I was dodging hailstorms shortly prior to typing this, foolishly thinking there was a big enough sunny gap between showers to do a spot of work at the allotment. There’s a chill in the air too, autumn creeps ever closer. The leaves are starting to shed – living right beneath a row of deciduous trees means I am acutely aware of their rituals and there are definitely more leaves and winged seeds to pick off the terrace plants and sweep off the decking each morning (a compulsive task that interferes with my breakfast).
Nonetheless, every leaf has a silver lining, and in my case it’s last year’s leaves. These have now become precious leaf mould after a year of sitting in their chicken-wire container, now emptied and ready to receive the new annual intake. I like a closed circle in a garden.
Onto the six proper. A fluffy grass seedhead caught in a beam of sunlight. During a recent visit to the garden centre I just couldn’t resist this Pennisetum orientale with a rosy tint. They had an incredible selection of grasses, I wanted to bring them all home! Even though my garden is not in the least prairie-like and is better suited to woodland plants. Ah well, I suppose we’ve all been there.
I did have a valid reason for going to the garden centre, which was to buy plants that can sit on the flat roof of the shed and screen our new neighbours’ vast array of garden furniture (now covered in black plastic sheeting). I thought this clumping, fast-growing bamboo, Fargesia rufa, would do the job, and I couldn’t resist adding a few other plants to complete the look. A quick online search reveals that Fargesia rufa is an important food source for the famous Giant Panda. Well, if one’s passing through the neighbourhood…!
Next up is a plant that quietly goes about its flowering, the hardy fuchsia, Fuchsia magellanica. This one may be ‘Riccartonii’. Not brash or blousy, just quietly elegant. I have three of these dotted around the garden.
Even quieter though is this Salvia x Jamensis ‘Nachtvlinder’. Hard to photograph it as a whole – I challenge you to spot it in the background in the photo after this one. Close up though, there is something velvety and sumptuous about it.
This year’s brood of strawberry plants. Almost impossible to resist the urge to make new plants so easily from all those runners, but now what to do with them all?
Finally, what can be better for a gardener than free stuff for the garden? I picked up the toddler’s chair (of limited practical use but I think it’s cute) and the terracotta pots from the street. There’s a Belgian custom to leave stuff you don’t want out on the pavement with a little ‘A donner‘ sign – I have picked up many treasures in this way, and reciprocate by donating unwanted plants (perhaps that’s where the strawberries are headed).
Wishing you all a wonderful weekend, ours looks like it might be a washout. Not ideal for tomorrow’s Journée sans voiture (Car Free Sunday), when cars are banned from Brussels (great idea, should be replicated in every city, for those who dare to challenge the system!) and we will be cycling to Waterloo for a barbeque.
Six on Saturday is hosted by The Propagator, his site is the gateway to many more Six on Saturday posts.
I love the idea of offering free items, I shall think on about it.
Love your chair and pots, great find and what a brilliant idea. As is “car free”. Beautiful salvia and I’m dribbling at the sight of your wonderful leaf mould. Enjoy your Waterloo barbeque (which rhymes)
I do love picking up all these pots, have collected many over the years, always amazes me that anyone would give them away, especially as they cost a small fortune to buy!
I find leadmould a wonderful addition to the garden and especially so around bulbs. Snowdrops in particular do very well with the addition of leafmould. I collect the leaves into bags – those woven type bags used years ago for grain seed.
That’s a good idea Paddy to add some to the snowdrops – if I can remember where they are!
I probably have the same pink Pennisetum oriental ( Mine is Karley Rose) . You would have told me I would have sent you seeds ….I have so many… I hope the weather will be nice for your bike ride tomorrow. Have a nice week end !
Yes Karley Rose – if only I’d known! What time of year do you collect the seeds, now or later in the autumn? And do they take a long time grown from seed to make a good plant?
Around this time of year. By gently pulling on the cob, the seeds come off: it’s the right time. I tried different solutions, I have better results when I forget the seeds in potting soil, close to the mother plant. Using a spade to cut the plant into small pieces is also a solution. I’ll feature mine in next week’s Six and you’ll see how much volume one of mine has.
Super I look forward to seeing it and might try sowing some seed from mine too and see what happens.
I realy love your free stuff, and the fuchsias.
The weather contrast is almost shocking…. lets hope for an Indian Summer 🙂
Shocking is the word! Whenever I go out, it starts raining again. Have a great weekend Rudi.
It’s the rain we so long waited for….. 🙂 Maybe not we, but nature will be happy with all that moist.
Yes mustn’t complain!
Love the pots and chair – lots of character. Your leaf mould looks good. I must try collecting leaves again – I gave up one spring as I really wanted the space they were taking up for plants. Weirdly, I acquired an ornamental grass and that very same Salvia back in August (https://onemanandhisgardentrowel.wordpress.com/2022/08/13/six-on-saturday-a-rhyming-one-13-august-2022/) – I’m sure the Salvia leaves smell vaguely blackcurranty – but I can’t decide if the colour of the flowers is tricking my brain into thinking that.
Great choices 😉 Yes quite blackcurranty and a kind of foxy smell I think too – not that I have ever actually smelt a fox!
I’m really looking forward to seeing the unusual wildlife you are encouraging. 🐼 I do like the idea of “A donner”, someone will be grateful and have just the right use for another one’s rejects. Beautiful fuchsias.
Watch this space for pandas 😉
I love your pavement findings ! I wish my fuchsia Magellanica would flower as profusely as yours. They don’t seem to keen on my very dry soil. Now salvia on the other hand …
I think the fuchsia likes my woodland vibe, it flowers over a really long period over summer and autumn too, a great plant.
Love your site! You may also enjoy my site about plants! 🙂 Have a great day.
Thanks, I will take a look!
Cute chair and a handy seat for any tender plant to avoid the S&S and how can anyone throw out terracotta pots? But lucky for you that they do. Nice to see another fuchsia. They definitely come into their own during September.
I can’t wait to see the new roof planting and hope a wayfaring panda stops by for a snack and lounge! Gorgeous plants you collected for this new area.
That would be a very well-travelled panda 😆