Six-on-Saturday: Two In A Row

Would you believe it? Two in a row! Dry weeks, that is. Here are a few bobs & bits from a second consecutive dry November into December week here on the SE Irish coast. We had three consecutive nights of light frost, but the remaining annuals are obviously as tough as old boots.

We have bumped up the air-to-water for indoor warmth and the machine is whirring on a more regular rhythm.

1. Salvia

It’s called Salvia ‘Hot Lips’, given to me by my friend Ann. I’ve featured this previously as there was a quirky story to the first time I bought this charming plant. It since died because I didn’t prune it and it snapped.

Ar aon nós, I bought it at The Market in town. Simon said it would be a great gift for Marion, given the Hot Lips name. Later, as I was passing by on my way for coffee, Simon was selling another Hot Lips to a woman. If I were you, he said, I’d not buy it. Just send your husband in to buy it for you!

I’ve a feeling he’d sell sand to the Arabs!

2. Cotoneaster

Planted here four years ago, the Cotoneaster ‘Carpet Queen’ has filled all the gaps. I’ll be able to get rooted cuttings from the edges as there is a two-centimetre covering of loose stone beneath. I’ll grow them on for a year, perhaps six or eight (plants, that is, not years), and plant some at the front of the house. I see some red edges appearing on the evergreen “leaves”. That pleases me.

3. Fuchsia

Three things happen at this time of the year.

• The flowers on the Fuchsia are at their very best.
• I can begin to see through it because the leaves are dropping.
• The low sun from the west in the afternoon wafts through.

Photographs taken are very interesting, if I say so myself. In a few weeks, this will be bare, as a result of the cold, and I’ll cut it back to about 50 cm from ground level.

4. Agapanthus

The blue flowers of Agapanthus from June and July are well gone and only the skeletons remain. Generally I leave them in place until late winter. When I do pull them (literally they come away with a gentle tug), I make them into a posy. Below is one of the two bunches from last year.

5. Bacopa

This annual Bacopa is on its last legs. Two or three of these fill a pot to overflowing.

Here’s what AI says: “Bacopa, also known as “water hyssop” or “Brahmi,” is a delicate and beautiful flowering plant that is popular for its ornamental value and medicinal properties. The Bacopa flower is characterized by small five-petaled blossoms that come in shades of white, lavender, pink, and blue, creating a stunning carpet of color in Páraig’s garden. Native to wetlands and marshy areas, Bacopa is often cultivated in gardens and as a trailing plant in containers, where its trailing stems create a cascading effect. Additionally, Bacopa is highly valued in Ayurvedic medicine for its purported cognitive and stress-relieving properties, making it a fascinating and versatile botanical specimen.”

Thanks very much, AI. I wonder do government departments know that I bought two or three of these? I think I’d be concerned.

On a positive note, it’s a stress-buster so I’m not worried in the slightest.

6. Uncinia

I grew Uncinia from seed in 2021. There are half a dozen scattered around the front and back garden. I think this is an attempt to air-root. I may have lost my marbles.

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Pop over to Jim’s site to discover more Six-on-Saturday updates. Rules is here.

Until next time, I hope you get to enjoy some time in the garden.

P.