This is my first time doing a Six on Saturday post. I have seen quite a few other garden bloggers embarking on this weekly adventure and looked fondly at their posts. So I thought it was time I dip my toe into the water. Without further ado, below are six pictures to showcase my last week in horticulture.
Mulch, mulch, mulch
It has been a week of a lot of mulching. It feels like the cycle of clearing beds, weeding beds and mulching beds has been never-ending. This week I needed a tractor to bring a full trailer of mulch to spread over the herb garden (it is large with 8 big central beds and 1 which runs half the circumference of the space). The beds are also just over knee-high so it has meant a lot of lifting barrows onto them to dump the mulch before spreading. Back-breaking but vital work and now it means the beds are looking in fantastic shape ahead of the season.
Sowing delights
It feels exciting to be sowing seeds again and really feels as if the growing season is quickly coming up on us. These trays have Rainbow Chard and Agretti sown in them, and they join the chillies as the earliest seeds in the polytunnel so far. Agretti (or saltwort as its also known) might not be widely known and is an Italian vegetable that has fleshy needle-shaped leaves. It is normally found growing on shorelines around the Mediterranean basin and is really salt-tolerant. The leaves have a crunch and can be eaten raw or cooked, while it is a favourite among celebrity chefs and fancy restaurants.
Daphne
I smelt this Daphne ‘Jacqueline Postill’ before I saw it upon a trip to Batsford Arboretum. It features fantastic pink flowers, a wonderful fragrance and is a real striking plant for January and February.
Sempervivum propagating
This was a little project I’d had my eyes on for a few weeks. We have a decent collection of succulents in the greenhouse and there was babies on quite a few. So I took the babies off the sempervivum and potted them up in a gritty compost topped with more grit to make a neat display to sit along the windowsill. It is a very simple and effective way to propagate them and get new plants for free.
Messy beds must go
Messy beds need a good sort, and this one has been long overdue for a clear. I have been wanting to get in here for a while. The garlic chives had been long gone and needed cutting down, while the vast quantity of weeds meant progress was very slow. It is rewarding to slog through on your hands and knees and turn a chaotic and untidy eyesore of a bed into one looking neat and ready for mulching.
Hamamelis
Another one of my highlights from the trip to Batsford Arboretum, this Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Limelight’ was one of a number of the genus looking fantastic on a cold February day.
Perennial Nerd 
Brilliant! Mulched my garden back in November and December, some nice rotted manure. But as you saw from my Six,full of weed seeds. Curses.
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Thanks for the kind words. That is the gamble of getting it straight off the farm – at least you can get to them quick while they are small.
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Can’t wait to see photos of your herb garden, all neatly mulched and ready to grow!
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I still have the last few beds to go, will make sure to get some photos up when it’s completed and looking at its best
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Happy 1st Six on Saturday and what a lovely edition. I am a sucker for semps and your baby ones are just far too cute!! It feels good to have a good clear out of beds doesn’t it. Gives a good view of what plans you can work on over the coming months. Hope to read some more Six on Saturdays from you soon 😀
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Thanks for reading and I’m glad you liked it – I will definitely do more in the coming weeks.
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That an incredible amount of mulching! I’ve not yet resorted to having it delivered by tractor – just the thought of that much in one go is enough for me!
I hope the herbs appreciate all your hard work 😀
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I must admit I am getting another trailer-load at the start of next week to finish the last couple of beds. It’ll keep me busy and fit!!
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Great to read a new six..Daphnes are stars of the month right now. I have them on my list but I am trying to resist buying one of everything I see on these posts. I’m not a great planner but I want to make sure any new shrubs end up in the best place. One day!
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I am glad you liked the post. It is hard to show restraint and not buy everything. You need a wish-list so you can slowly tick them off over time, but that list would probably get longer and longer all the time
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I sprained my ankle this week and cannot handle the garden yet. 😦 I can manage flat surfaces by now, so am hopeful for next week. I too enjoy Hamamelis. (Diane, Pallida and Jelena) I must begin pruning my many clematis SOON!
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Thanks for reading. Hope you are able to get back out in the garden again soon.
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Welcome to the Six on Saturday community! Great photos.
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Thanks Christine for the compliment and it’s great to hear you enjoyed it. Expect a lot more Six on Saturday posts from me in the future.
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Welcome to SoS! My first question was, will there be recipes? So I looked at your ‘about’ section & see you work at a Big House, (which of course, doesn’t preclude recipes). How wonderful to have a big garden to express yourself in, although perhaps not all the gardening decisions are your own. Are these Six from work or home or a combo? And . . . are there recipes? Look forward to watching your Six continue as the growing season starts.
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Hi Lora. These six are a combination of ones from home & work, and unfortunately I don’t make all the decision in my work garden. I hadn’t thought of recipes, but I am starting to specialise in growing veg & herbs so then they could come into the equation.
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Re: recipes – I will be your biggest fan.
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Ahh great first 6onsaturday love the Daphne and Hamamelis oh and mulching, looks great stuff!
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Thanks for reading and for the kind words. I will definitely continue the Six on Saturday going forward.
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Oh I wanted before and after snaps! Am looking at some messy areas of my own and could use some motivation x mulching is fantastic, is it not?
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