Honestly, my poor garden looks quite autumnal already. My crocosmia have all finished and are looking very very sad. I really do need to look at the garden and start thinking about moving things into more suitable positions. Am now thinking of creating a boggy area around the pond for my astilbes, if any survive - they have perked up over night thanks to the light drizzle we have had. I figure that even with a hosepipe ban (if we get one) I could keep a boggy area boggy with a watering can or two. Am also thinking that with some plants that have struggled in this arid time, digging them up, then sinking a bucket or piece of pond liner in the planting hole, backfilling with good chunky compost, then replanting. Hopefully then they won't die of thirst in the summer - however, they may rot in the winter!! Hells bells. Am looking at my garden and want to move things about whilst I can see what is where. Have been watering all morning, and yet I dug a planting hole for a couple of white ecanacias (sp??) I have grown, and the ground was like concrete! Watered the planting hole with a couple of buckets of water and chucked in loads of my compost, planted them, watered some more, then mulched with loads of compost. My hanging baskets all expired - I couldn't keep up with the watering, so am thinking of putting alpine/succulents in them which can easily be lifted down and plonked in the greenhouse over winter. Feeling really down with the garden - what is in flower does look lovely, but so much hasn't reached it's full potential! :'(
Oh EJ, I'm with you there. We only started planting ours last year and the plants really hadn't developed deep enough roots to cope with these drought conditions. The cornus has shed half its leaves, the alchemillas have flopped and the hydrangeas...well don't even ask. We have a hosepipe ban and its a nightmare. No 2 son was helping by filling watering cans as I used them but he's gone on a residential sports course this week and watering takes for ever :( :( :(
I sympathise. I only have a small garden, though it is crammed full of plants, but we do have a hosepipe ban. Watering the pots takes an age, but stuff planted in the garden only gets a dose when it begins to droop & look sad. Things are looking so sad at the moment with lots of plants looking very frazzled, particularly phlox (which I love), crocosmia, heucheras, ferns & a recently planted amelanchier. What with that & the cats seemingly having rampaged through the place I said last night that I felt like cutting it all back. We have also lost a bit of interest in the allotments too. The beans are smaller & tougher than usual, more blossom end rot on the tomatoes & so we go on.
Never mind, lets focus on the positive, there are some plants which do look good, I have managed to freeze some beans, made your courgette & bacon "mush" sauce that you posted last year I think, there are flowers that look good....it's just a case of concentrating on the right things!! I think I will have a bit of a rethink for naxt year!
:) :) :)
My small garden is looking more Autumnal too. We had some rain last night and some of the plants seem to have perked up a little.
Like the idea about the Astilbe's/Bog. Mine have suffered and I may follow suit and move them near my small pond which already has a bog area, so thanks Em!
Cat
;D