Sunday, June 11, 2006

In the heat of June

I finished my early shift, the third hot day i have worked.As i stepped out of the hospital i thought i walked into an oven.The heat was radiating up from the road!
As i sweltered i thought i better check the garden.Lucky i did.The worst hit things were the square border where all the violas and anemones had collapsed.Some of my pots were bone dry.I found a few dead plants from the heat.
I watered, took some cool flowering pics which im uploading now onto computer.I nuked the aphids with soapy water.
I may to have redesign what plants go in the square border as it is so dry, the top two inches of soil.Im thinking mass planting of bedding plants will keep soil cooler with leaf shadow and maybe retain moisture.
I dont want the orange rose bushes to get black leaf fungus again.I read an organic method was to spray sulphur? and water to prevent the fungus from growing.The aphids have been reduced by washing up liquid, not totally but not like the mass infestation of the other day.
My foxgloves look lovely.They were bought plants my one has not developed any flower spike so maybe it will flower in year three?Or did the slugs eat the growing tip?
I want the long border to be full of traditional cottage garden plants like foxgloves, delphiniums,lupines, etc.
The snapdragons are teasingly opening a few flowers, all white so far.I have my first fuschia flower in the tin bath container.
The hanging basket can barely be seen beneath a mass of white petunias.Im waiting for the trailing fuschia's to catch up.
The orange roses are flourishing, they are short lived flowers but look beautiful after freshly blooming, and smell like sweet honey.
Chelsea helped me today perform a which flower smells best test.They were all divine.

4 comments:

Stunned Donor said...

If you're having trouble with the soil drying out you want to get some compost or mulch put down for moisture retention. It'll save you on watering and keep the plants looking nice as well.

David (Snappy) said...

will try it because it is my fav border.You see it as you walk into the garden from the front.I hope that rose fungus wont spread with a mulch down.Thought you were in new york this week?

Stunned Donor said...

I'm off to New York this Thursday.

You may want to try Neem Oil on the roses. It's organic and it's a fantastic insecticide and fungicide.

Stunned Donor said...

I'm off for NY on Thursday, try Neem Oil on the roses, it's organic and a great insecticide/fungicide.

The Czechs beat the stuffing out of us today. Its okay, my Dad is Czech so my loyalties are divided.