Saturday 27 July 2019

Problems & Surprises




This week's high temps had Mr BigNose languishing, but allowed no rest for the gardener, be she wicked or otherwise.  Early morning waterings, raising of sails, shifting of pots to ever moving patches of shade . . .

When we hit 35C, the plants in the not-so-shady border began putting their affairs in order, despite their sail.  So began the Great Dig 'Em Up Exodus to the front garden.  Miraculously, they seem delighted with their new home.

All these emergency measures didn't stop the usual business of the garden, however.



1.  Surprise second bloomings.

Having the alspice go a second round, especially in this heat, gave me a bit of a surprise . . .


. . . while the hellebore resurrection came as an absolute shock.


These both bloomed in their original colours, but the witch hazel, which has always been burnt orange . . .


. . . sent out a coupla yellow petals.


2.  Castor flowers.

Did you ever see anything so fascinating as castor flowers?


Like the lungs of some alien species, so beautiful yet gruesome at the same time.


3.  New Britches

About a month ago, an acanthus plant arrived looking like this:


Amazingly, it only lost one of its spotty leaves & now has new growth.



4.  Symphytrum Rubrum.

The same nursery sent an ornamental comfrey covered with mildew, which I treated.


It bloomed while it was still sick, but since treatment, has a lovely & large new leaf growing in the front.  (That's one of the relocated brunnera photo bombing at the right.)


5.  Angelica Gigas.

The angelica must be very delicious indeed.  Various anti-S&S measures that work for other things in the garden, don't work in this instance - combos of wool pellets, organic pellets, dead bramble & rose sticks, nightly covering with bottles or jars plus vigilantly conducted S&S patrols.


My last ditch - & fortuitously successful - combination is a fleece skirt, a copper ring & a nightly cover.  I'm not sure why this works, as I've plucked slugs off the wool pellets.  It may simply be the wool skirt & copper ring hold the covers in place better.

The jury is still out as to whether or not angelicas are worth it.


6.  Habranthus Robusta.

My brain's got no memory why I ordered these.  They may've featured in an SoS garden, or shown up in a sale or waved at me from inside a winter catalogue while I was wishing for spring.  The bulbs arrived when I was up to my eyes making new beds, so I stuck them into a planter w/some other strays, & hoped for the best.


The best is that they are gorgeous.  Here's a close up to see all those delicate inside bits.


I have photos of these blooming 5-6 weeks ago, so you get your money's worth with them.  Let's hope they multiply.






And that's my #SixOnSaturday for this week.  If you'd like to read other Sixes or better yet, want to join in yourself, drop by The Propagator who hosts us in his comment sections.

Thanks for stopping by.  See you next time.















14 comments:

  1. These Habranthus are very pretty. I didn't know it but after some research, I discovered that they were chilly (-5°C minimum). Too bad...I take advantage of seeing your photos!
    Lovely ricinus flower :like me, I'm sure you like to look at their details

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    1. Thanks for sharing your research. I hadn't realised they were that sensitive to cold. Hard to believe, the summer we've had, that I'll have to eventually worry about that! And yup, loving the ricinus flower. Extraordinary.

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  2. The second blooming of the alspice is a real treat, I love that shrub/tree whatever it is. The habranthus is a joy!

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    1. I wonder, tho, if these out of season blooms are a sign of distress? Well, it rained like crazy today, so hopefully things'll settle. And yes, both the alspice & habranthus are great stuff.

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  3. Habranthus Robustus has been added to the list. Very pretty. It's always good when you get a second flush of flowers from the same plant. I'm hoping I get a second flush of flowers on some of the Sweet Williams.

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    1. I'm so pleased w/the HR flowers. As to second flushes, Sweet William is a great plant to get one from. Hope you do, too!

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  4. I've got a different Habranthus, H. brachyandrus, which is much paler but has been going well in a pot for 2 or 3 years. It might well be getting company. Looking forward to my Castors flowering, didn't know they looked like that.

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    1. An image search of your habranthus means mine might be getting company too. Would you recommend keeping them in the planter rather than planting them out? This is my 1st year w/castor & got them for the foliage, both structure & colour. The flower went way beyond my expectations. Would've gotten them years ago, had I known.

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  5. We must have seen the same offer and been persuaded with the Habranthus Robusta (Zephyranthus) as I also have some this year. I think I planted 25 but so far only 12 have appeared, they are very pretty though and as in their common name 'rain lily' they did appear after a shower! I think the other name for them 'fairy lily' is much nicer :)
    Mine are in a pot that will be needed for spring bulbs so I shall have to turf them out and store over winter before replanting in a border next spring.

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    1. 25 bulbs? That may explain why I've had blooms for 5 wks. I'm not certain what's happening w/mine next year. Am leaning toward planting in the bed cuz I've got some companion plant ideas. I shall remember your rain lily comment when making my decision!

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  6. How DO you treat your mildew? Please do tell!
    All I know to do is clear space around them so they get some air and sun, and burn the really bad leaves. There has to be more!

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    1. It's not something I deal w/a lot in my garden, so I winged it a bit: got rid of the really bad leaves, then made up a recipe I found on the internet => baking soda, liquid hand soap, oil & water. The recipe was for a large amt & since I had one tiny plant, I used a smidgeon of all ingredients in a small glass of water. I washed the leaves w/it, gently using my fingers & removing the mildew at the same time. One dose & it was fine. The recipe said proper watering (plus ventilation) is also key to prevention - if the plant is stressed, it's more likely to get mildew. Hope that helps.

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  7. I have Angelica gigas. It may not be worth it....!

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    1. I forgot to cover them last night & one got eaten to the ground, which has happened to them before & they bounce right back, so I've gotta back a fighter. Hope the house was still standing when you got home.

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