5 minute read
Going Potty in the garden!
One of the challenges we face here in SW France is keeping colour, interest and freshness in our gardens during long, hot summers. Knowing which plants can survive both hot temperatures and the potential stress of drought makes all the difference.
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Sue Adams has lived in SW France for 15 years. Turning her garden into a veritable haven of produce, colour and scents, she knows how to create and maintain beautiful, productive gardens, regardless of the season.
CHOOSE WITH CARE
Perlagoniums are popular for a reason but there are lots of alternatives which look tremendous individually, in a border or as part of a mixed arrangement in a large pot. Canna Lilies, Agapanthus bulbs, Lavenders, Oleanders, Verbena Bonariensis and pink or white Gaura all make magnificent long-flowering additions to flower beds and larger pots. Some annuals, such as the ever reliable Cosmos, Sunflowers and Nasturtiums, add punchy colours - use in a block or to highlight garden areas. In shady areas try Impatiens, or go for leaf shape with assorted Hostas.
Proven French favourites are Pierre De Ronsard, a climbing pink rose, and Mermaid, a climber with a vigorous, scrambling habit and a large pale yellow flower. Then think of leaf colour. Silver leaved plants such as Lambs Lugs, (Stachys Bysantina) or Convolvulus Cneorum dazzle in the sun just as much as reds and oranges, while the vibrant yellow and green of Euonymous Fortunei Emerald and Gold shines like a beacon. For pink and orange leaves consider Cordylines or varieties of Phormium Tenax which both have exotic strap-like leaves.
Feed and water regularly
TIPS ON GOING POTTY
Pots and hanging baskets have many advantages:
• Portability means they can be moved around, placing those past their prime at the back of a group, filling gaps in borders, or to disguise an ugly feature.
• They are quick to provide impact, especially with large quantities of bright flowering plants.
• All sorts of containers can be mixed with shrubs, bright coloured annuals, bulbs and grass combinations for maximum creativity.
• Plants that would not usually thrive in a certain type of soil can be grown easily. Container plants need looking after. Some dry out quickly and really do benefit from a dedicated irrigation system.
• Use a generous pot and a quality compost.
• Mix in water-retaining granules before planting up.
• Place pottery shards in the container base and add drainage holes, so the plant doesn’t sit in water and rot.
• Feed the plants regularly.
• Site the pots appropriately. Acers don’t usually like bright sunlight, but Petunias do.
• Deadhead to keep plants flowering.
Hanging baskets brighten up a wall
WATER WELL
Regular, consistent irrigation is essential to the health of most plants. Set up a simple, easy-to-use system because, by the height of the summer, you may be watering for an hour or more a day. Tap water is expensive and environmentally damaging so collect water run-off in butts and, if you have a well, install a pump and taps around the garden, or fit a dedicated irrigation system. A
n expanding hose is light to move around and easy to store in a large terracotta plant pot. I congregate most pot plants within reach of the hose and use a watering can and water butt for those further away.
A saucer underneath ensures that water isn’t wasted.
Shady flower beds, which need to be kept moist, are near the hose outlet. Once flower beds are watered on a regular basis they become dependent and the roots stay closer to the surface rather than digging down in search of water. My dry ’prairie planting’ and gravel beds, filled with drought-tolerant perennials, annuals and grasses, aren’t watered at all. However, water recently planted trees or shrubs at least every other day in dry weather for at least a year.
When to water? In the morning the water will evaporate more quickly but plants are less likely to suffer rot and disease. Water in the evening and they have plenty of time to drink through the night but are vulnerable to rot and disease. I recommend you choose the time of day that suits you.
May and June Gardening
Sue Adams gives us her tips for jobs in the garden over the next two months. The watchwords for May and June are pay attention to the weather which can be capricious. Adjust your priorities accordingly, but remember that within this framework there is a predictable list of tasks to undertake.
• Bulb foliage can finally be removed once it has gone brown. Don’t be tempted to remove it while it’s still green as the leaves will be building up the bulbs for next year’s show of flowers.
• Spring flowering shrubs can now be pruned.
• Deadhead roses and feed them after the first flush of flowers.
• Bring out your tender plants in pots and top dress, feed or re-pot as necessary.
• The first flush of leaf growth is a feast for pests and diseases. Be on your guard for aphids, beetles, caterpillars and other pests.
• Plant out tender annuals and vegetables but keep a few in reserve to fill in unexpected gaps in the border later in the year.
• Feed hardy palms and hedges, especially if cut into formal shapes.
• Keep on top of annual weed seedlings as they have a very fast life cycle and can spread very quickly.
• Water your pots and anything which is newly planted, or starts to look stressed.
• Take softwood cuttings.
You can read more from Sue Adams at www.thelocalbuzzmag. com/meet-the-bloggers
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