Record sunshine and virtually no rain, only a few drops over the last six to seven weeks is hitting the garden really hard. Plants which should be flowering now are over and setting seed, plants that should be growing well are now withering before my eyes begging for a bucket full of water. Every drop to spare is being used selectively, and there will be no more purchasing or planting of new plants until the ground is in far better condition, and we have had rain. It is probably different in many of the gardens whose owners link in to Jim who gardens down in a much damper Cornwall. Go over to his post to find out what is happening in a nice range of gardens both in the UK and overseas.
1. Even the Mediterranean style planting in the front garden is suffering. A few plants however are putting on a show. Not surprisingly, native to Aegean Islands to South West Turkey, Phlomis fruticosa Bourgaei even though it has a hard cut back last year is doing well to fill out and now flower in the dry hard soil.
2. Last year I thought I had dug up all the bulbs of Tulip sprengeri, to move to the back garden. Those are settling in and I have had a few flowers there but to my surprise I had as many flower in the original position and perhaps more. They are in the lee of the upper two of the Phlomis and in the shade.
3. Also in the front garden is this little succulent. It is just starting to flower. Delosperma Fire Spinner is such a hardy little plant, and well worth growing as ground cover in a hot dry area.
4. The Clematis Olympia although nicely repotted during the autumn, is flowering on low growth. I think it is suffering from an excess of sunshine! It is non the less a lovely blue and full of blooms.
5. Filling the back garden with scent is the lovely little Dianthus superbus which I grew from some seed collection by Jean. This is the original plant and this season is really bushy, and has shorter stems compared with the other Dianthus superbus in the garden. Last year I took some cuttings to share with Jean, and I have another plant just getting established as a back up a few feet away, but that has yet to flower.
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| Dianthus superbus |
6.Omphalodes linifolia , Argentinian Forget-me- not, or Venus's Navelwort with its attractive grey green leaves and spires of small petalled white flowers was one of the plants that caught my eye on a visit to Batcombe Park back in 2021. Can you imagine my delight when my friend Alison who has a flower farm, brought me a little plant when she came over for coffee a few weeks ago? It has really delighted me, and is especially attractive in early morning light and later in the evening. I understand it will gently self seed, so I shall be careful to grow the flowers on to have my own seed, and seedlings for next year.
The evergreen oaks on the other side of the wall continue to shred their leaves, and have started to shed their spent male catkins. It is a daily activity to remove these at least from the seating area and the furniture, as well as on the gravel garden. It is a real bind, but then the trees do add to the beauty of the garden, so I have to just keep on at this. On another note, I have started to feed a visiting female blackbird soaked raisins, mealy worms, and a suet/bug pellet. After only a few days she is getting quite accustomed to me. Just hope we don't get the stork who has arrived on the levels, as I would not know what to feed it.
Dianthus superbus certainly lives up to its name - very lovey indeed. The soil is bone dry. I hope we get some useful rain soon.
ReplyDeleteDianthus superbus smells divine. I am not surprised you keep finding Tulipa sprengeri. I grew some from seed once and I was amazed at how quickly the little bulbs dug themselves deep into the soil. Omphalodes linifolia is a real treasure, I am surprised more people don't grow it. Everyone who sees it in my garden wants some. Oh dear, I am worried about the drought you write about. I have someone going in to water once a week whilst I am away but from what you say this won't be nearly enough.
ReplyDeleteDoes your Omphalodes linifolia self seed around, or do you sow seed and pot them on etc each year? It would be interesting to know. If they are a good waterer and water deep, your plants would be OK, and if for your pots you have set up a timed watering system they too should survive. Enjoy France.
DeleteI've got new plants but haven't been able to plant them yet, I'm hoping they'll all survive on being kept in their original pots and watered daily.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely surprise the tulips must have been.
No rain here either, Noelle. I’ve been trying to revive Geranium ‘Wargrave Pink’ this afternoon but I think I might just have to accept a small division instead. Tulip sprengeri just didn’t want to leave that spot, I’m sure you’re happy to see it back in its old home. Olympia is a beautiful clematis. I looked at it a couple of weeks ago, but it was out of stock and I bought ‘Bridgewater’ instead. Another time, I might managed to add ‘Olympia’.
ReplyDeleteI've just looked up 'Bridgewater' and it looks very pretty. I rather like your white aquilegia, and wonder if you would be kind enough to same me some seed this year?
DeleteI can only note the lack of humidity for you and lack of rain. It does indeed look very dry. Strange because we are not very far away, but we did have a little rain. This clematis looks a lot like the one I presented this week ; a trained eye could tell the difference. Nice choice as often and this dianthus is really cute.
ReplyDeleteI have just had another look at your blue clematis, Fred, and I think you will have already noted that the centres are different. I read your comes out with young bronze leaves and is of course a double, so I hope you show it in a few weeks when it is fully open.
DeleteSorry to hear about the dryness of your weather. We have had some rain here in my part of the Midwest U.S., but we could still use more because it was a dry winter. Your plants look happy, though. That Tulip sprengeri is stunning even though you moved some of the bulbs. And I love the Olympia Clematis!
ReplyDeleteHopefully we will get a spot of rain soon. How lovely to get plants as gifts and welcome plants at that.
ReplyDelete