We had about half an inch of rain over the week, cooler too, so it didn’t immediately evaporate. The weather forecasting machine seems to have moved on to the increased threat of storms and exceptional rain in the autumn due to El Nino. Whatever.
We have the garden open on the last two days of August and I’d rather given up on it after the last time. However, my conscience kicked in and we had a bit of rain and I could let loose with the stored water I had left, so things that were wilting are looking better, some of the worst dead stuff has been cut down, there’s still quite a bit of flower about and my Hedychium ‘Tara’ is looking set to time things perfectly. Not all bad then. The forecast when I last looked was for thunderstorms on both days. Like I said, whatever.
At any event, it’s time to sort out half a dozen odds and ends for Six on Saturday, post them on a blog and put a link in my comments below. The participants guide is still in the same place, should you need it.
One.
Quite a few of Sue’s cacti follow up from their spectacular flower display by producing big seedpods containing thousands of seeds. Southfields Nursery have been hybridising Echinopsis since forever and Sue has been collecting them nearly as long and I doubt very much that anything I raise from open pollinated seed is going to measure up, and it’s not like she really needed more anyway. I was talking to one of my sisters and telling her I’d collected some seed and to cut a long story short we have set ourselves the challenge of seeing who can get a seed raised plant to flowering first. Another sister has joined in too. I sowed seed last Saturday and by Thursday it was germinating. Somehow I thought it would be slow but I suppose in a desert, if you get rain you can’t hang about.
Two.
I keep taking pictures of the various Coleus we have grown this year then not putting them into a six. Various named forms are available as bedding plants in the spring and my resistance to them, essentially snobbishness because they’re so common, has gradually broken down then turned into admiration. This year was the first I’d put any outdoors, this pot being planted with five small plants way back when which have turned into this fine specimen now. That they’ve come back to Coleus from their ill advised sojourn as Solenostemon helps too, as far as I’m concerned.
Three.
Very occasionally I stumble across a couple of plants that will occupy the same space and mingle with each other without one wanting to swamp the other. It should be easy, nature does it all the time, but nature is a better gardener than I will ever be. For a few years Ceratostigma plumbaginoides and Persicaria sinuata was one such combination but this year that unravelled spectacularly. Earlier in the year the Persicaria romped away and totally smothered the Ceratostigma, then the weather changed. It turns out the Persicaria can’t take the heat and dry and it shrivelled away to a mass of stalks. The Ceratostigma had been sheltering in the shade underneath it and has now started to grow away enthusiastically with a few blue flowers appearing for good measure. I carefully pulled away the Persicaria stems today and look forward to the Ceratostigma showing its gratitude. Ever the optimist me.
Four.
Eucomis ‘Pink Gin’ has been left to languish through the drought, in the bed with Dahlias and Cannas. Surprisingly the Cannas have come through well, the Dahlias and Eucomis not so much. It was a case of spreading the water I had widely but thinly, or choosing winners and losers. I went with the latter and the Eucomis haven’t enjoyed it one bit, though, like the Dahlias, they have survived and flowered, just not very well. It’s probably too late now but the last few days the Eucomis have been watered generously. The Dahlias are in front of the Cannas, it may be they’ve shaded their lower halves and the soil they’re in.
Five.
I figured I needed to know which were the survivors and which needed out of the kitchen, so almost nothing in the ground has been watered. I have lost one or two things, or they’ve fared so badly their future is bleak. Other things are unscathed. Between the two are things like this Eucryphia milliganii. It’s a fine plant and I don’t want to lose it and perhaps I should have decided that a few months back and given it the water it needed. But back then I didn’t know it was going to suffer so badly. I hope it’s not going to be one of those plants that limps along looking pretty awful but choice enough to deserve my best efforts to nurse it back to health. I think I mentioned Hedychium ‘Tara’ at the top, that’s it behind the Eucryphia.
Six.
Years ago I planted Apple ‘Suntan’ but it was too late flowering to get pollinated by my other apples and eventually I dug it out. I must have left a bit of root in because a couple of shoots appeared, presumably of rootstock. Not wanting to waste them, I grafted a very good but unknown variety that I happened upon (don’t ask!) onto one of them, and grew it on. Turns out it is also late flowering, might even be ‘Suntan’ again! Earlier this week I was given budwood of ‘Orleans Reinette’ and ‘Ashmead’s Kernel’, both late flowerers, and I’ve chip budded a couple of buds of each onto my anonymous tree. Even if they take it’ll be a couple of years before they flower, but when they do I shall hopefully get a decent crop. I’ll keep you posted.
You can’t say I don’t give you variety. I left out the elephant hawkmoth caterpillar I photographed yesterday and I didn’t have my camera with me when a hummingbird hawkmoth flew into Sue’s glasshouse and landed for a spell. In spite of everything there’s still plenty going on. Have a good week.
garden ruminations 
Glad to hear you finally got a bit of rain. We have as well and the garden looks better for it. I also spied a hummingbird clearwing moth, which is much like the hummingbird hawk moth you featured last week. Coleus are very popular in outdoor planters here. I am not drawn to them but like them much better than hostas, which are also very popular in my area. Well, the spousal unit is making sounds about breakfast, so I better go or I might miss out! Here are my six:
https://wisconsingarden.wordpress.com/2026/08/22/august-22-2026-six-on-saturday/
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I enjoy coleus since they thrive in my part shade areas. They are not main event but they certainly do function as beautiful supporting cast. I am glad to hear that you are having some relief from heat and drought.
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Glad you got some rain! It’s amazing how a few showers can turn the garden around, isn’t it! I think it was just in time for all of us as I was feeling as despondent as you were last week. Like you, I have learned how drought-proof Ceratostigma is, but am wondering if it will get the upper hand as it is filling all the gaps with gusto… Your Coleus really is splendid. Good luck with the cactus competition. 😀 I am joining in this week: https://wordsandherbs.wordpress.com/2026/08/22/six-on-saturday-the-good-the-bad-and-the-not-so-bad/
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I thought I had lost a Ceratostigma here, after it got swamped by a mix of Japanese anemones and a geranium. It has reappeared as the other two have been kept in check by the lack of water…now I will have to give it a bit of encouragement! Thank goodness we have a bit of rain at last!
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I tried Coleus once with complete failure – the slimy assassins got to them. Yours on the other hand is looking splendid. The rain has been welcome this week, quite heavy early morning showers here and saved me having to lug heavy watering cans around the garden.
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I share your hopes that things that look awful now will bounce back once we get a really good amount of rain. My very large rhododendron that has been ailing for some years may well be a loss this year. What a planting space that will be. The coleus in the pot is a stop you in your tracks plant. I hope the ceratostigma and eucomis pick up and thrive. Here’s my link https://n20gardener.com/2026/08/22/six-on-saturday-looking-on-the-bright-side/ nothing exotic but some things are having a go at flowering.
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Hi Jim,
Gardening feels like an innately optimistic activity sometimes, good luck with the cacti and thanks for sharing your garden stories and hosting this group so nicely.
This week I have been mostly doing a little rain dance 🙂
https://doingtheplan.com/2026/08/22/rose-sedum-apples-and-discoball-anemone-waterlily-and-box-ball-and-birdsong/
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I’m not particularly a fan of coleus either, but yours are quite spectacular. I look forward to seeing how the competition goes on!
My six this week is here: https://mysanctuarygarden.wordpress.com/2026/08/22/six-on-saturday-22-08-2026/
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Whoops, my link didn’t work. Here it is.
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Rain at last! Wonderful. Your eucomis are fabulous despite the drought. I had to laugh at the idea of you growing yet more cacti from seed to add to Sue’s extensive collection which you now care for. Snap with the ceratostigma. Lovely coleus. Glad to hear that it is coleus again.
Six on Saturday. In France.↗
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Your coleus is amazing! Is that just one plant? I had forgotten about cerostostigma, completely left my head, thanks for reminding me, it is a little beauty. I love the idea of the cacti competition, I’m sure that Sue would be too. Also impressed by your grafting skills, I will be following! Here are my six https://offtheedgegardening.com/2026/08/22/six-on-saturday-wondering/
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I’m sure visitors are prepared to put up with whatever the weather gods send in order to look around your lovely garden. Here in Berkshire we had some rain, although more is needed. I hope it will be coming our way later this week. It is distinctly cool this morning.
My six https://wp.me/p88ZiK-dFR
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Beautiful coleus – I’ve never had much luck with them – maybe one for the list next year. Here’s my (very early) entry for this week – https://thegarrett.garden/2026/08/22/six-on-saturday-22-august-2026/
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I look forward to following the cacti from seed to flower growing contest and the apple grafting. The blue of the Ceratostigma plumbaginoides is rather splendid https://onemanandhisgardentrowel.wordpress.com/2026/08/22/six-on-saturday-22-august-2026/
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Again, I feel like my six are rather weak compared to yours. https://tonytomeo.com/2026/08/22/six-on-saturday-disheveled/
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Your coleus has inspired me to try again next year. They are so colourful. It will be fun following your endeavours with the Echinopsis, maybe you can have your sisters bring their plants and have a side by side picture in due course of the plants, but maybe as a family snapshot too! Here are my six:
https://noellemace.blogspot.com/2026/08/six-on-saturday-22-august-2026.html
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Oh, I’m ever so pleased the rain has arrived. I’ve seen so many images of drought ravaged gardens over there….I just can’t imagine it otherwise. Love the cover photo…..Belladonna Lilies?
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AAgree with Fred. The coleus gets added to my 2027 to-do list!
Only mmy third Six-on-Saturday this year. Here it is, for readers to peruse.
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That serrated-leaf coleus is truly amazing! It seems you manage to get it through the winter easily… Well done. Regarding the apple tree, I have a ‘Reine des Reinettes’ variety that must be quite similar to yours. They are excellent.
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