The evening garden
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This gardener is beginning to panic. After weeks of rainlessness, we’re now having a spike in temperatures – the peak today at 29 or 30 degrees, depending which weather forecast you consult. Thereafter, hopefully, we should feel a decline of several degrees, with finally a promise of rain next week.
But then we’ve had these promises several times over the last three months, with only one good downpour that yielded 8 watering cans’ worth from the shed water butt. And that was ages ago.
1. Hand watering is all very well, but it really only keeps plants ticking over. Or in the case of my onions and first sown carrots doesn’t. I pulled them up yesterday. They had simply stopped growing.
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2. Also my single seed potato in a bucket had had enough by yesterday. This was one I couldn’t fit into my planting row, so I thought I’d trial it in a container. Stopping it from drying out was of course an issue. And the bucket itself was making it very hot. All the same, when I emptied it, I was quite impressed with this little haul.
The Rooster spuds in the ground are still holding their own for now, so I’m hoping for a reasonable harvest. We’ve eaten most of the Belle de Fontenay, and I’ve popped in a few peas where she’s left some space.
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3. In the bean corner things are looking fairly hopeful. Beans respond well to mulching, and anyway make some of their own shade. I’d also prepared a compost filled trench for the runners in the winter. The dwarf borlotti beans, planted out in front, are also sheltering the runners’ roots. They don’t seem to mind being hot and are already forming pods. A slight error in labelling has resulted in some of the dwarf borlotti in the row requiring sticks, which is annoying. I have the taller variety growing up some trellis against next door’s garage – i.e. in the once horridly hypericum infested wall-bed on our boundary.
This year I have a real mix of runner bean varieties. For some reason I had problems getting any of my seeds to germinate well, new and not so new packets alike. I ended up re-sowing, and putting in a few Scarlet Emperor seedlings bought from the butcher’s to be going on with. My small row thus also has some white Moonlight, red Lady Di and one Painted Lady which has very pretty white and red flowers although they’re looking pink at the moment.
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4. In the nonedible quarters, Penelope rose is still blooming hard, although the other roses have given up flowering now. I love her. She is like a wild rose, but with added flounces. And she smells delicious.
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5. Also my favourite Morning Glories have begun to live up to their name and are putting on an early-day show. I’ve planted them out everywhere where there’s something to climb up, amongst the beans and sunflowers, up the trellis disguising the oil tank. Hopefully, if it does rain next week, they will really get going, and hopefully, too, keep flowering until the first frost as they did last year.
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6. And another success has been the sweet peas. Although the ones in the front garden are now beginning to fry round the edges, this despite the watering and mulching. Also, given my non-orderly manner of cultivation – randomly up an obelisk and a trellis, they have grown rather short stems. My dear Pa would have been aghast. He used to grow his in regimented tall-cane rows, with set watering intervals to ensure evenly spaced blooms along each dead straight stem. Then he would lovingly count them, five and six big flower heads, usually. And then he would snip a bunch of the best and take them off to his latest lady friend. Mother rarely got a look in when it came to sweet peas.
I’ve tried taking a photo of ours outside, but they don’t look their best. So here’s one of the several small vases we have about the house. Wall-to-wall sweet pea scent, a soothing antidote to moments of over-heatedness.
Six On Saturday Please visit our host Jim. Lots of interesting plants in his garden today.
We’re officially in drought now in Yorkshire. Watering forbidden. And next door, the farmer started harvesting yesterday. It seems a bit early to me.
That is early for harvesting, but I suppose the wheat won’t get any better if there’s no rain around.
Exactly.😕
Such a pretty morning glory. Yes beans have been odd this year and I recently learnt that some need temperatures less than 18 degrees c to form the beans and we are struggling to get that low at the moment.
Yes, runner beans seem to prefer cooler rather than warmer. The same seems to go for germination. My greenhouse was too hot. The seeds steamed themselves in their pots.
reached 33 yesterday here, and my acers are keeping my water meter ticking over every evening. Like you I am not that hopeful about the rain forecast for next week
Trouble with keep watering, it compacts the soil/compost around shrubs etc. FIngers crossed for cooler with added moisture.
oh yes you are so right. My acers, well they’re in pots and so I don’t have much choice
I’ve been using dried up privet hedge trimmings on the tops of pots and around plants in the ground. Not sure how much good it does.
ooh that sounds a cunning plan
I just can’t imagine the UK being that hot. But I know only too well that sinking feeling as all the precious plants wilt. We had horrendous water restrictions in our droughts. When our dams were getting down to 10% could only water with a watering can between 4 and 7pm on alternate days. The last few years we’ve had an over abundance of rain, but it really doesn’t affect me now. I do hope you get rain soon
Thanks for those rain wishes, Pauline.
Crikey, that is one fine potato haul there, Miss Tish.
I have not been so fortunate with my bucket spuds so please, tell us your secret. And what seed potatoes did you use?
It was a Rooster spud – red skinned. I did use all bought compost in the bucket and it did have quite a bit fibre in it. I also tried not to let the bucket dry out, but it was a bit of a faff.
The spuds I have over here are Mondial, Panamera and Up to Date.(There are others but Celeste likes these best)
All are intermediate but I have yet to produce such a grand harvest from a single bucket.
However, I have taken note and we’ll see what transpires this coming season. Six weeks to go before tater planting.
I’ve not heard of any of those, so am guessing they’re locally bred. Our best seed potatoes seem to come from Scotland or Ireland. I think I bought mine on eBay.
I think Mondial and UTD originate from Holland, but I wouldn’t swear to it.
Probably then strains that work in your neck of the woods.
I can related, Tish. Several of my green children are struggling with the heat and lack of rain. But, oh, you garden is so lush in comparison to mine.
“Relate” (not sure where that d came from). And “your” garden, not “you.” Must learn to proofread before hitting the reply button!
Cheers, Mitch. The heat can make the words go squirly 🙂
;>)
I sympathize with you Tish. We are in triple digits this week with temperatures around
110 f (43 c). Fortunately we are not in a drought and can water our plants. Many
Californians have gone to planting desert florals during our last drought. Your garden
looks beautiful.
Gosh that is hot, Anne. Not experienced triple figures since we arrived in New York late May 2008, and there was heat wave, We spent most of our visit in Central Park drinking iced coffee.
And NY has humidity. Sorry you visited during a heat wave. We have dry heat which is more tolerable. We used to get only a few triple digit days during the summer, but now they are more frequent. And they say there’s no climate change!
Oh, I think there is some warming, but not from the cause suggested. In the bigger picture, climate is always changing, or at least is very chaotic. The sun may indeed have much to do with it 🙂
👍😍
Our garden is thirsty too despite my husband’s efforts to keep the plants all watered. And what little rain we’ve had barely filled the water barrel by an inch or so! But our plants are mostly hanging on in there 🙂 Good to see many of yours doing the same. I love that Penelope rose and the morning glory!
We gave our privet hedge a quick tidy a few weeks ago and left the trimmings underneath. I’ve now piled them round the plants in the front garden where we get a lot of sun, and it seems to helo a bit.
Farming is a challenge evening it is only a back yard farm. All in all your seem to be successful. Rain will come …hopefully…Here ! Some are getting more than they ask for.
Yes, I heard there’s some really heavy rainfall in parts of the US. Here, our farmers are really being challenged, all the big fields of wheat and barley drying out.
The morning glory is glorious, which one? Here I only have bindweed… annoyingly can’t get to some blatantly growing up a fence.
It could be Black Knight, I had a bit of mix up with several old packets of seed.
I love Penelope Rose and sweet peas always remind me of ‘home’ and my step-Dad’s garden xx
Lots of nostalgia attached to sweet pea fragrance, methinks.
Yes… xx
‘wild with added flounces’ – heavenly description for that heavenly rose. Your garden looks so well established and already your have a harvest to envy –
There are some apparently established quarters, Laura. But it’s all a bit bonkers.
🙂 well mine is positively barmy especially in this drying heat and poor soil
Poor soil’s the thing, isn’t it. One could do with several lorry loads of chippings/compost.
Yes Percy Thrower’s “the answer lies in the soil” keeps coming back to me
Ah those were the days. Good old Percy. A Shropshire chap too.
The evening view is beautiful, but I’m sorry it’s been so warm with inadequate rain. I hope that will change for you soon. The edibles look delicious, and your Sweet Pea arrangement is lovely. Have a great week!
Thanks, Beth. I should be thankful I’m not a farmer trying to bring my wheat to harvest. I keep checking the weather forecast though.
I always get a bit anxious when there’s no rain, so I can imagine how you feel. The beans and sweet peas are loving it though.
Cooler today courtesy of a nice breeze, and the garden is hanging in there…
Awesome Post Thanks
Not good at all having no rain… but your garden seems to be doing it best
It is doing it’s best, Sue. That’s the way I should look at it 🙂
Guess so
Ooh, those spudlets are going to taste wonderful boiled with lashings of butter and sprinkles of salt-n-pepper. 😀
They did! Just as you said.
Wow this is beautiful!
Thank you.