It’s storm Ingrid this weekend, more wind, more rain; hopefully not more damage. It’s tipping down just now so I’m indoors and staying there. I’ve not seen much of the garden this week, again, and what little I have seen has merely underlined how little has changed since last week.
Six on Saturday calls for pictures and a few words about six things happening in your garden this Saturday. Would anyone notice if I replicated a post from a year ago? (I just looked at what I posted a year ago and that’s a non-starter, for lots of reasons) Suffice it to say that SoS is a welcoming meme and should you be considering joining in, there is a participants guide from years ago that sets out some guidelines.
One.
What do you get up to when gardening is off the menu? One of my time wasting boltholes is jigsaw puzzles. Some winters I do lots, other winters I do none. Once I get started I find them very addictive and will sit doing them for hours, oblivious to the world around. Knowing this, I try to resist getting drawn in, usually unsuccessfully. I was given one entitled “Round the World in 50 Trees” a few years back, dug it out and did it again this year, which landed me a Christmas present of “Round the World in 50 Plants” from my co-puzzler. Both are beautiful, difficult but not frustratingly so, and very satisfying to complete.
Two.
Chrysoplenium macrophyllum gets an outing around this time every year, which is the mark of a resilient plant, but also one that I haven’t fallen out with. It’s not very showy but it does fill a particular niche and for that I value it. It’s at the back of my boggy area, hidden from spring to autumn by Astilbes and Filipendula. Back in November I put it in a six just after cutting down everything else to reveal its green foliage. It will now give me flowers for a few weeks then slowly disappear from sight until autumn once more.
Three.
There isn’t a lot of difference between Camellias lutchuensis and transnokoensis but I nevertheless have both. This is C. transnokoensis, a species from Taiwan (C. lutchuensis comes from the Japanese Liu Kui Islands). It has a profusion of small, white, scented flowers over a long period in early spring and makes a graceful upright tree with small leaves and slender branches.
Four.
There isn’t a lot more happening in Sue’s greenhouse than outside; Cacti and succulents are AYR plants but almost all flower in the summer months. I spotted an Aeonium flowering from the doorway and took its picture from there rather than running the gauntlet of a path made almost impassable by crammed in plants and heaters. Falling over in that glasshouse could be a very bad mistake.
Five.
There probably isn’t a vast number of slugs around in the garden yet, but neither is there a vast amount for them to eat; what little there is can get hit pretty hard. Cornwall’s mild, wet climate provides them with perfect conditions for much of the year so if I want to grow things that they want to eat, we have a problem. This is my solution, a mix of yeast, flour, sugar and water in Hummus pots with slots melted into the sides with a soldering iron. This trap had 5 in it after one night and I set out 8 traps. I usually move them along daily as they seem only to get drawn in from up to about 3 feet away.
Six.
I wouldn’t want you to think that the whole of my plum tree looks like this but it is certainly supporting more lichens than the rest of the garden put together. Wet climate, clean air, mediocre plant husbandry; take your pick where you lay the blame/credit.
All I need now is a suitable header picture to wrap it up. Or an unsuitable one might be easier. And how about I plant an earworm; in the words of Morecombe and Wise, “Bring Me Sunshine”.
garden ruminations 
A scented camellia, lovely! I’m a jigsaw addict too, spend too much time doing them when I should be doing other things. I also have lots of lichen on my trees, interesting colour and shapes.
My six are here…………….https://www.leadupthegardenpath.com
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I’m likin’ that lichen. And the camelia, snowdrops and cacti. It’s a challenging time to scrape up a six, so I’ve done a bit of recycling, progress updates and a throwback to an interesting tree from 10 years back… https://doingtheplan.com/2026/01/24/recycling-bulbs-sage-views-monstera-edges-compost-six-on-sat/
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Hmmm, now I’ll have that tune in my head all day! It could have been a worse one I suppose. I need a garden expansion plan to be able to fit some Camellias in.
https://thequiltinggardener.wordpress.com/2026/01/24/six-on-saturday-24-01-2026/
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Oh no that earworm’s going to there all day now! The lichen is fascinating.
I’ve attempted a six this week but it’s not particularly inspiring: https://mysanctuarygarden.wordpress.com/2026/01/24/six-on-saturday-24-01-26/
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Great post! I am interested in your pic of lichen-covered plum tree, because ours too are plastered in lichens of different sorts, and I often wonder why them and not other fruit trees, although one or two apple trees (particularly Devonshire Quarrenden) have lesser amounts of lichen. Our silver birches also sport some lichen, but not other broadleaves.
Best wishes
Rebecca
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You certainly have some fabulous lichens there, I am on lichen watch on my Amelanchiers in the front, but are embryonic compared with yours. Those are superb Aeoniums in Sue’s greenhouse, but I have to avert my eyes from those cacti, I really don’t like those spines. Here are my six: https://noellemace.blogspot.com/2026/01/six-on-saturday-24-january-2026.html
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If you’re having difficulty finding six things that must mean it’s really tough. As will be evidenced by mine. I’m still waiting for the first snowdrops to appear. Alternatively they already have but have been gobbled by slugs. I hope Storm Ingrid decides to be kind to you and your garden.
https://wp.me/p88ZiK-cI2
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The Camellia a beauty and the fragrance is an added bonus. My mum is a jigsaw puzzler – I’ll have to add those to the possible birthday/Christmas presents list https://onemanandhisgardentrowel.wordpress.com/2026/01/24/six-on-saturday-24-january-2026/
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Poor old Cornwall is getting it in the teeth this winter. I am a massive lichen fan and yours does not disappoint. Lovely camellia, I do like the singles and this is very pretty. Definite slug/snail activity here too, your potion sounds interesting. I also love a jigsaw and can easily be sucked into the “just one more piece” vortex. Have a good week, here are my six https://offtheedgegardening.com/2026/01/24/six-on-saturday-full-of-hope/
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Now, was that really so difficult? Is Chrysoplenium macrophyllum related to Bergenia? Here are my six.
https://tonytomeo.com/2026/01/24/six-on-saturday-more-winter-flowers/
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That’s a good idea for the slug problem! I was recording species for my bug bunkers project and found ten of them in a single flower pot – so clearly I have quite a big slug problem again this year. Will give this a try!
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well Jim, you are closer to spring this week than you were last week and eventually it will get there and you can enjoy the garden again…..and I will be lamenting on the dreariness of winter here in Tasmania!
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Nice puzzles! We don’t usually think of it, but it could be one of the Six, you’re right. Otherwise, it’s always lovely to see the cacti and succulents from Sue’s greenhouse. https://fredgardenerblog2.wordpress.com/2026/01/24/six-on-saturday-24-01-26/
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