Cathy at Words and Herbs asks us to choose one view of our garden and show it each week. It is a great exercise for learning how much (or little) a view changes during the seasons.
I like to keep a record here of the weather. Again it has been a strange week! (how many times have I said or written that this year?). the weather was hot and sunny from Tuesday through to Friday when I planned to go to the beach; it was cloudy and breezy all day as was most of Saturday; not cold and really very pleasant. For Sunday thunderstorms were forecast and in the late afternoon we saw lightning and heard thunder but it didn’t seem to be very close and there wasn’t one drop of rain. At about 6pm we left the house to visit a friend; about a mile from the house the road was quite wet and as we continued the 5 miles into town there was more evidence of heavy rain – for a gardener this is one of the most depressing things one can see! A little later there was more rain in town but again nothing with us. The same thing happened again yesterday – there is positively a line on the road where the rain stops! As I’m writing this I can hear thunder but the sun is shining when I look out of the window.
Tuesday View 26th July 2016
The view was actually photographed last evening and I hadn’t noticed that the camera was on the automatic setting and therefore the flash went off highlighting the seedheads rather attractively.
It is clear that the evergreen plants which are mainly Mediterranean natives cope better with the heat and drought that deciduous trees and shrubs. Even a long established walnut looks very stressed and the fig has lost half its leaves. The Hibiscus (bright green in the foreground) as been watered but nothing else in the Large Island has.
Silver and Purple foliage the best combination at this time of year
Just behind the Hibiscus and to the right and left I’ve enlarged the group of Sedum ‘Purple Emperor’; I love its deep colour next to the bright silver foliage of Santolina.
Do visit Cathy to see her view and those of others from across the globe who are willing to share a view.
Christina el calor aquí en España también es muy fuerte y eso estresa mucho a las plantas y las estropea. Sin embargo tienes el Sedum púrpura y la Santolina preciosos. Y el Romero continúa tan verde y bonito como la semana anterior : y la semana que viene estará igual de bonito. Los Cipreses están altos y creciendo fuertes y verdes, magníficos. Que no pases mucho calor. Saludos de Margarita.
Christina, hope you get some rain soon. So discouraging to be just outside the zone where the rains are falling. Your purple and silver combination is absolutely gorgeous. Works so well together.
I hope it rains soon too, but at least it isn’t as hot as some years.
I know that kind of frustration when it comes to rain. Sometimes I can see evidence that it’s raining in the distance over the ocean or to the east but we never get a drop. We’re used to rain-less summers but I know you’re not so I hope the next (gentle!) storm blows your way. Congrats on the Eustoma bloom!
Usually it doesn’t rain for 2 or 3 months. This year we’ve had much more rain than usual but the plants seem to be suffering more.
Oh yes, that purple sedum does look good next to silvery foliage. The sky is really lovely in your view today. Beautiful.
And then today at about the same time there was a small tornado!
Oh my goodness, I live in fear of them! We have been lucky so far this year here, with flash floods and mudslides hitting many other areas in southern Germany.
The garden was so full of dust because they are deep ploughing the field next to us I could hardly see to the end of the garden.
The silver and purple combo is a winner! But I do like the softer tones that summer brings to your garden.
I sympathise with your lack of rain. There have been thunderstorms all around our area but our garden is very dry and we have had no rain this month. I like the effect of the flash on the garden view. I like your use of sedums, they are something I would like to have more of. Amelia
I really recommend Sedums, plus they are very easy to reproduce. Just a leaf or a piece of stem will create a new plant.
I love all the textures in your garden, they swirl and flow.
Nice description, thank you.
We are having a similar summer and I’m disgusted with the lack of rain. My garden has plenty of drought tolerant plantings but I get tired of the look, especially since our summers are so short and I feel like I’m being robbed of enjoyment!
Fortunately there are a few sedums and silvery foliage plants here as well to carry through, and I have been watering a few key plantings as well.
What has shocked me most is that the extra rain in May and June (there’s always some but not every day) has actually made the situation worse for most plants. they put on a lot of new lush growth that now can’t be supported.
Your bed is looking parched so I can imagine it must be so frustrating not to get the rain. Purple sedum looks fabulous next to the silver foliage. It all looks very Mediterranean to me, ie lovely.
Silver foliage loved the heat and sun and positively sparkles. For deciduous green shrubs it is a torture to them.
The view is lovely, Christina. And, as you say, the flash on the seed heads adds a little extra magic. What’s that plant under the tall cypress (??) slightly off centre to the right? Is it a wonderful large patch of rosemary/teucrium? Whatever it is, it adds so much form to your picture. It is much cooler with us this year, although very little rain since the wet spring. At least the plants are bombarded with heat every second of the day!
Yes, you’re right it is ONE very large plant of Rosemary, I keep it trimmed and also this is the one I often use when I want some for cooking but it grows and grows! It is cooler with us too. Yet again last night the local town (5 miles away) was awash with rain running down the streets like rivers – here NOT ONE DROP!
Finally managed to get rosemary established here – it hates the clay, although I always thought of it as ‘easy’ in the past. So I was bound to home in on your stupendous plant in the picture!
Silver and maroon/purple is such a winning combination. I cherish my sedums, though this isn’t the best place for them. Have you tried agastache? I have seen several nice varieties lately- too wet here.
Yes, I grew some from seed this year, they will hopefully make an appearance in a vase sometime soon.
We get that with the rain here too, although we have had the very occasional brief and light shower in the last week which refreshes things. The Midlands is meant to be a hot spot for thunderstorms in the UK but we haven’t had any over our village for ages. The sedum is lovely – must check if that is one I have as I am pretty sure I do but it certainly hasn’t got as dark as that yet. My S Jose Aubergine has suddenly coloured up over the last week or so, the first time I have noticed how different the foliage is during the season – is it the same with your dark leaved ones?
I think the sun makes them darker but I don’t notice much difference.
Interesting…I am off to look for my PE shortly…!
I hope you do!
Well no, but I have found Thunderhead instead but I don’t think that is what I was thinking about; perhaps PE will surprise me one of these days…
Silver and purple works like a dream and great form in the bed with seed heads shining in the camera flash.
Because the countryside is full of seedheads I don’t really enjoy them as I did in the UK when they were winter structure.
The Sedum and Santolina together are brilliant.
Yes the combination works well.
I echo your frustration with rain that just misses! How often that has happened to us this summer. Big, black boiling clouds, thunder and lightning, and heavy rain down the road but not a drop for us! Our thunderstorms can be quite fickle, but thankfully sometimes we are the lucky ones.
We can sometimes watch the rain go past just on the other side of a small island/peninsula in front of our place. Since the drought a couple years ago I am a bit fixated on collecting water and saving it. It certainly makes you appreciate it.
All of our water comes from a well and has to be pumped up about 90 metres that really makes you appreciate it.
Oh, there is water at about the same depth on the neighbouring property. Unfortunately the bore wasn’t properly lined so it is unusable without more expensive drilling and lining. And then of course a pump and another tank and solar to run it would need to be added. It’s good to know it’s there though. One day I think it will be worth doing.