Last post of the year. Unsurprisingly the garden this week has not been the main focus of my attention and when I went round this morning to see what I could find, it wasn’t much. We still haven’t had significant frost so a lot of things that should be dead are not, which is far from saying they’re looking good. A bit of a struggle then, to fulfil the brief, which as most of you will know, entails posting pictures of half a dozen things from your garden, on a Saturday, with a bit of accompanying explanation. If you’re unsure, check this post out. Onward.
One.
It’s a month since I put Camellia ‘Show Girl’ into a six, time for a re-run. Peaking at the turn of the year, as befits a hybrid between an autumn flowerer and a spring flowerer. The magnolia to the right of it is now bare of leaves but all summer it has cut off direct sun to the camellia, to the detriment of bud production on that side of the bush. Our neighbours to left and rear are getting a far better display than we are. I’m beginning to think the unthinkable about the Magnolia.
Two.
Coleus (was Plectranthus) argentatus, has never survived this late without getting killed by frost. I have no desire for it to survive, I have young plants in the greenhouse for next year, waiting to be planted out in fresh compost in this same pot. This lot will go through the shredder in due course.
Three.
In June 2020 I did a post on vivipary, with particular reference to Skimmia ‘Bowles Dwarf Female’. This is when seeds germinate while still inside the fruit, not a regular occurrence with the Skimmia, but in that year many seedlings were so produced. I sowed some of them, or rather I pricked them off into cells, and this is one of the seedlings six growing seasons down the road. It has buds of its own, which I haven’t looked at closely, but which I suspect will be female.
Four.
Yellow archangel, Lamiastrum galeobdolon is a British native but the silver leaved form argenteum is a garden escape. I regard it as a weed and have been trying unsuccessfully to rid the garden of it for 35 years. Just once in while I spot a new shoot with fresh silver and green leaves livening up a shady corner and have to grudgingly admit to it holding its own at this time of year. I’ll yank it out later.
Five.
Watsonia borbonica subsp. ardernei is a superb white flowered Watsonia which I drooled over at an NGS open garden a couple of years ago, then snatched eagerly from the owner of the same garden at an NGS plant swap some months later. I planted it out in spring and it appeared to go downhill right through the summer. All is well though, it is meant to go partially summer dormant and now in winter it is growing away strongly. I’m hoping it will prove hardy and that I will get tall white flowers in late spring. By coincidence, I have just arranged to visit the Mount Edgcumbe Camellia collection with some friends on Monday, among them that same garden owner.
Six.
Essentially I have run out of things to put in this post but when I was going around I took a couple of pictures just because the light was doing something interesting, so these are Hydrangea ‘Cap Sizun’, becoming skeletonised and catching the sun.
Another year draws to a close, replaced by a sparkly new one. You pretty much have to be an eternal optimist to be a gardener, we launch ourselves at a new year in the hope that it will be the best season ever. There will be something in the garden for which that will be true but most things will just do their normal thing. A year later and that one overperformer will be dead. To everyone who has chipped in with contributions this past year, thank you so much. Happy New Year to you all.
garden ruminations 
Beautiful last photos. I see a gallery of two can count as one of the six, handy to know.
Yellow archangel is quite pesky. I inherited some with my previous garden and I heard the new owner (since 2010) has also battled with it. It does want to take over in the shade. It is on the official noxious list in Washington state as a Class B noxious weed. Long ago, in my Seattle garden, I planted it on purpose because I found it beautiful. Same with other plants that have since been declared noxious here like bronze fennel…so beautiful….and teasel, which I love. Also buddleia. And tamarisk. If only plants would behave!
In better news, a friend gave me watsonia a few years ago and I love it.
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lovely Camelia and the skeleton hydrangea are an excellent choice for #6…thank you for sharing those. Interestingly Watsonia is a declared weed in Tasmania and while it can be found in areas alongside rural roads, it cannot be bought or imported into the state. I have a pink one, which I found on our property, growing in a pot…..maybe it’s dead as I haven’t seen any sign of life for a couple of years. Ce’st la vie! Thanks for hosting and a Happy New Year to you.
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Happy New year to you and thank you for hosting.
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I think ‘Showgirl’ is a worthy, beautiful entrant, and the light on the Hydrangea is stunning! All your other garden views are beautiful, too. Thank you so much for hosting this wonderful meme. I hope to participate regularly in 2026, too. Happy New Year!
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I’m so happy you are an optimist. Your optimistic words ring true on the cusp of a new year. “You pretty much have to be an eternal optimist to be a gardener, we launch ourselves at a new year in the hope that it will be the best season ever.”
Happy New Year!!!
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Ha! Blooming yellow deadnettle! I did try to restrict it to one end of the woodland but it has encroached throughout again – but not as as much as ivy, so I suppose that is a small mercy 😉Gorgeous camellia 👍Thanks for hosting throughout the year and best wishes and happy gardening for the next 12 months https://ramblinginthegarden.wordpress.com/2025/12/27/six-on-saturday-cherry-light-cherry-bright/
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I am excited to see what your Watsonia does in the new year! The anticipation builds. I feel a mixture of excitement for the new gardening year and dread for the realities of the world today. The promise of new growth, new plants, new insects , and sane friends keep me going. Best wishes for the New Year! Here is a recap of 2025!
https://wisconsingarden.wordpress.com/2025/12/27/december-27-2025-six-on-saturday-wrap-up/
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I’m delighted that you couldn’t find a suitable sixth item and settled for the skeletonized hydrangea! Great choice.
I too have included Lamium. Nature usually wins the battle. Happy New Year, a chara.
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Happy New Year. Like Fred, I took a look back for this six:
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Very encouraging that you found six things. I will be out hunting for things to share in the New Year and hope to be joining you all again. It looks like to WP settings have changed a little in my absence. I’ll try to reconnect everything over the next few weeks. Here’s my link https://n20gardener.com/2025/12/27/six-on-saturday-end-of-year/ it’s a look back over the months I missed. Happy New Year to you all.
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Dear Jim
Another wonderful pictorial and fact filled year of comments with delightful sprinklings of humour, I love it.
Many thanks
Jane
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The Lamium foliage looks so good at this time of year though.
https://thequiltinggardener.wordpress.com/2025/12/27/six-on-saturday-27-12-2025/
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The skeltonised Hydrangea flowers look rather lovely in the sun and ‘Show Girl’ is living up to her name. Lucky neighbours! Thanks for hosting Six on Saturday for another year – you do a great job of it https://onemanandhisgardentrowel.wordpress.com/2025/12/27/six-on-saturday-27-december-2025/
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How interesting about vivipary. I will have to look out for it in my own garden.
Have a lovely rest of the year and a good start of 2026!
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The camellia is beautiful and, as always, reminds me that I should get one (well, at least one!).
Thanks for hosting, particularly at this time of year when the garden highlights are sparse.
My six this week is here: https://mysanctuarygarden.wordpress.com/2025/12/27/six-on-saturday-27-12-2025/
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I’m quite shocked to discover it is Saturday! No six from me this week for the aforementioned reason. Lovely Show Girl. Is Deb the Watsonia woman?
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Deb is indeed the Watsonia woman. You’ll have seen and been wowed by the very same plants at her place?
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Watsonia borbonica subsp. ardernei is a naturally occurring species (or subspecies) rather than a cultivar?
Yellow archangel looks like dead nettle. Now I am wondering if I had misidentified it.
Here are my six.
https://tonytomeo.com/2025/12/27/six-on-saturday-stormy-weather/
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We call it dead nettle as well.
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The dead nettle that I am familiar with is Lamium maculatum, though.
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Fingers crossed that the watsonia survives the winter and that you get flowers … I started seedlings successfully and offered leftovers of mine … then lost mine so I will start again. https://fredgardenerblog2.wordpress.com/2025/12/27/six-on-saturday-27-12-25/
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