Six on Saturday 17.12.22

Thistles and Kiwis,

What is going on with the weather? A few days of sunny and hot weather, followed by humid days and rain. It just doesn’t feel right for December. It is either too hot or too wet to be in the garden. Nearly everything needs attention, but with family due from Sweden, the tidying up is happening inside rather than outside at the moment, Anyway, thanks to Jim at Garden Ruminations, for hosting Six on Saturday, whose knowledge of all things plants and gardening makes him an ideal host.

Let’s start where I finished last week with the alstroemerias. More are flowering each day and are so cheery and happy and the first thing you see getting to the top of the steps.

At number two, three of the four dahlias have popped up again this year. I was expecting nothing, so am pleasantly surprised. We will see if they flower or not. Last year they suffered badly from hot, humid weather and ended up with a fungus disease that I was able to cure – and they have bounded back.

So to herb corner, with lively looking pineapple sage, curry plant and those pretty little rue flowers. However, one of my rosemary plants has just died. It happened suddenly – and I mean in a couple of days – just turned brown and collapsed, It seems it was a case of root rot, probably due to all the humidity. I noticed a nearby lavender is having the same issue, so will move things around once the rain stops.

Talking about tidying up, sweeping up camellia petals is a daily occurrence at the moment. Every day it looks as if I haven’t swept them up, and every day the brush comes out again.

So to a surprising potential success. A few weeks ago, I planted a seedling for a sugar snap pea plant. The seeds had come free from the supermarket so I expected nothing. Anyway, it is now flowering.

To end this week’s post, two very pretty nasturtiums. I think the orange on the yellow one looks like it has been painted on.

That’s all from me folks for this week. 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. Next week is Christmas Eve, which we celebrate as per European tradition, eating, drinking, singing and opening presents. As a result I will not be here next week or the following week as we will be spending time with family. See you next on 7 January 2023!

Thistles and Kiwis is a Wellington, New Zealand based blog written by Barbara, who likes cats, summer, good food and pretends to garden.

You can find Thistles and Kiwis on Facebook, and also on Instagram @thistlesandkiwis. If you want to get in touch, email me on thistlesandkiwis@gmail.com or lofgren@thistelsandkiwis.com

Published by Thistles and Kiwis

32 Comments

  1. You seem to have had a surfeit of rain. Here, I am delighted to report we are experiencing a steady drizzle. This makes a change from the high temperatures we have endured and makes me glad I did a lot of pruning yesterday. Enjoy having your visitors: I hope you will be blessed with good weather and that the coming year will bring you all good health and lots of joy.

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  3. I love your yellows first the Alstromeria then two differently patterned nasturtiums. Thanks you sharing a bit of your summer as we shiver the other side of the world!

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  6. I love to eat peas when they are young , directly picked in the garden. A little more patience, and you can do it! In 2 months I’ll sow mine, but in the meantime, I’m content with sweet peas which grow slowly in the gh. Pretty nasturtiums flowers ( and alstroemerias too!)

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  9. Refreshing to see blue skies, flowers in bright colors! I am in a monochrome white, shades of grey and black. Wisconsin winter has a beauty all its own, but nice to see summer even if it is far away!

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  10. How nice to see some warmth amid all the frozen north! I have had rosemary shrubs do that before, just start to go brown and die which is why I have several cuttings. Have a lovely Christmas with your family, I bet they will be more than happy with your weather, rain or otherwise!

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    1. It has been so humid here which the rosemary didn’t like.

      And thanks – looking forward to seeing family and Christmas. Hope you have a good time too over the season.

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  11. Hi, Barbara – The bright colours in your garden are beautiful. I am looking out my window right now. There is no snow or rain which put a smile to my face on this mid-December morning. While there are definitely no bright flowers there is still much green which makes me thankful.
    Enjoy your company and holiday traditions. Looking forward to catching up on all of this when you return in January!

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    1. It is grey and damp here this Sunday morning, but everything is still bright in terms of colours.

      I’ll be posting on Monday as usual and then not sure for the rest of the year. We will see!

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  13. How lovely 🌸 I would learn to love those falling camellia petals, they look so beautiful! I get just as nice pleasure from my fallen tree blossoms as I do that on the tree.

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  16. I’d swap our weather for yours at the moment! 😀 We’ve had a week or two of frost, ice and a little snow with minus temperatures. Although this week is looking warmer.

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  18. The flowers are beautiful! I love seeing them, especially being in the northern hemisphere at this time of year.

    I stopped putting out Christmas decorations. The cats had too much fun. 🙂

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