That’s another garden open day over. Not many people, but appreciative. I’d expect more tomorrow, being a weekend. It’d be a sad state of affairs if on a day I was charging people entry to the garden I was unable to find six things to feature here though there always seem to be an uncomfortable number of things just missed or things not quite out yet.
You know the drill, post a picture and a bit of info about six things in your garden, put a link to it in my comments below. The participants guide is still in the same place.
One.
The (ex) pond. When visitors come round the side of the house the first feature they come to is what used to be our pond. I filled it in many years back because the frogs filled it with so much spawn it just went stagnant every year and I got sick of cleaning up the mess. I left the liner in, filled it with soil and planted it with Astilbes and other marginals. They are all very happy until the moisture runs out, then they are very unhappy, since their root run is restricted. I don’t know what people are expecting when they come round the corner but it is never this, unless they’ve seen it before they are always surprised. Largely the Tardis effect. (Bigger on the inside, for non Doctor Who folks). The Astilbes are not lasting long in the heat.
Two.
Visitors often then ask which way they should go and I say which ever way you like, it’s not huge, you wont get lost. The path to the right, past the Hakonechloa in a pot, takes you up a few steps where you will find a garish gladiolus in a pot. It may be the same one Tony put in last week, looks very like it. I couldn’t remember the name so was looking through old catalogues and receipts trying to find it, without success. When I looked at the pot it has a label. I was so convinced it didn’t have one I’d not bothered to look there first. I put them in a pot when I first got them, intending to plant them out later. Later is running at around five years and they’re still in the pot. I overwinter them in my tunnel, bring them out to flower, put them back when they’re done. The label says Butterfly Bernadette.
Three.
Every year Sue would succumb to the allure of yellow Antirrhinums on sale in our local supermarket. I never asked how much they cost but I bought a packet of seed for £2.25. Their website says the packet contains approx 4140 seeds, then apologises for that being only an estimate. I wasn’t tempted to count them. I grew some and planted them out and they’re flowering and the ones from Morrisons were a lot better plants I’m sorry to say. However, last years bought plants scattered their seed which germinated, grew up and are flowering without any help from me at all. I have to admit that I passed on the several varieties on Chilterns website costing £3.95 for approximately 32 seeds but it seems that Antirrhinums are largely ignored by slugs, so I may push the boat out next year. I assume the supermarket plants were ‘Canary Bird’, the same variety I bought seed of. The supporting act is Tritelia ‘Corrina’.
Four.
My various lilies are kicking off, indeed the earliest are over. Lilium ‘Red Velvet’ did well last year in a pot plunged into the ground. This year I moved them into a bigger pot and sunk that in a different place, further from the path so less accessible. The good news is that they have not been much troubled by lily beetle; the bad news is that the slugs and snails ate most of the leaves before the lily beetles got a chance to. It’s a fine variety all the same and I resolve to do better next year.
Five.
I just wrote a piece about a hydrangea and have changed my mind to go for this Veronica spicata instead. I doubt this is a named selection, almost certainly an unselected seedling. It was given to me with no name. My only complaint is that it wilts at the first sign of drying out.
Six.
Right at the top end of the garden is a bench. It doesn’t see much use, the cats sit on it more than I do. But when the last of our visitors had gone I poured a beer and took my camera over there. I took one picture stood on the bench, the other sat down. Sat down you feel pleasantly immersed in it all; I should do it more often.
One of our visitors went away with a 1m, 7.5L Podochaenium eminens from my plant sales, she certainly wont have been expecting to find that and I think it’s that sense of exceeding people’s expectations, which admittedly are not high when they head for what seems likely to be a pocket handkerchief garden in the middle of a very ordinary modern housing estate, that makes opening the garden such a pleasure.
I’m putting a picture of Lilium leichtlinii in as the header, it’s only just started to open and if the next couple of weeks are hot will be past its best next time we open in a fortnight. It’ll get a proper slot next week.
garden ruminations 
Such lovely views! I love the combination of the yellow snapdragons and blue tritelia (a new one for me!).
I managed to post six for the week: https://minhus.blogspot.com/2026/07/six-on-saturday-july-4-edition.html
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Your lovely astilbe bed has inspired me. I have a leaky pond which is driving me nuts. But after seeing your post this morning I have decided to do away with it, I have already ordered gravel and topsoil all thanks to you. Lovey lilies.
Six on Saturday. Summer Magic.↗
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Your former pond area is impressive; I imagine it must be quite dramatic when coming around the corner and suddenly it’s there! I enjoyed the light blue and yellow mix of the Antirrhinums and the Tritelia. Your Gladiolus is striking! Very nice. I’ll be out of town next week, but back with a “six” post in mid-July. Thanks for hosting!
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Love the Astilbe ‘pond’ and also the Tardis effect analogy (perfect) for your garden creation, Jim. The tiger lilies are pretty stunning too.
https://tishfarrell.com/2026/07/04/six-on-saturday-summers-here/
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Beautiful, as always! I especially like the snapdragons andTritelia. I was hoping for a blue and yellow where my new Nigella are, but I have white not blue. I can remedy that next year. The yellow will be provided with Coreopsis lanceolata, that may be blooming for next Saturday. The view from the bench makes me feel at peace. Great pictures!
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Cheeky second entry from RHS Bridgewater! https://thegarrett.garden/2026/07/04/six-on-saturday-4-july-rhs-bridgewater-edition/
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Lovely lilies!
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I too love a yellow snap dragon…hope they are giving some happy memories, and long may they self-seed. Meanwhile in Scotland….https://balmerino.ddns.net/geekygarden/
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Totally agree – I love being pleasantly immersed in the garden. I have four benches and often pause to sit and breath it all in. Also love the yellow and blue combo you have – unfortunately I doubt the Tritelia would survive our winters. Your garden visitors are very lucky to come across your space.
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I loved your comment on enjoying your own garden: “Sat down you feel pleasantly immersed in it all; I should do it more often.”
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I wish my garden looked as good as yours, though I know it takes a lot of work to keep it looking like that and I am slowly running out of steam. Every year I say I will buy Antirrhinums as they look so good on other blogs and your yellow/blue combination is lovely. Alas I have no annuals this year except for a packet of direct sown mixed seeds that have yet to flower.
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Wish my veronica looked as good as yours! Wish my garden looked as good as yours! I’d love to make it to an open day – one day. Enjoy that bench and the beer and good luck for today.
Here’s my link https://n20gardener.com/2026/07/04/six-on-saturday-sunny-days/
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You’ve inspired to have a go at Gladioli next year. You say you have grown them in a pot for five years. Tell me the secret: have you been repotting them in next soil each year? and what size pot are they in? Being a small garden some of the compact or miniature gladioli would help boost my summer garden. Thanks Jim as ever for hosting and sharing your knowledge. I am sure everyone will enjoy their visit today, and I hope you have time to have another sit down this evening.
My six: https://noellemace.blogspot.com/2026/07/six-on-saturday-4-july-2026.html
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I definitely think you deserved that beer! I’ve come to the conclusion that one of the most difficult things as a gardener is to sit down and take it all in without immediately getting up because you’ve spotted something that ‘needs’ doing.
My six https://wp.me/p88ZiK-dtl
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I had to nod in agreement at your last paragraph – having seen your sixes for several years I was quite surprised when we pulled up outside your house. The feeling when walking around to the back of the house and seeing the amazing garden that you and Sue had created was pure pleasure and feet itching to explore it.
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oh your lilies are faring better than mine. I came home from a week away to find them stripped of every leaf and flower. Not sure if it was beetles or slugs.
here’s my first entry this week – I may come back later with an update from RHS Bridgewater
https://thegarrett.garden/2026/07/04/six-on-saturday-4-july/
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Lovely photos, as ever. Especially the last one looking back down the garden. This week’s photos have given me a whole new appreciation of your garden, and some hopes that mine might one day look half as good. https://potsandplots.blog/2026/07/04/sixonsaturday-04-07-2026/
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That really does look like the gladiola here that has been so reliably perennial. The name matches what I found online for it. It is a butterfly gladiola named ‘Bernadette’, rather than ‘Butterfly Bernadette’.
Here are my six.
https://tonytomeo.com/2026/07/04/six-on-saturday-red-white-blue/
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I love the yellow Snapdragons and Tritelia ‘Corrina’ combination. I grew a packet of Wilko antirrhinums from seed many years ago and there are still offspring here and there. That’s a great view from your garden bench. It can be hard to just sit and enjoy the garden https://onemanandhisgardentrowel.wordpress.com/2026/07/04/six-on-saturday-4-july-2026/
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Yes, we never make enough time to sit and enjoy our gardens, love the sitting view from your bench. I think you have the best idea having your lilies in pots and then planting them pot and all, must try that in future. I think I might have to turn my pond into an extension of my bog garden as I think the liner now has leak and redoing it will be far to much work at my age! Love the astilbes!
My six are here……..https://www.leadupthegardenpath.com/
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I love the last bench shot and the idea of you sitting there with your beer at the end of the day. Sometimes we do forget to “stand and stare” or in your case “sit and stare”. You lilies are always beautiful. And I look forward to seeing the hydrangea next week. I hope today is a good one. https://offtheedgegardening.com/2026/07/04/six-on-saturday-did-i-miss-anything/
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I have exactly the same problem with the Veronica, which tends to wilt when there is a bit too much sun and heat. It needs regular light watering to ensure a profuse bloom. Very lovely gladioli and snapdragons in your Six this week.
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