As for flowers, the situation is much what it has been. The flush of bloom on the lavender miniature rose is over, and I need to do a thorough deadheading. The little creamy one continues to flower. Blossoms of Catharanthus roseus are plentiful, and I keep suddenly remembering how much the plants have grown since I put them in back in May. Above all, Lagerstroemia indica "Rhapsody in Pink" is proving its worth this summer with a very resilient flowering in this difficult season.
However, all is very, very dry. I have not lived here long enough to be familiar with the normal range of extremes, but this has certainly been the hottest, driest summer since we moved here. Granted, our first summer saw record-breaking rainfall, but even last year the monsoon rains supplied a significant season change between June and July, giving a good deal of relief to the plants. This year I have only seen a couple of brief downpours in the garden, enough to cool the air for a few hours, but not enough to really moisten the soil. And overall, the temperatures remain quite high, reaching 105 F - 111 F (41 C - 44 C) daily, which dries the soil further as well as being a threat in itself. There is no residual mositure to speak of, and even the wild desert plants are in emergency mode. Rubber rabbitbrush, last year a reliable source of green in the landscape, is turning brown from the bottom up; many of the wild trees are partially or completly leafless.
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| ...seen on a walk yesterday morning; July beauty in the desert... Many desert plants are naturally summer deciduous. |
Having moaned and groaned, here are a few of the bright spots in the South Border.
Lagerstroemia indica "Rhapsody in Pink" is a marvel.
This is the only part of the garden where the hedge is nearly complete, though the plan is to have it extend around the east and north sides as well. I have used the variety "Tuscan Blue" for its relatively upright growth habit. If all goes well, it should make a solid backdrop to the borders as well as providing screening from the tack/hay shed beyond. So it is a very integral part of the garden and should certainly be given its full share of care by the gardener!
On this last Tuesday in July, the South Border is still looking fairly good overall. The plants and I are waiting for a break in the weather! Hopefully we won't have to wait till October...!
Posted for the Tuesday View theme at Words and Herbs - thanks for hosting, Cathy!
I can't imagine plants managing in that heat, but they look beautiful!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much! Some plants really do love the heat, though we're pushing the limits now, especially with so many being young and not fully established.
DeleteWe can't quite feel the heat in your pictures, Amy, but we can begin to imagine it. Lovely the way your border is coming along and interesting to hear about the rosemary suffering from drought. It's a picky plant, isn't it? I didn't realise that until I planted it here after many years of success and it objected to the clay soil. The lagerstroemia and the pennisetum are wonderful. Hope you get your rain!
ReplyDeleteClay soil might be a secondary issue with my rosemary too, Cathy, as the lower part of the garden has much denser soil than the upper. But all the plants now look much better after a long soak! Rosemary is well-recommended for growing here; I think I presumed a bit too much on its reputation ;-) Anything and everything needs supplemental watering here, even cactus in a summer like this...
DeleteI was just thinking this morning, how sad I would be if I didn't have the water to give my thirsty plants. They were all ready wilting this morning at 8AM!
ReplyDeleteI am in NC. I have been carefully watering every day. I transplanted some herbs to bigger pots last night in hopes that they might fare better. I have moved some to shade. I honestly thought of putting a beach umbrella over some of my tropical plants that are getting burned. I know the desert is beautiful, but I think it would be hard to be a "plant mama" there.
Extreme weather conditions do make us gardeners unhappy! I love the desert and the kinds of plants that are well-adapted here, but I admit this summer is proving a tough one! I hope you get some better weather soon too; moving plants into shade is certainly something that makes a big difference here -- hope it helps your herbs!
DeleteI'm sorry to hear that your monsoonal rains have been delayed, Amy. Nonetheless, your garden is remarkable! Just that brief blast of 105F heat we got in June left devastation here but your plants are clearly better adapted to that kind of heat, even if they're showing signs of stress now. I've been doing more deep watering to supplement what the automatic irrigation system provides - it's helping some.
ReplyDeleteGlad for the info on the deep watering! I've read it's critical here, and I'm trying to get mine back on schedule. It's difficult partly because I'm still doing everything with one end of a hose ;-) I began laying in soaker hoses earlier, which I though would be perfect for my layout, but then discovered I can only use one at a time because our well pressure is always on the low side. Still reworking my plans on that! ;-)
DeleteGreat to see a few plants I know included with those I have to look up. It maybe the worst of times to be a newcomer to your area as from what I read the temperatures are exceptional.
ReplyDeleteYes, having a particularly nasty summer during the second year in a new garden is not too helpful! Many Mediterranean plants grow quite well here, so that is mostly where my selections overlap with more "normal" gardens ;-) Otherwise I'm relying largely on the natives and available Australian plants. It makes for an interesting plant list...!
DeleteIt's amazing to read about these temperatures. It has been such an extreme year... No winter and then excessive heat. At least we get some rain so I can imagine how draining it must be for you to have this drought. I hope when the monsoons get there they are not too extreme. This border looks so good though and I am sure the supplemental watering you are doing will help it pull through.
ReplyDeleteHappily, the rosemary has responded very well to a long soak, and I'll certainly keep a closer eye on it now! I think across North America we'll all be grateful to see winter come in this year. Glad you're getting some rain, and I'm ready for a good long soak even if it means being flooded in for a bit... ;-)
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