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Not all bad news in the garden

PalaisglidePalaisglide Posts: 3,414

Had a walk around the garden taking stock after a good lunch and was surprised at how well most of the plants are doing.
My Hydrangea Macrophylla Sheila is in full bloom with pink corymbs of flowers, it is in a sheltered spot and gets afternoon and evening sun. The Heuchera has flowered with tall bracts above the purple leaves next to the Fuchsia with its red flowers and the Potentilla with its yellow flowers.
There is so much in bloom as other plants finish and get dead headed, The Peonia leaves are glistening as they take in the sunlight to feed the roots. It is not all good news but nature likes this weather better than we do.
We will write some things off, enjoy what we get and make plans for next year, that is gardening, look ahead not back.

Frank

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  • LunarzLunarz Posts: 93

    You're right and that's a nice attitude - probably a lot more charitable than mine is towards the weather at the moment!  A lot of the shade tolerant plants in my garden are having a good year - geraniums, fuschias and hydrangea, and also some of the more persistent plants, such as the buddleas and valerian - I think because there is more room for them where the other plants haven't grown up.  The echinaceas and sweet peas on the other hand, are not happy!

  • My sweet peas are not happy either nor is my phlox, both refusing to flower. On the other hand the donicums that should of finished flowering ages ago are still going strong and the candelabra primulas are still giving a stunning show - I put it down to the damp, cool weather we have had so I agree its not all bad.image

  • gardeningfanticgardeningfantic Posts: 1,019

    Yeah also a mix bag in our garden, some have done really well and others like veg not so well.. shade loving as you say Lunarz have done very well for all t his wet..but ones that need the sun have struggled.. hoping next month will bring some more warm sun

  • LORELEILORELEI Posts: 128
    Quite a few of my plants seem to be enjoying this weather, especially the penstemons, fuschias and crocosmias.Verbena bonariensis are shooting skyward and my honeysuckles are the best they have been for years. My phlox seems to be ok as it is in bud and looking good. As you say Frank, its not all doom and gloom. Just wish we could all get out there and enjoy it a bit more.
  • I agree, some plants are loving this weather, it is perfect for them.......others are not, that's nature for you !  It is really interesting to see what is thriving in these conditions and in different areas of the country.  My strawberries are the best crop I've ever had, my sweetpeas are very miserable !  One definite is the grass loves it !

  • PalaisglidePalaisglide Posts: 3,414

    Lilly, my strawberry's are rubbish, normally I have masses of them and the grand children delight in eating them fresh from the plants. Peas were no good but the herbs are flying up, they are against a wall and sheltered so get the residual heat.
    Grass definitely loves it and where the birds have scattered seed I am continually pulling tufts of it out.
    The crocosmia is a jungle some of that will come out once it has flowered and the Golden Privet loves the weather I need to trim it again. They are stand alone bushes to add winter colour to the garden, normally they would be trimmed once in Spring and once in Autumn but they need a good seeing to now.
    The one good point this year is very few Dandelions, some of the grass area's around here are usually full of them but not this year thank goodness.

    Frank.

  • Frank, you are absolutely right about the dandelions, I hadn't noticed until you mentioned it.  Every gloomy rain cloud really does have a silver lining !

  • PentilliePentillie Posts: 411
    Fruit and veg this year are doing brilliantly,ex strawberries which gave me a couple of good pickings, but then faded away in the grey weather.Brassicas,potatoes (in fact, all root crops) are doing well, so whilst I moan about the lack of sun, I can't complain of the end results so far. Having my allotment on the side of a hill does help drainage!
  • dmball my strawberries were exactly the same but all my other veg is doing well I even have cucumbers growing this year and I thought they needed a lot of sun image and as for my flowers they all seam to love the weather at the moment as they are all in pots I think they must be just getting enough water 

  • Tropical SamTropical Sam Posts: 1,488

    My Bamboos are looking the best now, especially after the bruising after April's near hurricane wind. Ornamental grasses are having their year as are the young trees planted locally, they have sprouted much taller this year with the poor sun and lots of light. Anything that likes water (like Hydrangea as Palaisglide said) has had a good few months. My self seeded gunnera is huge.

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