I had it on my to do list to sow some tomato seeds today and somehow or other it didn’t happen. I took some pictures in the drizzle this morning, then it brightened up so I chose to go out and take them again. What else did I do? Where did the day go? Now it’s Friday evening and I don’t seem to have achieved anything much all day.
I have the pictures though, enough in fact for two sixes, so I’m going to have to winnow them down by 50%. It’s not that the garden has suddenly come to life, but the slow build-up continues in spite of the rain and slugs.
One.
Narcissus pseudonarcissus, wild daffodil. I’ve bemoaned my inability to grow daffodils in our ground before; this being the one exception. Not that it has done more than tick over in roughly the same numbers as when I first planted it years ago. It seems to move about, presumably producing seedlings that only suffice to replace older bulbs that disappear. I just wish I knew what was killing them.
Two.
Cardamine quinquefolia is new to me in that I was given it last year, planted it in the autumn and have it flowering for the first time. It looks like it may be a spreader but it’s also summer dormant so will other things sharing its space later on and seems unlikely to become invasive. It may come to replace Anemone nemorosa, all of my plants of which are infected by some malaise.
Three.
My veg gardening is ticking over, I’ve sown seeds of a few things and planted out a couple of salad crops in my tunnel. My seed potatoes are chitting in the greenhouse. In a bit of a departure for me, I’ve kept some of last season’s crop to use as seed, in defiance of the voice in my head that’s saying I should be buying certified seed free of whatever they need to be free of. I’m keeping the ‘free’ bit, ditching the ‘of’. These are ‘Kestrel’ and ‘Java’.
Four.
Hellebores are for me somewhat like daffodils. They never seem to really thrive and slowly die out to be replaced by seedlings. Periodically I see something I fancy in a garden centre that isn’t too silly a price, which is what this is. I collected seed from this and grew some plants, none of which were as good as the parent.
Five.
It’s not entirely true to say you never know what you’re going to get when you sow seeds. F1 hybrids are highly predictable, one of the key reasons they’re so popular with commercial growers. For me there is nothing to compare with seeing a new plant flower for the first time from seed. I have a batch of Clivia miniata seedlings, sown in March 2021 and supplied by Hoyland Nursery, who hold a national collection. I’ve spotted a couple with flowers on the way, hopefully there will be more and that some will be outstanding. I have a camellia seedling flowering in the glasshouse too and as nice as it is, it’s a disappointment; I’d hoped for more. Sadly, with Camellias that’s almost always the case, who needs yet another undistinguished single pink?
Six.
Trachystemon orientalis is a great plant for really tricky places like right under Camellias but it is quite a spreader and also seems to have self sown in a couple of places far from the parent plant. It does its thing, in the flowering sense, very early in the year, so it is seen by very few save me.
I was told yesterday that our local weather station, Cardinham, had recorded rain on 50 successive days but not to get excited as its record was 73 days. Our nearest big reservoir is nevertheless still only at 86%, though all of the rest in South West Water’s list are full. Someone must have thought that putting a reservoir on the top of a hill was a good idea. There’s an abundance of rainfall but the whole catchment can only be a few multiples of the surface area of the reservoir. It gives us Brits something to obsess about I suppose.
If you’ve got this far and aren’t already a contributor to Six on Saturday, well done and why not? It’s very simple, but if you need more information, there’s a participants guide here.
garden ruminations 
I was watching Joe’s Country Garden on YouTube last night (Joe Swift) and I think he said it had rained every day in January and February.
Love that hellebore! I had the same thought in my blog re how I don’t have the best success with them.
Here is my six. I may not be doing it right because I do six paragraphs on a topic but sometimes (ok, always) with more than six photos.
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I must look up Joe Swifts YouTube channel, I didn’t know it existed. No-one is going to tell you you’re not doing it right, the “rules” were a broadly successful attempt to create a framework that was inclusive of a wide range of gardeners. I for one, have been enjoying your posts very much.
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Ooh, I am so envious of your clivia seedlings, Jim! I too have grown one or two from Hoyland and then lost them to mealy bug and as I have a soft spot for them for historical reasons if I try again I will grow them in the house and not the Coop, as My Mum never had any pest issues with her fairly elderly specimen (which is now with me). I need to go outside tomorrow and check out if I have any cardamine in bloom! Thanks for hosting, Jim https://ramblinginthegarden.wordpress.com/2026/02/21/six-on-saturday-in-the-air/
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I’ve had problems with mealy bugs on my Clivias, it’s why I left them out last year until December. So far they are looking clean but I doubt it will last.
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I have tried so many different ways of eradicating them (mealy bugs, not the clivia!!)… 🙄
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I liked this comment today, “Someone must have thought that putting a reservoir on the top of a hill was a good idea.”
I saw one on top of a hill a few weeks ago in the mountains of North Carolina. SOME people think alike on both sides of the Atlantic!!
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A lovely six this week, Jim, and you surprised me with a few new plants, like your Trachystemon. How delicate. I’m happy to see you have so many flowers, despite the epic rain in your area. We are still officially in drought here, despite the abundant rain we have enjoyed this week. All of my photos look wet, and show just a few changes beginning this month as spring approaches. But there are some Camellia photos with you and mind, and a bonus pic just for you: https://woodlandgnome.com/2026/02/21/six-on-saturday-change/
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good luck with those tatties. I’m just back from a TattieDay, up in the little town of Kirriemuir. I’ve got a couple of red types and a couple of blue, so could be some good potato dishes ahead. Not much stirring yet at home.
http://www.balmerino.net/geekygarden
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My garden is slowly waking up. My first year planted daffodils have come up and a couple are flowering. I need to wait until next year to see if they return.
https://potsandplots.blog/2026/02/21/six-on-saturday-21-2-2026/
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The hellebore photo is stunning. I’m pleased to say we haven’t had as much rain in the north west of England but I’m sure I’ll be complaining about too much rain at some point!
My six this week is here: https://mysanctuarygarden.wordpress.com/2026/02/21/six-on-saturday-21-02-2026/
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My daffodils are bursting forth in great color this week. I have been pleased with mine. My hellebores also seem to be thriving. I guess it’s right plant in the right place.
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I haven’t started sowing any vegetable seeds because I only have an unheated greenhouse that really needs replacing (££££) and not much window sill space. In fact I haven’t even opened the tin where I store my seeds yet!
If I had to describe my six in one word it would be ‘nearly’ https://wp.me/p88ZiK-cQh
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Most of my veg seeds get germinated indoors, then immediately moved out to a frost protected glasshouse. It seems to work OK.
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I’ve not grown Clivia as I can’t give it the right growing conditions but now I’ve seen your seed raised plants – how exciting waiting for those flowers to open.
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The Clivia seedlings, in 3L pots, were parked in a shady corner of the garden until I moved them under cover in December. I rarely watered them all year and they came through a couple of slight frosts. I was very surprised how tough they appear to be.
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Feral daffodils grow wild around the yard at work. I figured that they grew from bulbs in soil that was dumped there over the years. I did not consider that they could have grown from seed. There are only a few of them, but they are reliable. Our hellebores did the same as yours a long time ago, although I doubt that they ever performed as well. No one adds any more nowadays. I grew a few Clivia from seed from a variegated specimen, and the seedlings are variegated! Anyway, here are my six.
https://tonytomeo.com/2026/02/21/six-on-saturday-cold-damp/
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Interesting about variegated Clivia coming true from seed. I’ve not come across a variegated one but will look out for it.
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Isn’t that the weirdest? I do not know if it is true to type, but the variegation was inherited.
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I also find most varieties of Narcissi diminish in my garden rather than multiply – some only appearing for a year or two. There are some exceptions. I must try the Wild Daffodil – it’s rather beautiful. I’m looking forward to seeing the Clivia miniata in flower – very exciting https://onemanandhisgardentrowel.wordpress.com/2026/02/21/six-on-saturday-21-february-2026/
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I sprinkle the seed of Narcissus pseudonarcissus in my woodland, they don’t take too long to flower, started out with just one packet of bulbs, now have lots, I think ants also spread the seed. According to my bulb book they do like damp soil, of which I have an abundance at the moment!
My six are here…………………….https://www.leadupthegardenpath.com/
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It may well be that my ground is too wet for most Narcissus varieties, I must seek out the moisture lovers and try some of them.
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There were several points you made that made me smile this morning Jim, and yes I agree that we may obsess about the weather, and also how full our reservoires are: Cheddar is now full! I too have been most unsuccessful with daffodils, and yet they grow very well on a grassy bank nearby without any intervention. Here is this week’s six from my garden: https://noellemace.blogspot.com/2026/02/from-garden-for-six-on-saturday-21.html
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It’s somewhat reassuring that I’m not the only one who struggles with daffs. They are so ubiquitous it always seems like I’m the only one who can’t grow them.
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Yes, it’s definitely the right time to start sowing tomato seeds. I started mine last weekend, but they’re getting a bit leggy, obviously due to lack of light. With the sun coming soon, it should be more favorable. I’m not familiar with those 2 potato varieties. I don’t think they’re grown in France, and I’d be interested to see if the crop is good. We’ll see in a few months; I’m sure you’ll keep us posted. https://fredgardenerblog2.wordpress.com/2026/02/21/six-on-saturday-21-02-26/
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