Six on Saturday 02.01.21

Thistles and Kiwis

Happy New Year! Another interesting date this week too, with 0, 1 and 2 forming a nice pattern. Anyway, I hope you all had a good festive season. This morning at 5am, we were woken by a 4.2 earthquake, which (apologies) was a bit of a jolt. We just turned over and went back to sleep, but it was a good reminder of where these islands lie, right on the Pacific Ring of Fire. Anyway, the weather here is, well, erratic, with some lovely bright, sunny days and others that make you even wonder if it is summer, with grey skies and lots of rain. It seems to be the pattern at the moment but I did get out into the garden this week when the sun was shining. Thanks once again to The Propagator for allowing us to share what is going on in our gardens. Check out the participant guide if you want to join in. 

To start with, the burst of orange/red that is the nasturtiums, both the unexpected ones and the expected ones. I especially enjoy these on grey days like today. The bees like them too – you can just see one popping in to feed below, and another one thinking about it.

At number two this week, have flowering hosta, spotted in between the alstroemeria. The flowers up close are really pretty when they open up.

At number three, the wild strawberry plant, which is still producing flowers (and I ate two berries this week) though I feel is in some serious need of some loving care. A white butterfly was also enjoying the plant – I believe this is a female as it has two spots on the wings. It is an introduced species, and of course is just a bit destructive around brassicas!

And so to the herbs, with a flowering oregano, a new lavender purchase (going for half price at the garden centre, so fingers crossed!) and the echinacea, that I confess to going and looking at each day. There are several flowers on the plant, but the one below is the largest and most interesting to look at at the moment. It is my current plant obsession. I need to repot the lavender, and also a couple of small parsley plants that I got to replenish my stock. Also featured below is the hyssop, which is looking fine (unlike the dill which – guess what – is going to seed I fear).

At number five.. things where they shouldn’t be…a small, bedraggled marigold under one of the thymes, several white agapanthus by the side of the steps to the house, and blue ones at the back of the house and by the steps. Despite being weeds, I do like them as you know.

And to finish, yet more pictures of the Peruvian lilies/alstromeria, this season’s camellias! They just seem to grow everywhere round here.

So that is me for now from Wellington. As usual, I am looking forward to seeing everyone’s beautiful gardens in other parts of the world. Hope you are all well and enjoying your gardens in whatever the season is with you. 

You can find Thistles and Kiwis on Facebook, and also on Instagram@thistleandkiwis.  As for Twitter….am totally inactive these days.  If you want to get in touch, email me on thistlesandkiwis@gmail.com

Published by Thistles and Kiwis

24 Comments

  1. Plants where they shouldn’t be! Dear, oh dear… We try so hard to get the plants we want where we want them, and then his happens, and we love it & are grateful.

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  4. Your Nasturtiums always give me a lift! They feature as seeds on my SOS – I am going to try the variety Alaska for the first time this coming year. The Alstromeria and hosta flowers make a lovely pairing.

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  5. I struggle to roll over and go back to sleep if I get woken for any reason, never mind an earthquake. Funny what we get used to. Such cheery flowers, Alstroemeria and Nasturtiums, just the thing on a cold winter day.

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  7. The first thing I saw of your Six this Saturday was on Instagram with the very pretty picture of the hosta flower. But the sight of all these pretty flowers and your sunny summer comforts us from the cold of winter. Happy New Year !

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  9. The alstromeria are fabulous even if they do turn up in unplanned situations. So lovely to see a summer garden at this time of year in the UK.

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  10. Everything looks so green and lush. Oh, those Peruvian lilies! And I would jump for joy if I had weeds like agapanthus in my garden. Despite my creaky knees. đŸ˜‰ A very happy New Year to you and yours. Glad the earth quake wasn’t any worse.

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  11. I enjoy seeing all these colorful blooms! It is winter where I am. I live in a volcanic area, too, the foothills of western Oregon’s Cascade Range, though in a currently relatively quiet part of it.

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  12. I’m glad your earthquake wasn’t too serious. Lovely to see your sunny pictures, especially the jolly nasturtium selections.

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    1. No…in fact I don’t think I have ever had steak pie on New Year’s Day! My family weren’t Scottish so we never had that tradition, but I have lots of friends who still keep to that dish on the 1st. This year I made beef cooked in beer in fact.

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  16. I have never seen Hosta flowers before, and I agree with you, they are beautiful! I have one plant, in a pot, so hope it will flower! You do have some beautiful colour in your garden at this time of year!

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