December 28, 2006

July 2006
Now we are into a heat wave with temperatures up to 29°C and more even up to 34°C - absolutely crazy. When it rains (once), then we have winds like a monsoon. Result, one of the Eucryphias was almost blown over and has had to be staked. Without constant watering (as yet there is no ban on watering) there would be losses. The worst problems revolve around my stupidity in planting some rather nice Actaeas at the end of May. Two days of lack of water and they collapse. This has been pointed out before, with the way climate is changing, planting should be done ideally before Christmas, the very latest March to allow plants to get their roots down. Roots grow in this part of the world right through the winter as frozen soil is a very rare occurrence.

Cornus canadensis	Salvia campanulata	Lysimachia ciliata 'Firecracker'	Salvia omeiana 'Crug Thundercloud'	Verbena bonariensis 2006
Tropaeolum speciosum has done its spectacular display as before showing its characteristic scarlet flowers near the top of the Pinus strobus seedling. However this year another colony has scrambled through the Camellia x williamsii 'Water Lily' and has flowered well. Hydrangea arborescens 'Annabelle' has not achieved its normal 'football' sized flowers and this is undoubtedly due to the drought.
Rosa nutkana 'Plena'	Physalis campanulata