six on Saturday, 1 March 2025

It has been five months since I’ve published a “Six on Saturday” post. There have been a couple of “Wordless Wednesday” photos, but the long interval is indicative of just how uncooperative the Alabama weather has been at Highland Lake. There have been drenching rains, periods of dry skies and blustery winds, unseasonably warm days, and history making extended days of temperatures below freezing. Among my six for today are a few examples of the spring vanguards and one example of the winter damage. For anyone wanting to share something about their garden, guidelines for joining in “Six on Saturday” can be found at  Jim Stephens’ Garden Ruminations, the hub of our posts.

1. I’ll begin with the dependable daffodils. The featured photo and the image on the left below is ‘Ice King.’ The others are pass-along bulbs, and there is nothing more I can say about them other than they are daffodils! They are growing pretty much as they will in the wooded area of the garden. In the garden beds, there are yet other varieties that are beginning to develop blooms. Maybe by my next post they will ready for their photo op.

2. The Lenten Roses, or hellebores, have begun blooming much later than usual this year—and far less vigorously. The shades of the petals also seem rather muted this season. But, a few clumps are filling out very nicely. As can be seen around the base of the plant in the center below, the little sprouts typical of hellebores that have gone to seed are as numerous as usual. All of the hellebores in the garden came from one shovel full of such tiny and tender plants decades ago. In a couple of weeks, I’ll pot some of these up for the Blount County Master Gardener plant sale.

3. The leather-leaf mahonia is also blooming far less vigorously than in the past, but it is serving at least one bee so far. Mahonia is not a native and can certainly be invasive, so it is not something that I’d ever pot for a plant sale! In fact whenever I find a tiny seedling growing elsewhere in the garden I quickly pull it up and put it in the trash—I would not even risk putting it in the compost barrel. I do maintain two mature plants for the variety of their leaf shape and the springtime yellow flowers. As soon as it begins to put out its grape-like purple fruits, though, it gets a serious pruning.

4. Sedum “Autumn Joy’ grows in numerous containers around the garden, and it is coming through the winter with its usual dependability. The pot on the left below sits next to a birdbath in the wooded area, and has been visited by pine cones and snails. Although it gets no special care, it lives on.

5. Next comes the damage. Two Camellia japonicas have taken a hit from the weather. The first, ‘Grace Albritton,’ looked like the photo blow on the left on 11 February. It looked like the other photos on 28 February. If we do not get another run of freezing weather, the remaining buds should open, although they will likely be freeze burned on the petals’ edges.

‘Lady Vansittart Sport’ was not as pristine as ‘Grace’ in mid-February—although they are only 15 feet apart, she is less protected from wind and rain—and she has suffered more damage by the end of the month. I do not expect much from the remaining buds.

6. I’ll end with a pleasant surprise: a perfect purple crocus making its way up through the leaves quite on its own. I guess it was planted either by the wind or by the birds. Those crocuses that I did plant are just beginning to leaf.

If the weather is cooperative, I’ll be back again next week. No more five-month hiatus. In the meantime, I hope everyone enjoys a kind climate.