It seems to me that the heatwave that arrived today for most of the UK was being talked up a week ago. It’s been a long time getting here. I’m resigned to a sizeable chunk of the next several days being spent watering.
Not that I’m complaining, well perhaps a little. Everything is growing like mad and I have flowers; given that that is what gardening is mostly about, I’ll just pick out six odds and ends and dash off a quick Six on Saturday. You’ll want to join in and the good news is it couldn’t be easier. Just a picture or two of six things from your garden plus a few words and Bob’s your uncle. (He was once but has been gone a long while). The participants guide will clear up any lingering issues.
Same old problem, where to start.
One.
I think I may have been beaten to this one by Carole in Portugal, hers from last week looked very similar. From one of the least attractive cactus plants in Sue’s collection come these amazing flowers which are just about the showiest of the lot, though they have stiff competition. There’s a label on it that says Echinocereus, but nothing more. These close up at night so are presumably not moth pollinated like the other big showy group we have, Echinopsis.
Two.
This is well short of being at its showiest but I liked the mix of buds and flowers. It’s and Australian cultivar called Leptospermum ‘Karo Spectrobay’. It seems fully hardy with me and is a vigorous grower which so far has responded well to being kept within bounds by pruning without losing flower.
Three.
There’s a pink theme emerging here. We’ve long relied on self sown Geranium palmatum, along with foxgloves and columbine, to get us through the gap in flowering that we otherwise have around now. It has good years and bad, mainly depending on how much is left to disperse seeds in the previous year and this year is a good one. Most will get removed on Father’s day, simply because it is the day after our first pair of garden openings, and will be replaced with Salvias and a mix of annuals. That’s the plan; a lot can change in a month and that could easily be brought forward.
Four.
Paeonia ‘Barzella’. One of the intersectional hybrids, this seems to be quite variable in both the degree of doubleness and intensity of the red flush at the base of the petals. I have another variety which has a bud opening for the first time, it’ll be in next week’s six for sure.
Five.
Hosta ‘Devon Green’, a plain green that seems one of the most slug resistant. It’s pretty good in flower later but that’s not really why I grow Hostas. It’s in a tall, narrow and somewhat unstable pot that had to be glued together after the last time it fell over.
Six.
Did I mention I’d splashed out on a new camera. I figured I needed cheering up and you know what, it has helped. I think I usually call this Papaver atlanticum but the truth is I haven’t a clue what it is.
Another tribute Cactus for the header and that’s a wrap for this week. In four weeks time I shall be recovering from our first garden opening of 2026. I shall keep on saying “our” but it’ll be my first solo outing, which is nerve wracking to say the least. It’ll be fine; at least that’s what I’m telling myself. Have a good week and enjoy the sunshine if its your thing.
garden ruminations 
Dear Jim,
I’m sure your open day will be wonderful, and the garden and cacti collection is a splendid thing to share in Sue’s memory. An orange floral impulse purchase is the perfect pick me up. And I wish the geraniums in our garden would self seed so freely.
This week my six is a bit different. I made a game about British bird song with six rounds, to share the joy of the sounds of the dawn chorus. I was inspired by Dawn Chorus Day but sad about ‘shifting baseline’ syndrome, and so after a nice day fixing things on the local council website (that’s my day job) I hacked this app, ‘Dawn Chorus Quest’ at Bath Digital Festival in the evenings this week.
Can you tell a wood pigeon from a robin? What about a willow warbler from a linnet?
https://doingtheplan.com/2026/05/23/dawn-chorus-quest-sos-may-2026/
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Great impact with g.palmatum. So lovely to be able to give it the space. Your new camera is working wonders, all the photograps look stunning. Cactus headers are a great idea, Sue is always with you.
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A slug resistant hosta sounds good to me plus its leaves are really beautiful.
My 6 https://wp.me/p88ZiK-dhd
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Love Geranium palmatum and Hosta Devon Green, which I have but yours looks so healthy and shiny compared to mine! Your peony is gorgeous, such a lovely colour. When talking about the garden I still say “our and we” and it has been 9 years now that I have been on my own, but then, we made the garden together so there are reminders everywhere. I’m sure you will be fine on your open day. My six are here………https://www.leadupthegardenpath.com
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Looking through your interesting post, I had settled on the fabulous foliage of your hosta, and so has Fred! Love the picture of the poppy and hoverfly. Here are my six this week: https://noellemace.blogspot.com/2026/05/six-on-saturday-23-may-2026.html
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Those geraniums and foxgloves are gorgeous, but I especially love that poppy! A heatwave here in Bavaria too… hope you can keep your plants hydrated (and yourself of course!)
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Love that Hosta – mine were faring well but have succumbed this week and are now just a holey mess!
I’m sure “we” is appropriate – Sue’s legacy is all around you and will remain so.
Here’s my six – https://thegarrett.garden/2026/05/23/six-on-saturday-23-may-2026/
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Wow to the Geranium palmatum – what a show, and the flowers on Sue’s Echinocereus are beautiful. I’m sure the garden opening will go well in a few weeks https://onemanandhisgardentrowel.wordpress.com/2026/05/23/six-on-saturday-23-may-2026/
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I’m really enjoying the floral wow factor as I face a decrease in floral display. love the poppy and a glimpse of the cactus house behind the Geranium palmatum. Definitely decided I need some Hosta’s in my garden now. Still loving headers featuring Sue’s Cacti.
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Gorgeous colours this week, that poppy really is stunning and it doesn’t matter which one it is.
I’m sure your first solo gardening opening will be difficult but Sue will definitely be with you in spirit.
My six is here: https://mysanctuarygarden.wordpress.com/2026/05/23/six-on-saturday-23-05-26/
I#ll be back later to see what other people are up to.
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Your G. palmatum display is a “wow!” moment. It makes my feeble one plant a little underwhelming. It looks like P. atlanticum to me, perhaps Flore Pleno? Fabulous plant. The peony is lovely, very happy to see it as I have planted one in a client’s garden and am keen to see what kind of yellow it is. As always, Sue’s contribution is beautiful. Here are mine https://offtheedgegardening.com/2026/05/23/six-on-saturday-alignment/
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This week, I’m really enjoying the glossy foliage of the hosta leaves, and this lovely geranium, whose colour is somewhat reminiscent of the Madeira geranium I grow here ( but tender) . You have a truly impressive bunch ! Here’s my link for this week: https://fredgardenerblog2.wordpress.com/2026/05/23/six-on-saturday-23-05-26/
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