After last week’s excitement I am quite happy to report that this week has been relatively uneventful. Things are growing, the garden gets greener by the day. There will never be a better time to join the Saturday sixers; just post pictures of six things happening in your garden this Saturday and put a link in my comments section below. The participants guide is here. Onward and upward!
One.
I still have a few more camellias to get through. This one is C. japonica ‘Bob Hope’, pretty much a stereotypical camellia with big flowers and dark glossy leaves on a dense bush.
Two.
Camellia ‘Fairy Wand’ is different to the point that some people would likely not recognise it as a camellia. Very small starry flowers on a much more open bush. No scent unfortunately.
Three.
Apart from Camellias, almost all the flower in the garden at the moment is coming from things that have self sown. Primroses, Forget-me-nots, Muscari, bluebells and wood anemones; planted originally but now naturalised, they will all disappear over the summer below bigger plants, then reappear next year.
Four.
I still find it extraordinary that Adiantum venustum, a hardy maidenhair fern, is not just hardy but is happy to the verge of invasiveness in dry or moist areas, shade or sun. I doubt it would be as accommodating somewhere hotter and dryer than Cornwall but here it spreads slowly but relentlessly. By and large I’m happy to let it.
Five.
The maidenhair fern is growing beneath Pittosporum ‘Elizabeth’, which for the last couple of months has been shedding its old leaves onto the emerging fern fronds. The Pittosporum is now in flower and but for the stiff breeze today, would have been wafting its scent into the air.
Six.
Begonia xanthina ‘Marmorea’ isn’t strictly in my garden, at least not yet. I put it in a six in October last year when it started flowering and on 27th December I cut up a leaf and pushed the pieces into a 1L pot of compost which I then put in my propagator. Every leaf section looks to have produced at least one new plant and they need separating and potting up individually. I thought I’d taken a picture when I took the cuttings but it seems I didn’t. Here they are now though. I will be trying a plant in the ground for this summer, not one of these, one I took earlier.
I had too many items to include them all, not a bad problem to have. I’ll sneak one in as the header pic. Have a good gardening week.
garden ruminations 
Amazing pictures !!
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The flowers on the Pittosporum are such an interesting color! Beautiful photos and a beautiful garden.
Here are my six (first time!): https://puttingdownroots.blog/2025/04/05/six-on-saturday/
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Welcome to Six on Saturday. I read your very interesting post and was struck by how different your approach is to mine yet I like what you’re doing and seemingly vice versa.
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I love maidenhair fern! I had one but did a bad job of planting it and it did not make it. I should try again. It is a great time of year. I would like maybe 10 degrees warmer and/or less wind, then I would be out there for sure. I do need to address a few things out there, so I will steel myself.
Spring is good!
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We’ve had a lot of wind lately, which makes it feel chilly even when it isn’t especially cold. I hope it stops blowing when the trees come into leaf or we’ll be in drought by May.
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I was unaware that pittosporum could bloom, and that the blooms might be fragrant, so I am guessing it is only certain varieties – something to investigate, at least. The fern is a curiosity too! Always something to learn on your blog, Jim, so thank you, and for hosting the meme https://ramblinginthegarden.wordpress.com/2025/04/05/six-on-saturday-born-to-blush-unseen/
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As far as I know, all Pittosporum varieties will eventually flower, not that I’ve grown very many sorts to flowering size. I have Pittosporum anomalum and that has minute flowers with a very strong and not very pleasant scent.
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Well, well, who knew?!
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I wouldn’t have known what Fairy Wand is..except wow! I’ve bought some more begonias.. do you think they are habit forming?I like the new one, amazing luck with the propagator.
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I was surprised that Tony was familiar with Fairy Wand, which I thought had antipodean origins and therefore likely wouldn’t have made it to the US. Shows what I know. (I just checked and it was raised by Oz Blumhardt in NZ, so I was right about that much) Do I think Begonias are habit forming? They are with me, there’s no denying it. It’s just as well I can only grow a tiny number outdoors, imposing a measure of restraint. Part of the habit is not being able to resist propagating them, then I have to get rid of them somehow.
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hi jim– your red camellia is stunning! and, spring finally arrived in my part of the world, so i’m able to participate this week. yay! https://renrising1.wordpress.com/2025/04/05/my-garden-has-a-heartbeat/
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Spring is going to blow through like a train if the weather stays like it is, the later Camellias will soon be over which is not good for the flower show I’m judging them at in late April, there’ll be none left.
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late april? … oh my. fingers crossed.
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Jim, your Adiantum is one of the most inspiring things I’ve seen growing this entire spring. They look so delicate, and yet are so tough. I should probably move one of mine out of its container and plant it in a good moist spot and see if it will spread as yours has done. That is outrageously beautiful! The Begonia is quite pretty, too. I envy your propagator and your greenhouse allowing you to work such horticultural magic! We are on the same theme this week, as your #3 shows off some of your self-sown beauties. Here is my SoS for the week: https://woodlandgnome.wordpress.com/2025/04/05/six-on-saturday-naturalized/
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Adiantum venustum seems to be in a league of its own for toughness. I’ve grown and lost a few other Adiantums, the only one still going has made a clump a foot across in the same time A. venustum has spread 10times that. And I have to protect it from slugs or it wouldn’t survive at all. Yet it looks as fragile as the most delicate looking indoor forms.
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You have convinced me to keep an eye out for one in my shopping this spring! Adiantums are such a beautiful form of fern. I normally grow them in containers, but I’m going to try moving some into the ground this spring. We have been fortunate to get more rain recently and I hope this trend will hold, because the ferns certainly appreciate the steady moisture. I’ll remember to watch out for the slugs and snails!
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Beautiful Camellias! And your garden looks lush and full of fun plants to explore. That ‘Marmoria’ Begonia is really interesting, in particular. Thanks again for hosting!
https://plantpostings.blogspot.com/2025/04/springtime-six-flowers-and-foliage.html
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I’m really looking forward to trying that Begonia in the garden, most of the “houseplant” types that I’ve tried have grown really well, even if I have had to lift them in autumn.
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The camellias are always appreciated. They are stalwarts and once established they are independent.. Self seeders are a thrill in the spring and they surprise us by their ingenuity in finding a new place to sprout.
Happy gardening!
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IMHO, nothing beats a strong red flower, and that C. japonica is fantastic!
Here are my six:
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I’m sure that your fame will continue to grow.
Here is my six
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We visited a new garden (for us) this week – Trewidden outside Penzance which apparently has 300 species/cultivars in its Camellia collection. Have you been there? I was surprised at just how many were in flower, along with a magnificent magnolia.
My only self-seeders are the FMNs, but I do enjoy their spread around the garden. As you said we are spoiled for choice this week.
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Lovely to see you back and what lovely narcissi. I’m going to broaden my horizons in that area but may well grow them all in pots, even though watering them is often necessary. Very dry here too.
In case my comment didn’t load on your site!
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Love your forget-me-nots – any little pops of blue/purple are always a cause for joy here!
Here are my six – https://thegarrett.garden/2025/04/05/six-on-saturday-5-april-2025/
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What wonderful flowers on the pittosporum. And I do love the self-seeders that push their way to front at this time of year. I’ve led with the first of the tulips this week https://n20gardener.com/2025/04/05/six-on-saturday-first-tulips/
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Seeing your pittosporum fills me with sadness for the fact that ours came down in the strong winds this year, but another shrub has filled its place. Your Adiantum venustum looks really beautiful reminding me of water flowing over rocks, as in rapids. Here are my six: https://noellemace.blogspot.com/2025/04/six-things-from-garden-on-first.html
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Beautiful camellias once again, and usually my favourites. But this week, the star attraction has to be your header photo. Here is mine for this week:
https://notesfrommygarden.co.uk/2025/04/05/finally-real-colour/
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More lovely camellias telling us that spring is well and truly with us. I have the Adiantum venustum in my woodland where it seems to be very happy, it makes a nice contrast to the other ferns.
My six are here……………https://www.leadupthegardenpath.com/
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The Camellias really add colour to the garden, Jim. Will they grow well in pots?
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’Fairy Wand’ is beautiful. Is that its natural growth habit or do you give it some assistance? There are so many things to choose from for SonS now – a lovely position to be in.
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I didn’t realise the flowers of Pittosporum were fragrant. I’ll have to bare that in mind if I ever need another evergreen. ‘Fairy Wand’ and ‘Bob Hope’ are a show https://onemanandhisgardentrowel.wordpress.com/2025/04/05/six-on-saturday-5-april-2025/
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Bear in mind even.
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You say you still have a few camellias to show us, but mine are just arriving! On your advice from last year, you’ll be able to see one of my first ‘Nuccio’s Cameo’ flowers. Congratulations on the begonia (!) and good luck https://fredgardenerblog2.wordpress.com/2025/04/05/six-on-saturday-05-04-25/
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‘Bob Hope’ was one of the better cultivars that we grew, even if we did not sell very much of it. ‘Fairy Wand’ was, as you say, distinct. I was not so keen on how the flowers disintegrated if I looked at it funny. Perhaps it was not so keen on our climate. I have no idea. Two species of maidenhair Fern grow wild in my garden, but only because they are native. Here are my six:
https://tonytomeo.com/2025/04/05/six-on-saturday-tangly-cottage-garden/
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I am fond of pittosporum, this is a lovely one and the scent is wonderful. The begonia cuttings are amazing, very good success rate. As always the camellia are beautiful, how many do you have now? Here are my six https://offtheedgegardening.com/2025/04/05/six-on-saturday-awakenings/
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