Six on Saturday 07.01.23

Thistles and Kiwis,

Happy New Year to all SoS’ers out there! Hope you have all had a good start to the year. We certainly did, with some gorgeous sunshine which have now turned to heavy rain and humid days. Things have been growing fast and as we have had visitors and also a holiday away, also neglected. Now I have time, it is weather only for reading and drinking tea. 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.

I took the photos for this week’s post earlier this week when the sun was still shining. However, I was one ‘subject’ short, so here is part of a collection of stones and shells picked up during a visit to Eastbourne and now decorating a pot. Well, it is in the garden!

So to the lovely display of different nasturtiums. I spotted a bee really enjoying visiting one of them, clearly finding something inside of interest. I’ve also picked a few seeds to pickle in the style of Fred the French Gardener.

Over at herb corner, there are flowers coming on the echinacea, and both the chocolate mint and pineapple sage are looking healthy – or were at least before being battered by the rain.

So to bugs…and while the sound of the cicadas means summer, there are also things enjoying eating the leaves of the nasturtiums such as the green caterpillar below. While we were on holiday, something really enjoyed eating the variegated sage and also the wild strawberry. Ah well….’tis nature!

Remember the dahlias I though would never recover? Well, a bud was spotted the other day on one of the plants. I just hope the rain doesn’t flatten them.

At this time of year, we are welcome home by the golden yellow of the alstroemerias and the purple blooms of the hosta. Such a glorious sight, even when the rain is pouring down.

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.

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

22 Comments

  1. You have a nice collection of nasturtiums ! Enjoy the flowers and capers while the caterpillars are busy with the leaves. What will you do with that pot filled with stones ? Just for the pleasure of the eyes?

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  4. The Alstroemerias and hostas are a lovely colour combination. I had to do a quick check that you had an Eastbourne a bit closer than the one I know. The stones on ours will all be flints.

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  5. Pingback: Six on Saturday 07.01.23 — Thistles and Kiwis – ° BLOG ° Gabriele Romano

  7. Lovely variety of nasturtiums. I might try growing mine in a container this year as the ones I sowed in the ground last spring didn’t come to much. Nice to see so much colour. Looking at the caterpillar on the nasturtiums I would say you have had Small White’s visiting you. I can’t think what eats sage though, usually the strong flavoured herbs are left well alone.

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    1. I think nasturtiums look pretty in containers, sort of spilling over the edge if that makes sense. Yes lots of little white butterflies about – first seen in NZ in 1929 so a pest in more than one sense of the word! I agree re the sage though – have never seen that before,

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  10. Happy New Year, it must have been lovely having your relatives from Sweden coming for the summer holidays here.
    Your nasturtiums are doing well, I love them, colourful and easy to grow.

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  12. I so enjoy your pictures of all the different varieties of flowers. It is still cold and cloudy here in East Tennessee in the US. But I know that spring will soon be on the way. Until then I will just enjoy your beautiful display.

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