The busiest time of year in the garden and the busiest time of the year in my job. The wilting, erratically watered plants at the plot, allotment and around my house are only just hanging on. Last weekend’s blistering heat nearly saw them and my gardening mojo off. So no time for a Six then, or even worse to read many. Below is my quick Six for today while over at ThePropagator there will be many delights to explore.
Time poor and pressed, with the garden needing my concentrated attention, last weekend I spent my time doing something entirely different. I snuck off to read. A life long character flaw which refuses to be mended. But the pleasure of reading Allan Jenkins’ short book ‘Morning’ with its vivid and intensely evocative descriptions of his different gardening spaces in the early morning did have a positive outcome. I got up at dawn 3 mornings in a row and gained more than the extra hours.
Next is the first flower of the Jamaican primrose which grew from a cutting taken from Derry Watkins’ garden on a propagating course at Special Plants. Just managed to keep this alive through Winter before planting it. Am hoping the sun and warmth will cure its sickliness. If healthy it should grow to a metre high. Hope so – it’s lovely.
Yesterday was another sneaking off – this time to the Spring Show at Malvern with all its temptations. One of the stall I seek out is Hardy’s. Its display is always beautiful with inspiration for unexpected plant combinations and there is always something new. Number 3 is just one of the display’s gold winning lovely sides:
Fourth is the delicate beauty of this aquilegia nestled in at the front of the Hardy’s display,
Fifth is another new plant to me at Avon Bulbs – a sparkling camassia, a deeper and darker blue than mine at home
camassia leichtlinii Maybelle
Difficult to know what to end on, but perhaps the free, self sown, lacy loveliness of orlaya grandiflora which opened up its flowers in my front garden this week.
thedevelopingplot 
I feel the same slight panic at splitting my time between the garden, family, blogging. I love reading too, but haven’t read a book for months, other than brief flicks through gardening books. A few more hours in the day would be nice.
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Lovely pictures from the Malvern show. I have always meant to go – my grandma’s house looked over the show ground, but I have never made it yet.
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Allan Jenkins – a true kindred spirit. Thanks for the book suggestion!
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I went to Cardiff but won’t get to Malvern…one day.
What with work, family, blogging….I need to prioritise the garden in the next week!
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Me too!
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I wish I lived near enough to Malvern to go. It seems so civilised compared to the madness that is Chelsea. How nice to have Orlaya just pop up.
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Malvern is busy but you can get a good look at everything. Would love to go to Chelsea but a bit daunted by crowds.
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I have reached the stage in my life where I feel time in bed is time wasted. I could be out running, or in the garden, or writing, or reading. Life too short. Slightly alarming…
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Quite a bit of blue! It can be such an elusive color. The native ceanothus and iris happen to bloom various shades and hues of blue, but do not work so well in home gardens. I have plenty of blue bearded iris. Blue is not my favorite color, but is my mother’s favorite. Hey, it is Mothers’ Day! Anyway, that is why I know how uncommon blue is.
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