Today wall to wall sunshine means yet again makes me do the round of watering plants in tubs and pots. Luckily I have some Mediterranean plants in the garden that continue to thrive and there are so many honey bees, bumble bees etc visiting the garden to feed on the nectar of the marjorams, oreganos, and eryngiums.
1. We did have a shower of rain on Wednesday morning, which was not at all forecasted, and thus I arrived back from cycling to the market wet and very happy to find my gardening showing that it rained at home too.
I quickly caught the beauty of rain drops on roses. A couple of hours later I checked the soil which had dried out complete, even a few centimetres down there was absolutely no sign of there having been any moisture.
2. Each day I have been covering some of the vegetables with white fleece and this was been valuable in protecting the leaves from scorching, wilting and excessive moisture loss.
3. Allium flavum is looking good in the gravel garden
4. These extra large bumble bees are the first the visit the Eryngium Silver Ghost in the early morning.
5. With so many flowers on Origanum Bristol Cross these small bumble bees came out as soon as the shower was over to continue of their day long attendance on the blooms.
6. In 2018 I was given this little Crassula ovata as a 'kokedama' by Sandra D.
I was tickled pink, and went on to use this idea to make other
succulent kokedama. The original Crassula kokedama had grown large and still in into original small moss ball, but had to be balanced in this pot with stones to give it some stability. The net curtain billowing air caught and snagged a branch and after more than four years it was time to give the plant a proper pot, with soil etc.
I am hoping to lead a workshop some time in the future showing friends how to make these, and therefore I needed to start a few new plants off.
As I went out just a few minutes ago to retrieve the plants to take a picture, the exposure to strong sun had already within the last two days already stressed the small cuttings, so they will be moved where they receive only indirect light until we have better weather. Even succulents are struggling!!!
I doubt that others will allow trials and tribulations of weather to prevent them joining in with Jon The Propagator, and I am looking forward to reading through a few of them at least. I've been trying to concentrate on the more positives and trying to ignore the poor state of some of the garden and the glum mood I was feeling, and it is somehow good to read that The Prop is similarly lacking enthusiasm.
A good tip with the fleece. I hadn't thought of that but the lettuce and chard look like they would appreciate it.
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear that you had a drop of rain. If those are also called Jade plants, then I have some. A friend gave me some cuttings a few years aga.
ReplyDeleteYes Rosie, this is the botanical name for Jade Plant, there are other names such as Money Plant, but there are other plants also called money plant.
DeleteWhat a lovely Six! So nice to see rain drops, if vicariously. The succulent kokedama is a great idea. I've only seen them made with ferns and snowdrops before. Allium flavum suits your gravel planting so well. I will be looking out for it!
ReplyDeleteThanks for a timely reminder Noelle that I need to try to strike a cutting of my crassula which originally was my mum's plant. I would love to be able to pass it along to my niece .
ReplyDeleteI remember seeing something on Gardeners' World about 'kokedama' a few years ago (a Joe Swift segment I think). Lovely. I hope the succulent cuttings are still doing okay.
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