#SixOnSaturday- Rescue missions

 It's sometimes good to have a break from the most enjoyable activities, and so it is for me with gardening. It's December for goodness sake, let's give it a rest; however I do go and wander round the garden every day, and there's usually something to do, leading me to think I should give up the idea of having a break from gardening! Frost is the real problem because I do like tender plants, and although I have a greenhouse, I don't heat it; there are also a series of shelves by patio doors in the garage where lots of tender plants survive the winter. I go and check on these often and work out whether I can stand losing them, or have to bring them into the house and find somewhere light enough for them to live. 

So all things considered, I've been busy gardening this week, starting with moving compost bins, then weeding the greenhouse so I could add some compost to it, and then taking shelves in there ready for spring sowings. I potted up 3 cardoon seedlings which were very happily growing in the greenhouse, hopefully they will make it to a plant sale or a community garden. 

Onto my six, I'm starting with some tete a tete narcissi bought from Earle's newsagents round the corner from here, they are so sweet indoors at this time of year, although they would last longer outside. I bought 3 pots of these, and gave 2 to the reception classes at Croft School where the OTRA gardeners went to help plant 600 assorted bulbs donated to them. Sixty children and 600 bulbs was quite a challenge, but we managed it, despite rain, sleet and high winds. Not the best introduction to gardening, but I hope when we next visit the site together, it might be warmer.

My next choice is this lovely ivy leaved geranium bought from Rumsey Gardens in the summer, it flourished in a planter and I thought I might leave it outside and see if it survived the winter. However I decided yesterday that I'd bring it into the house, it's a bit floppy and it would be a good idea to take some cuttings from it.

Below is a Tradescantia I have been sorting out for my daughter. I took cuttings from it, and repotted it. I've now had it a bit long and could probably do with cutting it back a bit more.

This week we had our second storm, Arwen took a lot of getting over in some parts of the country, Barra a second one, passed almost unnoticed here except that a small apple tree still with lots of fruit on it fell over, so I picked the fruit and put it in a wheelbarrow and then attempted with help to right the tree.

I'm not sure whether to rescue this succulent, first given to me by a ceramacist in Portishead about 10 years ago. It's currently in the garage and looking as though it might be alright, I may succumb though and bring it in. It's a great favourite and yields lots of small plants when divided.

My final plant which is in the process of being rescued grows all over the Isle of Wight in gardens, where it presumably survives outside all winter. I bought it in October from Osborne House knowing it might have a short life here. However I think I'll see if I can keep it over winter. It's a Euryops chrysanthemoides and delightful in the summer.

So there's my update this week, just off to see what The Propagator has been up to this week. It's worth popping over there to see his and lots of other gardeners sharing their gardening thoughts for the week.