There's nothing like a couple of rainy days to invigorate plants after a long dry spell. Tap water just isn't the same. My lettuce, Webbs Wonderful, are going berserk out there, shooting up. I've put a few slug pellets down as a precautionery measure (I never use them by the handful, just one or two here and there) to ward off any unwelcome dinner guests although I get very few slug or snail problems in my garden. Touch wood!
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| Webbs Wonderful with Solo F1 Hybrid between between the rows |
The shady side of the garden has been and is a challenge. I am growing aquilegia, honeysuckle, astilbe, geraniums, and roses that are said to be shade tolerant - New Dawn, Aloha, and Wild Eve - but it is quite frustrating waiting for the roses to get going. Even so, they are much larger than they were when I first planted them last year and patience is said to be a virtue... With luck and sunshine, and rain, they may reach the top of the fence next year. With their heads and the sun, they might be much happier. Aren't we all?
The hanging baskets are lovely although I am never totally happy with them. Why is there always one that has to grow a peculiar shape? But never mind, nature is full of imperfections which leads to all the fabulous varieties of plants that we have on this planet. Considering that my hanging baskets only get a very few hours of sunshine (if they are lucky) a day, they don't do too badly. Trick is to grow plants happy with partial shade, begonia, lobelia, and bacopa this year.
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Little lopsided here...
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I wanted to grow dahlias in pots this year so they couldnt be too big. I chose 'Fascination' and 'Sweetheart' as the colours compliment each other and they only grow to 20 inches high. However, now growing them, I have to say that I favour Fascination as the flowers are much bigger and the leaves are a beautiful burgundy colour reminiscent of the darker Heucheras. I have three of these dahlias growing and they are bursting with buds. I think they might make great cut flowers too although this would mean sacrificing some of the buds at this point so I shall leave them right were they are, looking pretty in the garden. The flowers are very similar in colour to one of the Cosmos I am growing.
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| Dahlia 'Fascination' |
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| Cosmos |
