It’s a quite time in the garden as plants, like us, wait for the cooler weather of autumn
I READ AN article in the Royal Horticultural Society’s Journal recently called ‘Plants I have Killed’ by the very eminent Irish gardener and writer Helen Dillon and it brought a wry smile to my face as I recalled the many plants I have killed over the years – mostly with over or under-watering or even planting in the wrong place. Although I research plants for their origins before I buy and try to plant those which I think will survive here during our extremely hot and testing summers, I sometimes still make errors of judgement.
I think I have lost patience with Gauras, supposedly desert plants, which I have cosseted on my dry bank, and when someone asked why I was growing those weeds, I took umbrage. I came upon gauras back in the 1990s when they were first introduced into the UK. They were much sought after then. In the last few years they have been available here but who said that they could cope with minimum water? Not me, as I struggle to establish them. The Texas Ranger, Leucophyllum frutescens, which doesn’t like rich soil or being fed, does like a little water to keep it going until it is established and if you spray some over the top of the stems occasionally it will delight you with soft pink flowers. This is one imported plant, originally from Texas and Mexico, I have been delighted with and it is being used more and more in roadside plantings here where it gets little or no attention but loves the humidity of the coastal towns.
As the jacaranda flowers fall to the ground, mid-summer flowering trees take their place. Great blazes of colour emanate from the Delonix regia or Flame Tree, as it is commonly called, when the branches, thrusting upwards with masses of flaming orange flowers, contrast with the brilliant blue skies. In the coastal towns you will see the occasional frangipani, which loves humidity and can take some fertiliser in the growing season. Don’t over-water this tree and try to keep it dry and frost free during the winter. (This is the reason why it is grown mainly by the coast). If the leaves are affected by fungus, spray with a copper based fungicide. Frangipani can grow very tall but by pruning the branches to half their length early in their life, they will sprout extra branches near the ends and create an umbrella effect. Great for shade!
This year I have had some success with Caryopteris incana with seeds from Plant World in Devon and have quite a few plants of them which I am bringing on. Looking very much like verbenas, which do well here and once upon a time belonging to that plant family as well, I hope that I can keep them going until the cooler weather. I have pinched out the tops to make them into bushier plants and am trying not to water them too much, as they can rot in wet soil, although there is not much chance of that here!
The special tomatoes I also grew from seed from Plant World turned out to be very disappointing. They are minute (see picture) and the skins are very tough. I regard them as a gimmick! Everything else is looking a trifle jaded now and, like us, waiting for lower temperatures which come after the end of August.
Other jobs to do
HAVE A good look at any honeysuckle you grow now which might well be having a second showing of flowers. It is so much easier to know where to prune while there are leaves on, so cut out any dead stems. After you have finished give them a feed with something like Phostrogen (1 capful in 10 litres of water) to help the plant recover. Trim down wallflowers and look for new growths sprouting from down the stem, which when they are a reasonable size, can be used for cutting material in the autumn. Then you can discard the main plants which will probably have become very woody. This way you will always get fresh plants at no cost. My favourite wallflower variety is ‘Persian Carpet’ which had lots of yellow, beige, red and rust flowers. Once potted lilies have finished flowering cut down the stems by half and put them in a shady spot until next year, keeping them slightly moist.
Collect up any Sweet Pea seeds and keep them in an envelope. I have some spares of the Heritage Sweet pea ‘Cupani’ if you would some to try (Just send an sae to Patricia Jordan, 3 Andreas Miaoulis, 7647 Mosfiloti).
Looking after your Pot Plants during the Summer.
IF YOU ARE going away during July and August or any other time for that matter there is the perennial problem of what to do with your potted plants, especially if you garden on a veranda. Someone I was speaking to recently said she puts hers in the bath and gives them a good long soak. This is an excellent idea, especially if you shower in the bath – just pop the plug in and save the water. However I would suggest that you put an old towel in the bottom of the bath to save the surface from being scratched. Plants need light as well as water so make sure there is enough light in the bathroom. Failing that appoint a plant sitter if you can, but don’t leave your plants shut up the house during the summer holidays!
Annuals in pots do not need to drown in water as a very little goes a long way but it has to be on a regular basis. There are all sorts of aids on the market these days to help you or you can insert a cut-off water bottle into the soil and water through that. This method has helped the plants in my dry bank and saved masses of water as it is directed only to the root area. Irrigation in orchards, where the water soaks into the ground halfway between the trunk and the leaf cover, will eventually penetrate down to the root area, where the soil will remain moist with only a few minutes of occasional watering.
Group your potted plants together in the shade or put them onto a tray full of pebbles and water them all together so as not to waste any water. Always work in the garden in the cool of the day directing the water at the roots of the plant. If you missed doing that in the evening you can water before the sun is up, just don’t wet the foliage or flowers.
If you are still being pestered by flies despite planting Nicandras and Stapelias, reader Ann Bicknell of Oroklini has sent me this advice. Spray around your sitting area or garden with neat Listerine and you will not be pestered by the blighters! Just don’t spray it onto any precious surfaces in case of damage.
Talking about pests, I notice lots of small depressions in my dry bank (sorry to keep talking about it but the bank is a dominant feature in our garden). I was cursing the local moggies thinking that they were making return toilet visits but then I discovered that it was the sparrows having dust baths and I feel that I cannot deny them the chance to get rid of all their fleas!
Have a good summer!
PLANT OF THE MONTH Lisianthus
THIS DELIGHTFUL plant, originally from the Caribbean and southern states of America, and until recently only a florists’ flower, is now a popular addition to the garden here. Classed as an annual, it can sometimes live on into a second year. Belonging to the Gentian family, it is also know as the Prairie Gentian, Texas Bluebell, Tulip Gentian or just Bluebells. Botanically its name is Eustoma grandiflorum but newcomers to gardening would perhaps not recognise this name.
The delightful flowers, on long stems and originally appearing in purple only, are now available in various shades of pink and lavender or in whites and yellows and bicolours, which are set off by the slightly glaucous leaves. Now a shorter variety has been developed making it ideal for the front of border. Once the flowers fade they can be cut back and new ones will form and flower within a short time.
Lisianthus prefer a good rich soil which is well drained so don’t over-water the plants, making them a good choice for our gardens. They will grow in pots just as well in the ground and provide you with cut
flowers for the house if that is what you desire. Tall plants may need some staking but the newer shorter varieties will grow quite happily without support.
