#SixOnSaturday Delighting in Damsons

 We have had proper rain, really proper rain this week, the pond is looking replete, and it may feel like autumn, and it's the end of August, but there are benefits, the damsons are ripe after a summer of looking very small and in short supply. The damson story is a family one, my Father loved the damsons in his garden, and would talk all summer about how the damson crop was coming on. When they were ready we'd pick them and wonder at their fantastically sharp flavour. I think they probably are wild damsons, much smaller than the 'Merryweather' variety I bought 9 years ago. They send up shoots from their roots, and so are very easy to propagate from the shoots that come up, it's great to know these are the damsons my Father used to love. So this week, half my six are damsons, in memory of the times talking, picking, tending and talking about the damsons.

I rather liked this double damson, I am saving it for Elsie, my granddaughter who loves all plums

Above the damsons straight off the trees, and below damsons in the pan being boiled with a little water. They are also delicious in crumbles

When I put my six out on Twitter this morning, I didn't have a name for this vividly purple plant first seen at a garden I visited at the back of the border where it looks great. It's Veronia fasciculata commonly known as smooth ironweed because its leaves, stems and flowers are distinctively glabrous. Glabrous meaning devoid of hair.

I think these are cardoon seedlings from my compost bin. I love cardoons, but not this many!! I tried to get them to germinate in seed trays this spring, but they obviously like a trip through the compost bin before they germinate. If you live anywhere near Swindon and would like some strong, healthy cardoon seedlings please let me know.

My last but by no means least is Cyclamen hederifolium which are growing en masse in various places in the garden and are looking gorgeous just now.

So that's my six, I wonder what The Propagator has this week, I'll go and have a peek now, and suggest you do as well, he's always on top of his game: https://thepropagatorblog.wordpress.com/2020/08/29/six-on-saturday-29-08-2020/