13/08/2022
A quick Six today, before I melt away. The vegetables are watered and I’ve gathered more courgettes 🤣. Yesterday I put a help-yourself pile of them out on a table by the hedge. They were all gone next time I checked, so, amazingly, some people don’t have glut problems!
The title of this post was triggered by my noisy visitor last night. (With all the windows open for cool air you realise how much life goes on outside in the dark). Anyhow, there was a lot of rustling of dry leaves, which led me to investigate the pots near the back door. I grabbed a small torch and crept out the kitchen door. By this point it sounded like someone was rummaging through a rubbish tip … or my stack of module trays. So I turned on the torch and edged the beam to the spot of disturbance, enough to see what was there at least. It was the badger. The same one, I am guessing, that keeps digging up the salvias and tithonias that I am keeping watered. I can’t begrudge him taking advantage of my wet soil though. He must be desperate!
I am joining Mr Propagator once more for Six on Saturday. Links to many more Sixes can be found through his blog. Onwards then!
1 Phlox ‘Green Lion’
Phlox paniculata ‘Green Lion’
This was an experimental purchase to see whether it would work as an edging plant. Obviously, it’s not been the best year to see it growing luxuriously. Maybe those days have gone anyway! The three plants I have growing remain small and confined, but I do like them. They have the same mossy feel that Dianthus ‘Green Trick’ does. I hoped for it to be more substantial though. 😦
2 Phlox ‘Cherry Caramel’
A tasty annual Phlox: Phlox drummondii grandiflora ‘Cherry Caramel’
Another newbie in the garden for this year, this is an annual phlox grown from seed. I am loving the ever changing flower colours, cherry and caramel with the cherry part then slowly turning to caramel. They are doing really well in the heat and dry.
3 Bidens ‘Beedance’
Bidens ‘Beedance’
Possibly a bit lairy, but I feel we need some of that now! Grown from plugs as a hassle-free choice for my containers. They are supposed to stay compact, not need dead-heading and be a bee magnet. They are only just really getting going, so the jury remains out on their impact.
4 Oregano ‘Amethyst Falls’
Oregano ‘ Amethyst Falls’
I love this herb. You may remember seeing Oregano ‘Amethyst Falls’ in a post last year, as a 9cm late season purchase. Well, it’s bigger and better this time round, plus I split it into three plants in spring. Result! The only thing I don’t like about it is the tendency for the old flowers to stay stuck in those lovely bracts as they go brown, which detracts somewhat from those lovely hop-like amethyst falls.
5 Dahlia merckii
Dahlia merckii
Grown from seed this year, this is an absolutely lovely lilac/pink single dahlia. Who knew dahlias were so easy from seed?
6 Argemone platyceras
Crested poppy, Argemone platyceras
I’ve got a new batch growing from saved seed, but have been happy to also see plants re-appear in the same place as they grew last year. Those large white blooms are gorgeous. It’s drought tolerant which makes me very happy!
That’s it for this week. Keep as cool as you can and have a lovely weekend!
Frogend dweller's Blog 
The Bidens are cheerful, I’ve not heard of them before. And I adore the cherry caramel Phlox.
That’s great! Me too. Bidens is also know as Tickseed. It is very similar to coreopsis, but easier I think.
You have made me want to plant dahlia seed, that is gorgeous! Your lovely white poppy is too, must look that one up.
Thank you Pauline. Since I’ve had problems getting a couple of dahlia tubers into growth this year I think growing from seed is the way forward. The choice is poorer of course … unless you save you own.
Lovely post and I do like the second phlox ‘Cherry caramel’
Thanks Fred!
Interesting to see your variety of flowers. I too like Phlox ‘Cherry Caramel’. Good to know you had success growing dahlias from seed. The tubers are expensive and don’t always survive for me.
I remember Chloris used to cross her own dahlias to create all sorts of lovelies! They do seem to be straightforward from seed.
That poppy is glorious. The addition of a bit of red to the center makes clear that it’s different from our native, Argemone albiflora, but it’s just as attractive. And they are quite drought-tolerant.
Thanks Linda! Drought tolerance is a big thing for me now 😉
Sorry you are still suffering in the heat. We got a welcome change in wind which has brought a cool change, thankfully. That heat gets old. Sadly, still no rain in sight, however.
The poppy is lovely, is it an annual or perennial? I love those Bidens, I grew a hanger of them a couple years back and their scent is like sweet honey.
Hope you get a weather break soon!
The poppy is annual, but seems to persist locally from year to year. I haven’t smelled the bidens yet, but they sound delicious!
GREAT SIX! The Bidens ‘Beedance’ caught my attention. All the Bidens I have met are some kind of sticktight. 🙂
Thanks B. Rooster! The two tone flowers are very eye catching. I am looking to collect seed from it soon.
I don’t think I have any of those plants in my garden at the moment, but I love that dahlia! 🙂
Quite a few of them are experiments for me for other gardens. Dahlia merckii is certainly lovely and very rewarding from seed!
What a cheery six this week! I love the Phlox Cherry Caramel. Looks good enough to eat. I also love that Oregano, which is very similar to one I planted in spring (called ‘Bellissmo’). The white poppies are great and I have had the same experience with them popping up where they were planted last year. (Maybe because the winter was so mild…) I hear you are supposed to be getting rain soon. Hope it doesn’t pass you by. 😃
Thanks Cathy. I am growing Bellissimo as well, but it hasn’t been as strong for me. Sadly, the predicted rain did pass us by, so I am still watering to keep things going. 😦
And our forecast has just changed from 19 hours of heavy rain (I was so excited!) to an hour or two of light showers. Ho hum! 🤪
What a curious green phlox – and I am unsure about Cherry Caramel too… 😉 Love the oregano and the cheery bidens though 😊
Ah, so ‘curious’ is like ‘interesting’ 🤣. I so think that I could have combined the annual phlox with better plants to show it off, but I wasn’t even sure if they would germinate, since the packet was old.
Hmm, yes, ‘interesting but I am not at all sure if I like it or not’….! 🤣