My first six of 2026! The sun has been shining, encouraging me into the garden. Let’s take a stroll along the path…
- Straight edges – I’ve installed a metal edge to separate the lawn and the border – there has also been a tiny border extension, oops!
2. Peonies – The rescue tree peony has produced its annual bud. I did promise it a new pot and fresh compost – I’ll get to that this year. In the yellow pot, I think is Coral Charm. I don’t expect that to flower for a few more years.
3. Flowering hedge – the Japanese quince continues to send out suckers and I continue to slice or dig them out. This is the time of year when I can forgive its thugish behaviour. Intermingling is Clematis armandii Appleblossom; look closely and you will see clusters of buds.
4. Pergola bed – I edited this bed in November. The newly planted alliums are just pushing through the soil. I was surprised to see the geums in flower, but they know best.
5. Peach tree – this has to be more than 10 years old now. I did intend to bring the pot into the polytunnel but I’ll probably knock most of the blossom off as I wrestle it into place. The polytunnel is due for an exterior wash too.
6. Greenhouse – it’s mostly propagation at present. The cornflowers were self-sown around the base of a perennial lobelia, currently over-wintering in the polytunnel. Rubeckia Goldsturm really suffered last summer; I’ve lifted and divided one plant, hoping for rejuvenation!
That’s my six. I may see you next weekend with another update. In the meantime, do pop over to Jim’s https://gardenruminations.co.uk/2026/02/28/six-on-saturday-28-2-2026/#more-20150
Allotment Life 
Looks good. Like me, you grow a lot of different plants in pots. In my garden the Norway maple roots are too much for delphiniums and even hostas. Those are just a of the few plants for which it’s pots or nothing.
How exciting to get a look at another London garden! 🙂
Your greenhouse looks lovely and organised – and I really like that pergola bed. It must be so beautiful when the alliums are in flower. I have two types of alliums – the smaller, wilder type already has lots of leaves, the other hasn’t appeared yet.
I have to confess that my current garden and allotment are just outside of London – by a few hundered metres and I’m still on a TfL red bus route 😉 It will be the first year for the alliums in that bed so fingers crossed x
Close enough! 🙂
I am also in one of the outer zones at the moment, though our new home and garden (which is still being renovated) is in Zone 3.
How fun to have a peach tree–and just about ready to bloom! The progating endeavor in the greenhouse looks like it’s going well, too. I’m starting a few items from seed, too. It’s always so encouraging to get some plants going that way.