It would seem that normal service has resumed. Well, I can still only “like” posts from the smartphone but that’s no real problem. My sanity is restored. If the WordPress gods allow, I hope now to carry on normally. Thanks for your patience. For those that want to know, it was a simple case of somehow acquiring a double-identity thanks to doing some work on another blog. And I spent a lot of time looking for far more complex issues. Oh well! And while I’m talking complex issues, it looks as though those of you who host at WordPress.com are about to be forced to switch to the block editor. Well sort of; it seems that the old “classic” editor will still be there but within the block editor. If you haven’t already subscribed to the WordPress blog, mosey here to read more information. It looks as though those who self-host will still be able to use the classic editor plug in – at least I assume this as it’s just been updated.
On Monday, I was remonstrating with the weather which, clearly, had not bothered to read the weather warning of thunderstorms and heavy rain that had been issued the previous day. Would I have to resort to filling my water butts with a hose pipe? The sun just laughed at me and told a couple of stray thunder clouds to nip across the Bristol Channel and play around over Devon. I hope Gill enjoyed the company. Which makes me wonder whether, if the Flat Earth Society has to observe social distancing and its members spread out, have any fallen off the edge yet? The rain finally arrived yesterday, by the way.
Someone who has definitely not fallen off the edge is our Chief Executive, Mr Propagator. Though he has not been unscathed as his cosmos fell down around him! Still, no storm will get in the way of his weekly emergence as leader of the SoS gang, whose membership for the current week will be found at the bottom of his blog of the day.
So on with the motley (notice the subtle operatic reference there?)…
1 Gershwin
Finally, Rose (“Rosa” for the pedantic) ‘Rhapsody in Blue’ has deigned to flower. There is a Devon variety that seems to flower much earlier in the year. Talking of late bloomers, I can announce that I picked my first sweet pea of the year yesterdayl I have high hopes of a second before the frosts hit!
2 Picture of Lily
This week’s theme seems to be musical. “Picture of Lily” was a song by The Who. I like to improve your knowledge, see? There’s another musical connection here, though. A certain Devonian lass has a habit of exchanging gardening sessions for singing lessons. And the same Devonian lass also grows this particular lily (or, more exactly, its siblings). And hers probably flowered a while ago too! I know this because a couple of years ago we both wanted to grow a particular lily or two – this one and another one – and I’d managed to track a pack of each down. But they were large packs and I didn’t have the room for them all so I sent her half. She kindly sent me some seeds and cuttings in return. Nice. If only I could remember its name.
3 Let’s Twist Again
More Music. Chubby Checker released “The Twist” in 1960 and “Let’s Twist Again” in 1961. And this Agapanthus Twister is definitely a re-release. I had a few in the ground but they sort of snuffed it last year so I decided to plant three in a container where their roots would be cramped – this apparently induces better flowering. Well, I didn’t decide to plant three. I wanted one but they came in three-packs so I planted three. Might as well have planted one as only one of the three has flowered.
4 Erigeron
Thought you had me there? Think again folks. “Erigeron” is a track from the 2017 digital mini-album “Photo” by Icei. My Erigeron photo is of E. karvinskianus. For me it turned out bit of a bummer (play on words!). It’s a great little plant for shoving into gaps between paving where it’ll make itself at home in challenging conditions and won’t mind too much being trampled on as it spreads along and around the gaps. My mistake was having a plant left over in spring last year and deciding to pop it into a gap in one of the alpine beds in Edifice 2. I’ve been hacking and pulling for the last year and despite my abuse it now covers half of both alpine beds in Edifice 2. But all is not lost. It’s an airy spreader, not a smotherer, and has no objection if other plants want to pop up through it.
5 Pussy Kat
This somewhat bedraggled being is my thus-far-solitary dahlia flower. Well it was. I took the photo late last night, hence the darkness. Overnight rain meant that little of the bedraggledness remained this morning. But at least I’m unbeaten. Ha! Kat Dahlia is the easier-to-remember stage name of Katriana Sandra Huguet, a Cuban-American singer. Gotcha! Still musical. And what’s more, her 2015 debut studio album was called “My Garden”. Appropriate for a gardening blog, wot?
6 Japanese Anemones
I have about 6 different varieties of Japanese Anemones; there are three in this photo. They provide a nice late summer flurry of colour as they waft gently in the breeze and pop up everywhere, metres away from their original location.
Ha! Thought I’d given up on the musical theme, didn’t you? Go on, admit it. Well I win!
“Last Calix” are a Japanese post hard core band. So we have the gardening connection with “calyx” if you ignore the spelling. And of course we have “Japanese”. Finally I offer the knowledge of their 2015 single “Anemone”. Six out of six. Wahey.
I shall now retire to celebrate for a short while before I get round to catching up with overdue replies to comments on earlier posts to which responding seemed like The Impossible Dream. See y’all soon. Until then, enjoy your gardens.
it seems very obvious now you’ve written it down, but i have never heard “let’s twist again” as a musical sequel. “like we did last summer” now makes much more sense. i have so far restricted my japanese anemones to one variety, the white honorine joubert. it seems to be quite well behaved, i’ve not observed it creeping about the place. yet.
Agapanthus Twister gave me five flower stalks this summer for a single potted plant. You’re right, when the roots are cramped, the flowering is the more beautiful
I’ve never got more than two stalks on one plant. But these three are young – this would be their first flowering year so maybe next year, as the roots bulk up and get overcrowded, I’ll get better results. Still, the single stalk this year is impressive.
A 30cm pot and 2 stalks last year. Feed with potash like my brugmansia in the spring.
Glad your service is back. Your flowers are lovely. My favorite is the fourth, those small, flowers from a weed that do not seem to die. They are the cutest!
I can’t ‘like’ your post so a comment it is. Love the themed six. Do you know the name of the Japanese anemone on the right of the photo
Hi. The one on the right is “Queen Charlotte”. One of the bigger varieties, she regularly hits 1 metre tall here. She accounts for most of the flowers you can see in the right hand third of the photo.
I’m a sucker for a well-crafted gardening article, and this one got me movin & shakin.
The Agapanthus is a beauty, and as with mine, they don’t mind sharing centre-stage in photographs with everything growing behind.
Ha! Thanks. Though I’d have been happier if the other two plants had thrown up flower stalks. Maybe next year.
I love Japanese anemones!
They’re reliable and easy. If they have a downside, it’s their tendency to spread once they’re established and happy. But slicing off a few roots each spring is no hardship.