Just when you thought you’d escaped.
I think most of the rest of the country has had it colder so I shouldn’t complain.
Anyhow, six on Saturday is the meme; post pictures of six things in your garden this Saturday, put a link to your post in the comments below; more details in the participants guide. Shall we crack on?
One.
I said something in a comment reply a couple of weeks ago about mentioning my allotment more than I do. I put up a new tunnel last year and one intention was to grow out of season veg in it. I haven’t really got going on that yet and even if I do it will still get used for overwintering plants from the garden. Like this Camellia, which is C. x vernalis ‘Starman’. Not available for sale in the UK to my knowledge, I grew this from cuttings sent over from America to go in one of the Camellia National Collections. I rooted a few and this one stayed with me.
Two.
Also in the tunnel I have several pots of lilies that I plunged in various places around the garden last summer. I’m pleased to see that they’re starting into growth again. These are ‘Anastasia’ and ‘Tigerwoods’. Harts Nursery, I’ve succumbed to a couple more this year, potted yesterday.
Three.
Outside the tunnel There are odds and ends of vegetables hanging on, leeks, kale, broccoli and parsnips. I have tried on some of the bare areas to grow cover crops and one that has done well for me is Phacelia tanacetifolia, except that it is usually killed by frost in the winter. Not so this year. It was sown very late and I was surprised that it made the growth it did in the autumn but still expected it to be dead by Christmas.
Four.
Way before there’s any “real” fruit ready, rhubarb is up and at it, filling the gap. Barring mishaps, I’ll start harvesting this before the end of March, mixing it with some of last year’s blackcurrants from the freezer and spooning it onto my morning muesli. It’s not an especially tasty variety but it’s early and prolific and the blackcurrants make up the lack of flavour.
Five.
Back in the garden there are a few more things stirring from their winter slumbers. Corydalis cheilanthifolia I would grow for its fern like foliage alone, but I don’t have to because it puts on a very respectable flower display as well.
Six.
I started with a Camellia and will finish with another. This is a japonica x lutchuensis hybrid called C. ‘Koto-no-kaori’ which I have growing more or less in full sun. It would probably be happier with shade in the middle of the day but might not flower so freely. A tree canopy overhead would give it a degree or two of frost protection too. Drops its flowers before they go brown, sweetly scented.
According to the BBC forecast from Tuesday we are in double digits by day and frost free at night for the next couple of weeks. Spring feels like it’s gathering pace and I’m impatient for it to do so. Have a good week.
garden ruminations 
Ah! So lovely to see your allotment! We’re looking at some warmer temps in the immediate future which feels very exciting even though we still have a solid two months before we’ve historically been safe from frost! Day by day, night by night 🙂 Hope the week ahead is wonderful!
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How lovely all !!
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I was checking the forecast for the next fortnight today, and like you I am hopeful that this week will see the back of this cooler weather. We had frost last night but our last frost in 2024 was in the first week of March… It was good to see your corydalis – a couple of mine are in bloom too, but not (yet) the blue variety I added last year. I meant to add some more potted lilies after seeing yours last year, so now you have prompted me I will have a look at Harts Nursery, assuming that is a recommendation of sorts. Thanks for hosting https://ramblinginthegarden.wordpress.com/2025/03/15/six-on-saturday-clumps-2/
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Beautiful Camellias again and I love the Cordyalis, this is new to me and I like them. I hope a warming trend finds you soon. The only time I have been to the UK it was March and I was frozen! https://theshrubqueen.com/2025/03/15/six-on-saturday-fruits-and-broms/
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Sue still hasn’t adjusted to the cold after her spell in Australia, and she’s been back nearly three weeks!
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it’s probably the cold dampness.
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You certainly have an interesting 6 again this week, Jim, and I am jealous of your rhubarb. I started some here several years back but it petered out after the first few years. Maybe the voles got it? Anyway, you are reminding me how good it is early in the season and I think I’ll try again. The Camellias are lovely, particularly x vernalis, and it is always interesting to see your allotment. The ferny foliage is stunning. I was wondering about your lush ‘fern patch’ when I looked up Phacelia only to learn it is one of our natives on the left of the pond. Imagine that. I’ve never seen it offered over here. It is gorgeous and I’m so glad it has survived your winter. Thank you for hosting and always having something interesting to share.
Here are my six for the week: https://woodlandgnome.wordpress.com/2025/03/15/six-on-saturday-small-beginnings/
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It seems like many of us are enamored with the rhubarb. I don’t see it much in the deep South, but I loved it in all forms—especially rhubarb pie—back on the Middle Atlantic coast. I’ve got some some things beginning to show life here: https://aftereden.blog/2025/03/15/six-on-saturday-15-march-2025/
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Glad to hear that spring is making strides in your part of the world. It is here in the Midwest U.S., too. Your plant growth is impressive. I truly love Camellias, and yours are stunning! Thanks for hosting.
https://plantpostings.blogspot.com/2025/03/saturdays-signs-of-spring.html
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Beautiful camellia photos. I spent last weekend in Mobile, Alabama with the Southern Garden History Society. It included a tour of the Mobile Botanical Garden and the camellias developed there by K. Sawada. Here is the link to that garden. Mobile Botanical Garden.
Here is my six for this week. Lots more color to show you.
https://mensgardenvestavia.wordpress.com/2025/03/14/blooms-and-greens-14-mar-2025/
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Apologies for posting late. There was nothing to post to last night, and I did not want to stay up too much later past midnight. Here it is.
https://tonytomeo.com/2025/03/15/six-on-saturday-color-of-profusion/
I almost got pictures of my two rhubarbs, but thought that the flowers would be more fun. I too often neglect flowers. I have been growing my primary rhubarb since before I was in kindergarten. My great grandfather gave me copies from his garden, where it had already grown for decades. It is probably common ‘Victoria’, with splendidly sharp flavor. I acquired my secondary rhubarb only a few years ago from a garden at work, but am not so impressed with its relatively mild flavor and odd pinkish green color when cooked.
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There are two National collections of rhubarb over here, one with 130 varieties, the other 107. I’m struggling to think what on earth the differences between them all could be.
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Dang! That is too many, and, as you suggest, they could not possibly be ‘that’ diverse!
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‘Starman’ is such a beauty, love the blush of pink around the edges. And those lilies look very strong and healthy. I haven’t seen any signs of frost here, but it has been very cold overnight and despite the sunny days the temperatures are still hovering around 8C.
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Ahh, spring! I can feel it too! It was about 70F here yesterday, though snow is predicted tomorrow. Such are the ups and downs of Midwestern spring. The native plants know better than to emerge too soon, but I keep poking around, looking for evidence.
That first camellia is very lovely. The last as well! Snow is my cover crop around here! I used to use crimson clover in my allotment in Seattle and it worked very well if planted at the beginning of September. Your fern like foliage reminded me that I want to look out for fiddleheads this year. My ostrich fern is spreading more than I want, so I figure, if you can’t beat it, eat it! Last year I kept forgetting to look so they were always past their prime for eating when I noticed them. I have a single pink knob of rhubarb emerging – there will be more!
https://wisconsingarden.wordpress.com/2025/03/15/march-15-2025-six-on-saturday/
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We rarely get snow and uncultivated ground is covered with vegetation throughout the winter, mostly perennial grasses. I take that as my guide to what nature intended but it’s hard to find things that can be sown post harvest and make a decent amount of growth before winter, and be hardy enough to take frost. I’m gradually learning, but you only get one shot each year, so it takes time to learn what works, and even then there’s no guarantee it will do so regularly.
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That is the truth! In Seattle they would send out reminders to get your winter cover crop in by early September. It is not nearly as successful if you wait to long. We used buckwheat in summer, and I still grow it where nothing else is growing and it reseeds all over. I love the delicate flowers and that the leaf cutter bees seem to enjoy usint the leaves to line their nests.
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‘Starman’ is the star this week. What a treasure to have in your garden. Beautiful. Here’s my six for the week – things that will be wonderful soon, I hope! https://n20gardener.com/2025/03/15/six-on-saturday-things-to-come/
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My Rhubarb looks to be at a similar stage, I hadn’t thought about harvesting any yet. I shall take another look at it later.
I’m comparing some rainfall figures in my post today.
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The rhubarb is such a strong variety I feel able to take a few sticks very early without doing it any harm.
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What a beautiful Camellia. I’m talking of course, about your Camellia ‘Starman’. You have an amazing collection of camellias. I’ve just finished my morning bowl of porridge with a couple of spoonfuls of garden rhubarb. The stems are still slender, but lovely and sweet. My offering for this week:
https://notesfrommygarden.co.uk/2025/03/15/spring-gems-and-woes/
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I’m also an admirer of C. ‘Starman’, such a pure white. I must look at that Corydalis. As you say, worth it for the foliage alone. C. lutea came with the house 40 odd years ago and I’ve kept it in one small area but find seedlings everywhere.
https://thequiltinggardener.wordpress.com/2025/03/15/six-on-saturday-15-03-2025/
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The first open flower on Starman had an all over very pale pink blush by today. It’s in my tunnel, so warmish, not sure it would do the same outdoors. The Corydalis produces enough seedlings to keep going but rarely enough to have to remove any. It moves around all over the garden.
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I love Starman, what a beautiful pure flower. I’m very impressed by the lilies, they are coming on very strongly. Woken up to a beautiful but cold morning here, just a little more warmth and all will be perfect. Have a good weekend, here are my six https://offtheedgegardening.com/2025/03/15/six-on-saturday-whinge-free/
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I’m impressed by the progress of your rhubarb! … I was just talking about it with my mother who can already see the first leaves while mine is still underground. It must depend on the varieties. Then, we can’t help but admire this superb white camellia flower…. https://fredgardenerblog2.wordpress.com/2025/03/15/six-on-saturday-15-03-25/
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I don’t know what variety of rhubarb that one is but I have one called ‘Champagne’ which is barely showing above ground.
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Starman is stunning, a worthy first for your six although the other camellia and the corydalis are beautiful, too.
Here is my six this week: https://mysanctuarygarden.wordpress.com/2025/03/15/six-on-saturday-15-03-2025/
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‘Starman’ is a beauty and wow to the rhubarb. The frosts have but slowed my rhubarb down a bit here https://onemanandhisgardentrowel.wordpress.com/2025/03/15/six-on-saturday-15-march-2025/
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Those Rhubarb leaves are quite magnificent, and you have pipped me to the post with your Corydalis. I have been watching mine, and been waiting for the flowers to show through a little more, you are definitely a couple of weeks ahead of me. Here are my six:
https://noellemace.blogspot.com/2025/03/six-on-saturday-15-march-2025.html
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You have an admirable camellia collection. I like the delicate petals of the Koto-no-kaori. It looks very healthy! Your rhubarb also looking vigorous. Mine never looks like it’s thriving. Hope you catch a break with the cold! I finally managed a post for SOS! It’s been a long time. https://the-compulsive-gardener.com/2025/03/15/finding-peace-in-the-garden-during-dark-days/
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