The Dry Corner and Other Garden Notes

Although we are still running a narrow race with our IP regarding the month's data usage (see my last post), I think I can afford to post for the End of Month View in the garden. Once again, I'll keep the post short - all the easier since little has changed in the Dry Corner, which has become the main focus of the meme here.

The succulents are sustaining our increasing temperatures beautifully. Senecio “Blue Fingers” has been in bloom roughly since last month's view. It's not a particularly spectacular blossom, but enjoyable to watch, and it certainly changed the outline of the plant a little.

While most of its flowers are finished, a few more may be lurking deep inside.

The most striking change to be seen is with Crassula “Campfire”, which had darkened to deep mahogany hues and has just bleached to a range of gold-toned greens, still with red leaf backs.

I planted Aloe “Walmsley's Blue” in the Corner, as well as a Lampranthus (from which I still await some blinding pink rebloom). No pictures of either, I'm afraid, but both appear healthy. The bargain Anigozanthos I added was destroyed, presumeably by rabbits - but not eaten, merely shredded... grrr!

Elsewhere in the garden there are a few new flowers to enjoy. The Celosia planted for a summer experiment is doing well. A tiny cluster of Anchusa “Dawn Mix” seems perfectly contented even though it was planted just as temperatures began to spike - a fact worth remembering!

The Gaura recently planted is also thriving, but the Agastaches which decided to bloom early are struggling a little, though I think they will win through all right.

Did I learn from these? No. Call it greed, insanity, determination, or merely A Bad Mistake, but I did pick up another plant just the other day. Lagerstroemia “Rhapsody in Pink” came home from the garden centre and was popped into the south bed. Just a few days ago. Just as temperatures went to the century mark. It wilted next morning, but it revived well when watered so I will be watering it religiously for a while. The reason I went ahead was that I have been wishing for a crepe myrtle for months, but I have always found them offered at tree-size and priced accordingly. This was a young (very young, I believe) plant in a five gallon container, which, in addition to making it more affordable, should allow it to settle in more easily - or would have if planted earlier in the year! The blooms are a lovely, delicate, frothy pink. New foliage is deep red. Hoping for the best!

And now to the roses.

The biggest splash comes from William Shakespeare 2000. Placed in a planter in the front patio, he struggled with the aphids and spider mites which plagued some of my other plants there. He is finally coming along with a couple of those incomparable crimson blooms, packed with petals and fragrance.

It's a bit of a fight now to keep the rose blossoms from crisping up in the heat. But here are some beauties: a perfect bud from Crown Princess Margareta...

...and a shy bloom from Wollerton Old Hall...

And a bonus of a lily bloom. Variety unknown, it arrived as the “gift” part of my McClure and Zimmerman order last spring. A little bag of three Asiatic lilies was included with my package so I potted them up in the front patio, where they have been growing well. This is the first flower. I did not order lilies as I understood that they would not stand the heat well. However, if these pull through all right, I'm sure there will be some lilies on next spring's list. Our long, mild May might have fooled them so far; but that patio is something of a heat sink, and June and July will tell the tale. In the meantime, enjoy!

This was a longer post than I intended, a bit of a ramble through the garden after all, but I didn't want to miss a pleasant good-bye to May for the End of the Month View. Thanks to Helen at The Patient Gardener for hosting this ongoing theme!

Weather Diary: Fair; High: 104 F (40 C)/Low: 74 F (23 C)