It seems to have been blowing a gale almost all week, and none too warm either. It’s been a fairly productive week garden wise though, coming along. I’ve been playing with a new camera, it’s going to take a lot of getting used to but I’m seeing potential. All it takes is six pictures and you’re half way to a Six on Saturday, provided they’re of your garden, or a garden. Join in, a warm welcome awaits. There’s a guide here, should you need it.
One.
Sue took a few cuttings of this Weigela several years back. It’s taken a long time but has finally come good, fulfilling its function of screening two water butts. I just need to keep it pruned down or it will head for the sky. I’m not sure of the variety, Weigela ‘Kosteriana Variegata’ rings a bell, but is it the right one?
Two.
Araiostegia parvipinnata is a fern of the most delicate appearance which is actually remarkably tough and tolerant. I have this one growing in a pot, the better to appreciate its bristly rhizomes, and it is left out all year, desperately needs repotting, gets left for long periods without water, and thrives on it. I also have it growing in the ground where it is just as happy but you don’t see much of the rhizomes. It’s fully deciduous but can produce good yellow autumn colour.
Three.
Bastard balm, or Melittis melissophyllum is a fairly uncommon wild flower in these parts so when I saw a variety called ‘Royal Velvet Distinction’ on offer in a nursery I had to have it. It’s a slightly better colour than even the best of the wild ones I’ve seen but it is now beginning to self sow here and there, including bang in the middle of a big patch of Hakonechloa. The seedlings retain the colour of the selected form seemingly. It’s our largest flowered Labiate, according to my wildflower book, though Labiatae is now Lamiaceae so perhaps it’s our largest flowered Lamiace.
Four.
Osmanthus heterophyllus ‘Goshiki’ is one of those shrubs that just does its thing quietly and largely unnoticed until you spot that it’s spread half way across the path. Last year this got a brutal haircut and this year I have reddish new growth contrasting with heavily white mottled new growth from last year. If it’s ever looked this good before I have to confess I didn’t notice it.
Five.
Polygonatum x hybridum ‘Striatum’ only manages to get an outing every few years, the rest of the time being so sparse or so slug chewed as to be in danger of eviction. Then it does this and all is forgiven, and shortly afterwards forgotten, for a few more years.
Six.
I’ve been growing Corydalis ochroleuca for at least 25 years and it is a short lived perennial that lasts a couple of seasons but gets replaced, usually somewhere well away from the parent, by a seedling or two, such that I’ve never been without it nor have I had more than a maximum of three at one time. Something has changed, I’m now getting carpets of seedlings, hundreds of them, and they’re surviving. I’m keeping a close eye on it, some of its relatives are somewhat thuggish.
I’m going to ride my luck once again and put another of Sue’s cacti in as the header picture, I mean, it’s not technically one of the six. I only wish she was here to see it.
garden ruminations 
All the plants in your SoS this week are new to me Jim…I’m loving the Cactus header, I have to say!
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That is a beautiful cactus.
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Ha, you did a corydalis too! Yours if fancier, of course 🤣
https://littleblueandwhitehouse.com/2026/05/17/six-on-saturday-16th-may-2026/
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Bastard Balm! What a hoot! Maybe I can find that here. The color of Sue’s cacti is gorgeous. Here are highlights from my desert oasis: https://stoneyknob.wordpress.com/2026/05/16/the-drought-is-back/
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Wow, I love that polyganatum a lot. WANT!!! And your post reminds me I could take cuttings of a friend’s very pretty variegated weigela!
Here is my six. https://tanglycottage.wordpress.com/2026/05/16/16-may-six-on-saturday/
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BTW you have the date 2025 in your post title which is why my link to yours doesn’t work. I kinda wish I could go back to May 2025.
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I’m sure you have plenty of Sue’s beauties to use as a header photo for many months to come. I don’t know why, but I can only see that photo via the Reader and on my phone app. When I visit your actual site there is no header.
I shall be awkward here and say that I do not like the variegated Weigela. There is something about the colour of the leaves and the pink flowers. Two many shades?
Like you it has been cold and windy here, unlike you I don’t have an open garden to prepare for! I’m sure yours will be a stunning as ever.
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Love that wiegelia! Such a nice big splash of colour to hide your butts. 🙂
This is my quick post for the week: https://doingtheplan.com/2026/05/16/horsey-clematis-pansies-bellflower-vanessa-bell-and-libertia-chilensis/
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That’s a beautiful fern and one that I haven’t tried to grow. That’s also a lovely Corydalis. It’s interesting how plants appear to change their behaviour. I inherited Corydalis lutea – definitely a thug – and, after many, many years of trying to contain it to a small area in the front garden, am on the warpath this year. I’m all in favour of you pushing your luck and sharing Sue’s amazing Cactus collection.
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Good luck with the new camera. I have Osmanthus fragrans with makes a good. border but my favorite thing is it flowers a few days after rains. It is indeed fragrant.
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I’ve never seen flowers on ‘Goshiki’ though I suppose it must have them when left unpruned.
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I love the variegated Solomon Seal – and the Corydallis. Not sure I like white flowers so much when all winter long here everything is covered in white…https://countygardening.ca/2026/05/16/6-on-saturday-16may2026/
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Winter long snow cover is not something I envy you for in the slightest. I wouldn’t know what to do with myself being deprived of gardening so long.
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I read a lot of books in the winter!
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I saw Melittis growing wild in France last week and wondered what it was, but I have never seen it in the UK. My favourites this week are the fabulous fern and the lovely corydalis.
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Melittis grows in a lane near here but only on the south facing, north side, so it must want sun. It seems to be widespread across Europe but quite localised in the south of the UK.
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Sue’s cacti and the weigela are so poignant. Thank you so much for sharing her gardening highlights and for keeping going with your blog. I have thuggish corydalis, yours is so much lovelier. I hope it doesn’t misbehave too much. That tough fern is also impressive. Wishing a good week.
Here’s my link https://n20gardener.com/2026/05/16/six-on-saturday-rough-winds/
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lovely garden 🙂
Six on Saturday – our garden – Ladyleemanila
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So many wantable plants in your garden. The bastard balm caught my interest. And the fern. And variegated polygonum since I know someone who would love this version.
https://tishfarrell.com/2026/05/16/six-on-saturday-frigid-may/
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The cactus is beautiful!
Bastard balm sounds interesting – I’d never heard of it. I also really like your Polygonatum with the variegated leaves!
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I’ve done it again, here are my six for this week!……………https://www.leadupthegardenpath.com
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Unfortunately I never get to see your header so can’t see Sue’s cactus this week. Like your colourful foliage, just as important as flowers. I was given the variegated Solomon’s Seal a couple of years ago and am ashamed to say that it is still in its pot, waiting to be planted, must get on with it!
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I’m a fan of shrubs that ‘quietly do their thing’ so you’ve added another one to my wishlist.
My lilac & pink-hued six https://wp.me/p88ZiK-dfE
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An interesting selecting this week, Jim. I particulary like the ferns and the colour of the Osmanthus heterophyllus ‘Goshiki. I think colourful leaves and form are often just as important as flowers.
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Here is my Six for this Saturday
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Love the variegated Weigela. And Sue’s cactus flowers are fabulous!
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Lovely weigelia. I’d be tempted to take cuttings of the one we have, but I don’t think I have any extra space for another one. I love the fern – I’ve taken a note of its name, as I might add one to the garden. The cactus is wonderful, as always. https://potsandplots.blog/2026/05/16/sixonsaturday-16-05-2026/
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Not having enough space for another never stopped Sue or me from propagating (plants) like our lives depended upon it. You may find the fern hard to get hold of, it’s a Crûg Nursery plant. I’d offer you a cutting but I haven’t succeeded in rooting one yet.
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You’ve convinced me to try propagating both the weigelia and my viburnum after they’ve finished flowering. I’ll work out what to do the resulting plants somewhen down the line!
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Ha, Bastard balm! I have never heard of it, but it sounds like ‘bastard palm’. A bastard palm is a hybrid of Washingtonia robusta and Washingtonia filifera, and combines the best qualities of both.
These are my six.
https://tonytomeo.com/2026/05/16/six-on-saturday-surprise-3/
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I’ve not found an explanation for Melittis being called bastard balm. Nothing to do with its parents as far as I know.
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I think Sue’s cactus should get a free entry infinitum. I love that Solomon’s seal, what a beauty! You have a fine collection of ferns. I am growing to love ferns more and more, although I still have trouble identifying most of them. Fabulous weigela. Here are my six https://offtheedgegardening.com/2026/05/16/six-on-saturday-the-prof/
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Quite a rabbit hole, ferns. I went down to the Japanese garden at St Mawgan today and was surprised they hadn’t used a lot more there, given that it’s mostly shady.
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That Weigela is a show, and quite right that you show these contributions Sue has made. My Corydalis ochroleuca is behaving in the same way: I’m pleased to have it but this year I am finding little seedling all over the place. The ants were certainly busy, but they are quite easy in a small garden to keep on top of the new plants.
https://noellemace.blogspot.com/2026/05/six-on-saturday-mid-may-2026.html
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Interesting that your Corydalis is doing the same, I wonder what essential thing has changed and whether it’s permanent.
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I’m impressed by the number of flowering cacti in Sue’s greenhouse, so why not share them with everyone: You’re absolutely right!
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A lovely selection – the contrast of the new reddish foliage of the Osmanthus is very striking and Sue’s Cactus and cutting grown Weigela are a show https://onemanandhisgardentrowel.wordpress.com/2026/05/16/six-on-saturday-lamorran-gardens-16-may-2026/
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