#SixOnSaturday – Six things happening in my garden this week

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Six on Saturday is a weekly meme originally hosted by The Propagator but now in the tender care of Jim at Garden Ruminations.

My plea for rain last week went unanswered so it’s still watering cans and rapidly emptying water butts. On a more positive note, it’s been entertaining to watch a male and female blackbird flitting about the garden. I think they’re nesting in one of the hedges but haven’t quite worked out which one yet. Weeding is taking up a lot of time – they don’t seem to mind parched soil – but there’s one thing that won’t take up time this month because it’s No Mow May. Hooray! Here are my six:

One – The first flowers are opening on this rhododendron. No idea of the variety, it came with the house.

Two – What I think is an appealing combination of leaf colour and shape formed by a hardy geranium and a bronze-leaved heuchera nestled up against each other.

Three – Depending on your point of view this Dutch iris is either a bold or a garish yellow.

Four – The first climbing French bean has made an appearance, a week on from being sown. The variety is Cobra.

Five – Another attractive combination I think – apple mint growing alongside thyme in our gravel garden. The mint will win the battle eventually.

Six – What started life as two lily bulbs last year has become a plethora.

Do check out the posts of other participants by following the links in the comments section of Jim’s post. If you fancy taking part yourself but don’t know where to start, here’s the participant’s guide.

20 Books Of Summer 2026 Reading Challenge Sign-Up #20BOS26

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Last year Cathy at 746 Books handed over the baton of the 20 Books of Summer Reading Challenge to two new hosts: Annabel at AnnaBookBel and Emma at Words and Peace. This year Annabel has taken on sole hosting duties producing brand new graphics and a new hashtag #20BOS26.

The 20 Books of Summer 2026 challenge runs from 1st June to 31st August. You can find all the information you need about the challenge here where you can also sign up to participate. 

Every year I approach the challenge high on ambition and usually low on likelihood of success. I’m aiming for the full 20 books again but this year with a healthy dose of realism. Therefore the majority of books on my list are from my NetGalley shelf, prioritising those with publication dates between June and September that I should theoretically be reading during that period anyway. I’ve added a couple from my current Classics Club list, my book club’s June pick and a couple of nonfiction books. Finally the remaining books longlisted for this year’s Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction that I haven’t yet read.

I usually like to stick to my original list but this year I’m going to take advantage of the option to swap books in and out, especially where I need/want to move newly acquired books up my reading pile. Links from the titles will take you to the book description on Goodreads or my review.

  1. Country People by Daniel Mason Read – review to follow
  2. A Pocket Full of Rye by Agatha Christie Read and reviewed
  3. Prey by Graham Hurley Read and reviewed
  4. Invitation from a Dictator by Rory Clements Read and reviewed
  5. The Eagle and the Wolf (Age of Attila #1) by Gordon Doherty
  6. The Knife Maker of Venice by David Gilman
  7. A Fatal Love by Louisa Treger Read and reviewed
  8. Where are the Kings by Donal Ryan Read and reviewed
  9. The Millionaire Waltz by Anthony Quinn Read and reviewed
  10. Daughters of Naples by Diana Giovinazzo Read and reviewed
  11. Throw Away the Key by Jason M. Hough Read and reviewed
  12. Dwell by Rue Baldry Read and reviewed
  13. Murder at the End of the World by Akane Araki, translated by Jesse Kirkwood Read and reviewed
  14. Deception by Alan Parks Read and reviewed
  15. Land by Maggie O’Farrell Read – review to follow
  16. Miss Veal and Miss Ham by Vikki Heywood
  17. Edenglassie by Melissa Lucashenko
  18. The Draw of the Sea by Wyl Menmuir
  19. Under a Metal Sky: A Journey Through Minerals, Greed and Wonder by Philip Marsden
  20. Boundary Waters by Tristan Hughes

Wish me luck! If you’re taking part too, enjoy your summer of reading.