Problem with flies? There are some plants that will discourage their presence in your garden
THE VERY hot weather in mid May dried out many plants, especially annuals whose roots are close to the surface of the soil and therefore very vulnerable. My nemesia were looking beautiful until temperatures got to 37C and then they keeled over and the thunder storms we had later the same week came too late to save many of them.
Sweet peas, which had been doing so well, quickly made seed pods in the heat and the next lot of flowers had very short stems, a sure sign of lack of water. I have been growing ‘Cyprus Sweet Peas’ for a while now but they are probably ‘Heirloom’ peas and known as ‘Cupani’. Having been discovered growing wild in a monastery garden in Sicily by a monk called Franciscus Cupani, seeds were sent to Robert Uvedale in England 1699. Uvedale was a school teacher and botanist and keenly interested in unusual plants. They probably arrived here with the early English settlers as modern day sweet peas (Spencers) were only discovered by chance in 1901. I have been trialing ‘Painted Lady’, another heritage pea, this year. The stems are shorter than Cupani and they have only two flower heads, but they are a delightful soft pink and white with a strong fragrance. Unfortunately both have finished earlier than usual this year so I am collecting the seeds for, hopefully, better success next year. Those seeds which drop naturally
into the ground will get away much quicker and flower earlier than those deliberately sown and the same goes for Cerinthe, which is also shedding seeds at the moment.
Some friends of ours have a terrible problem with flies in their garden and having tried planting out lots of different kinds of basils last year to combat them with not much success, asked if I knew of anything which might ease their problem. I have grown the ‘Shoo Fly Plant’ this year (Nicandra) which is said to ward off flies, so I have passed over some plants to them and we will see how things worked out later in the season. Nicandra is an attractive plant and the variety I tried is Nicandra ‘Splash of Cream’, which has some variegations in the leaves.
If you like evening primroses then a ‘new to Cyprus’ variety is available in Solomou Garden Centre. Oenothera speciosa is a good ground cover plant producing lots of lovely soft pink flowers over a long season. Beware though as it can wander over your beds unless kept under control but it will cover up the soil and deny access to weeds. Other good ground cover plants are scaevolas which are available in blues, whites and pinks and available in most garden centres.
The heat caused osteospermums to stop flowering and indeed they do need a rest now after being in glorious flower throughout the spring. Trim them back to a fresh green shoot down the stem and give them a feed and a watering. Don’t move them at the moment, leave that until the autumn. You will probably find lots of new little plants in and around them and this could be your new stock for next year if they survive the summer. The early herbs, like marjoram and sages, need a trim at this time as well, so cut them back to new growths close to the base of the plant. It may seem rather drastic but there is no sense in wasting the plant’s energy in making seeds. Keep dead heading lavender and sage flowers as they die off.
Chasmanthe (plants looking like Monbretia or Crocosmia, although Chasmanthe flowers in March) should have dead leaves taken off now that they have dried. If you remove them too soon then you will not have flowers next year. Remember to mark that empty space and not plant anything else in it! Cut down frayed strelitzia leaves and flowers that have died and gone over. The leaves, despite looking so robust, are extremely vulnerable to rain and winds and can look very untidy. The same goes for canna lily leaves which can be torn or shredded and are an extremely tasty meal for any locusts passing by.
Lots of plants have flowers which only flower for one day. Hemerocallis is one of these although it can have several flower heads on the same stem. They are available in such lovely colours now and when they become large plants there will always be flowers to enjoy. Hibiscus drop leaves and flowers all the time as well. You can always add the dead leaves and flowers to your compost bins.
A big pot of Echinopsis on my doorstep is much admired but the charming pretty pink flowers are extremely short lived. Cacti are not my favourite plants but I do realise the value of them in the dry landscape we have here in the summer. The Aloe vera I planted in my dry bank last year has sent up incredible flowers this year which appeared around April and May, while Aloe ferox with fiery red foxtail flowers is ahead of them by about six weeks. Stapelias are making buds at the moment and have stunning flowers which are much sought after by flies – maybe I should give my friend some of those too.
Have you seen the very pretty hanging baskets of multicoloured tiny petunias around this year? The plants themselves are coming in from Israel. They are of course not multicoloured but three differently coloured plants potted up in the same pot. Next year Sahin Plants of Skarinou will be introducing some other plants from Israel in the salvia family, along with another attractive plant with an almost unpronounceable name – Ptilotus exaltatus ‘Joey’, originally found in Central Australia and said to be drought and heat tolerant. I am trialing some at the moment. I will let you know how they fare under my tender care.
What price fresh veggies?
WHATEVER the time of year I love to be able to go out into the garden and pick fresh veggies, some of which I eat raw. In the winter I grow broad beans, kohl rabi, cauliflowers and broccoli. In the summer I try to grow Cyprus beans, sweet corn, lettuce and tomatoes.
The first few years here I managed radishes and beetroot too, as well as potatoes grown from those that had sprouted in my vegetable basket. I even had single crops of runner beans for a couple years, which I love. They all did reasonably well especially the corn which was ‘higher than the proverbial elephant’s eye’ almost reaching the roof!
Now with the excessive heat arriving earlier and earlier I am wondering if all the hard work and water used to bring on these plants is worthwhile when really fresh vegetables, locally grown, are available at such cheap prices in the froutaria. Lettuce are only 30 cents, cucumbers 40 cents a kilo and Cyprus beans, perhaps a tad dearer at €3.
I can hear groans of protest from all the veggie/organic growers and I love to enjoy of all this fresh produce straight from the garden as well, but is it worth the cost of erecting some kind of structure over my vegetable patch in these times of low exchange rates and water shortages?
Plant of the Month: Regal Pelargonium
WE ARE lucky to be able to grow pelargoniums (known locally as geraniums) almost all year round in Cyprus. Pelargoniums are particular favourites of people who only have a patio or veranda for a garden as they will grow equally well in a pot as in the ground. Regal pelargoniums (Pelargonium domesticum) are different from other kinds of pelargoniums in their leaf and flower structure. There are usually no flowers visible during the winter time and maybe no leaves either in colder places, but in April or later depending where you live, their wonderful flower blossoms will open up for several months if they are cared for.
In America they are known as ‘Martha Washington Geraniums’ or ‘Lady Washington Geraniums’ named after the very first, First Lady of America.
These herbaceous plants (coming up every year) benefit from a high potash feed just before they start to flower and can grow to quite huge proportions. Feeding them often with a multi-purpose fertiliser and dead–heading as soon as the flowers wilt will ensure flowers for a very
long season. The bright green leaves are sometimes scented and have a serrated edge to them. By pinching out the growing tips of the leaves you will achieve a bushier plant.
They are extremely hardy but dislike very low night temperatures during the winter. If they are in pots then they can be brought into sheltered positions during that time. The flowers usually come in very bright colours with sometimes a splash of a darker shade inside.
Propagation is by cuttings – or by layering or underground shoots. They can cope with most garden soils but prefer a shady spot in the heat of the summer.
