Six on Saturday 08.05.21

Thistles and Kiwis,

What amazing weather we have been having this autumn! While the early mornings and evenings are a little chilly, day time temperatures are almost better than some of the days this summer. No coat has been needed for my lunch time walks, the skies have been bright blue, and everything looks quite lovely. 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. Let’s look at this week’s six.

We’ll start with a lovely surprise spotted this morning. I glanced out of the window and could see several camellias in flower. It was such a great start to the day. The two small pictures below are from the bush we share with our neighbour which is always the first to flower. Such glorious pink blooms!

At number two, more flowers, this time on the tecomanthe speciosa or Three Kings vine again. Sorry if I feature this each week at the moment, but it is quite a lovely and special plant.

At number three, we have the herbs (side note for no reason – some of the British readers may well remember that wonderful children’s TV show The Herbs – I always loved Parsley the Lion). I repotted both tarragon plants, and there is a bit more sign of life now which is good as I like using the herb in cooking. The rue has also perked up, and the raggedy rosemary that grows beside the house is flowering and looking better than it has for ages.

Another regular at this time of year in my SoS posts is the mahonia. As I have said before, I actually don’t mind it as it adds a lovely pop of colour, and the colour goes quite well with the blue of the house. Three of the plants are in flower at the moment.

No SoS post would be complete without nasturtiums. These may be the last for a while (I think I have said that before…), but I also have more seeds to pickle. Those wanting to try doing this should follow Fred’s recipe which I am sure he would share again if we asked nicely enough.

Finally to finish, the dahlia is still producing some gorgeous flower. Thanks to everyone for all the tips last week – I have noted the varieties you suggested for next year. Much appreciated! I managed to get most of my bulbs planted last Sunday, but have run out of potting compost and suitable pots (and some might also say space…) so a garden centre trip is in order.

One small confession…the featured image of the bee feasting on the violas was actually taken last Sunday. The flowers were so small, that every time he approached one, they bent over double with his weight. I couldn’t help but try to capture it.

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

38 Comments

  1. Three Kings is coming along nicely. I am coveting your rue. I can’t seem to find it for sale anywhere around here, and I’m determined to have it in my herb garden.

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  2. Oh yes The Herbs! I loved Parsley too, such a gentle soul. Beautiful picture of the bee, you can’t imagine them being at all heavy, can you? Nice to see the camellias starting, they are only just finishing here, a complete circle! Enjoy your week.

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  3. What a lovely array of flowering plants in your garden! I bought nasturtium seeds this week for the many past generations said ‘another drought year too many’ and have failed to grow. A new generation will provide great joy. Interestingly enough, my daughter has called her calico cat Parsley – from the lion, which she has introduced to her children 🙂

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  5. It’s with pleasure that I share the recipe for Nasturtium seeds: once they are collected, washed and dry, put them in a dish and sprinkle with coarse salt overnight. The next day rinse them well and dry them then put them in a jar filled with vinegar, tarragon, pepper, chilli … (Anything you want that will give flavor.)
    Wait a minimum of a month, two or three is better and then you can taste them : I do the same with cucumbers, cucamelons …Good appetite !

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  7. Such a lovely photo of the bee! I like Three Kings too, interesting name, do you know why it’s called that? Also curious to know if you use Rue in some way, can it be cooked with? Will copy and paste Fred’s caper recipe, nasturtium season here isn’t far off.

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    1. Three Kings – the plant was found on islands with that name. I think rue can be used as a herbal remedy but not sure for what. Apparently dogs and cats don’t like it, and as a cat owner I had doubts about having a plant, but I keep it away from his usual pathway. Enjoy your nasturtiums!

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      1. Nice name for an island too. I wonder what would happen if I planted rue next to my cat mint, which is currently being rolled on with great joy by all the cats of the neighbourhood, it’s their crack den ;-D

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        2. I had a catnip plant for a while that our cat ignored but our neighbours’ cat ripped apart and got rather ‘high’ 😀

          And yes the tecomanthe story is so interesting. I found two plants in the Botanic Gardens too.

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  9. That is a lovely photo of the bee. I was thinking of you this week now that the nasturtiums are showing in my hanging baskets. Meanwhile, what a glorious view from your window.

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  12. No apology necessary for the Three Kings Vine – it’s a beauty! Also, it’s quite nice to see the progress of a single plant week on week.

    Elsewhere, the garden is looking great – so much colour! I’m glad you’re having good weather; when you’re done with it, could you send it over here?!

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  15. Love all the colour, that so beautiful you have the camellias to greet you from the window. It’s great to see a the flowers in their beautiful stages of opening. Great shot of the bee it looks like a big block trying to sip on a tiny cup of tea. too cute.

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