Hello! It’s a while since I did a Six on Saturday, a more personal post about my garden and what I’m doing. There are some lovely highlights to share with you at this exciting time of year when everything is bursting into leaf and life.
1 Bulbs and breakfast
The garden table, still covered, is put to good use at this time of year, serving as potting bench, bulb display and breakfast bar! Narcissus ‘White Petticoat’, Chionodoxa and Hyacinth ‘Midnight Sky’ are in bloom.
2 Acer palmatum ‘Katsura’
This Japanese maple is one of the first of its type to come into leaf in spring. It makes a stupendous display in golden and tangerine tones, transforming to lime green later in the season.
3 Chicken and chives
One of my Pekin bantams fits snugly in this pot, using it as a mini dust bath. Am not sure that the chives are too happy about it. But the hens are laying well now so it’s a trade off.
4 Chaenomeles japonica
The Japanese quince – which I was planning to remove at one stage – is proving why I should keep it. A fuss-free shrub that is great for the early season bees. Works well against a sunny wall.
5 Dahlia surprise
So as we may know, we are supposed to lift dahlia tubers and store them inside over winter to protect them from frost and rot. But I have been lazy and lax, these tubers stayed in their outside pot all through winter. Amazingly they are fine, another sign of how our gardening habits might change with a warmer climate?
6 Clematis armandii ‘Apple Blossom’
Ending with the star of the moment, Clematis armandii is my herald of spring in the garden. Absolutely masses of pink blushed flowers! Fabulous. It is vigorous so give it plenty of space and a warm sunny position.
That was my Six on Saturday, which I hope to dip into now and then. Hosted by Garden Ruminations where you will find lots of other posts with plenty of gardens and plants to admire. Have a great weekend!
Hi! This Japanese acer is gorgeous ! The tree’s shape is very pretty.
Speaking of the chicken and the chives, I think you’ll have an egg before eating the chives 😂.
I haven’t potted my dahlia tubers yet, I’ll have to hurry. Thanks for the tip
And finally, the Clematis ‘Apple blossom’ is truly amazing!
Haha I do love a fried egg topped with chives! I do love that Acer, I have 2 other varieties with red leaves and this one performs so much better than the others.
Chicken and chives is my favourite this week!
Thanks, maybe they will start a theme, perhaps chicken and marjoram next week 😂
I thought it was only cats who sought out a warm snug pot to perch! I lifted my dahlia tubers and still they rotted stored in newspaper in the polytunnel. Your quince is a lovely peachy pink shade.
The chickens love a snug spot, and are really into sunbathing too 😎 I find that storing bulbs etc usually goes wrong!
You’ve got everything in this Six, laughs and beauty and surprises. Love the chicken, love the clematis, love the acer, love it all. I left all my dahlias in the ground this year. We will see!
Aaw thanks, I have missed writing the 6! Dahlias so much less hassle when they can be left!
Beautiful photo of the Japanese quince.
Thank you!
The chicken made me smile. I had to look twice tos see if was real until I read your comment. I love the acer growing in a pot. They are such pretty trees. While I love them I would be comitting to certain death if I tried to grow in our climate.
Yes these chickens get up to all sorts, they make sweet pets. Even in our climate the Japanese Acers can be tricky, took me a while to find this spot in dappled shade where it is happy.
I’ve left all my dahlias in their pots over the past few winters too! I’ve yet to dig them up and change the compost. Japanese quince are lovely. I don’t have one but admire a red variety on my way to town each Saturday morning. The chicken and chives made me smile.
Dahlias are definitely enough bother as they are, without the added hassle of storing them. Chickens are on hand for light entertainment 😁
I love the flowers on the Japanese quince but the cheeky chicken is the star of the show this week!
Yes I think she’s got the most votes!
Yes I agree the bantam is so cosy in the pot..I love the blossoms of the clematis they are just cheerful and bees are also happy 😄 to have them so glad to get your six.
That sounds like a recipe😁
Clematis armandii is fabulous and your pink one especially so. And like everyone else I adore the chicken. I once had a cat who loved to curl up in a pot and snooze in the sun.