Bulb log 2018

[Ian Y]

Click the link to this weeks Bulb Log with Roscoea 'Harvington Imperial', Explorers Garden in Pitlochry and lots more of interest.


http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2018Aug011533113122BULB_LOG_3118.pdf

[bibliofloris]

It’s so interesting to me to see the many ways your climate is similar to and different from mine, here near Seattle. Here, although it rarely gets above 85 F (~29.5 C) in summer, we have almost no rain from July through September. It’s still much greener here in summer than where I grew up, in northern California, but I still love the way the plants’ relief after rain that you describe! (Crossing my fingers for a bit later this week...)

I would expect many of the plants that are native to my part of the world to have done relatively well in your area’s drought, since the lack of summer rain combined with massive quantities of shallow-rooted native trees leave very little summer water in the woods. (Though nurse logs do help.) Shrubs like Vaccinium ovatum, Ribes sanguineum, and Mahonia nervosa look dusty, but fine, and our sword ferns hold up pretty well. Camassias grown near water here, though, so might be an exception. (And almost everything in my garden gets powdery mildew at this time of year, alas!)

Many non-native shrubs like rhododendrons and camellias are very drought-tolerant here as well, and are commonly grown here, but I don’t see much growth in summer.

Glad to hear you got some rain at last!
Kelly

[Ian Y]

Great to hear from you Kelly, it is always interesting to compare how plants respond to climate in different parts of the world.

We are still getting some exceptionally hot days, yesterday it hit 26C which is very hot for us but for some 10 days we have been getting rain as well with cooler nights and I am noticing new growths on many plants that were, like I was,  struggling to cope in the hot dry conditions.
If this last one year the plants should survive if it were to become a pattern many of the plants we grow will have to change, some doors will close and others will open.

 

[bibliofloris]

Actually, I’m noticing more differences in cultivation practices than in plant choices. Many of the wonderful gardens here near Seattle grow some of the same plants you do, which makes sense, given that our springs, autumns, and winters are similar. I would guess that the strains we grow have adapted to our climates, but so have the gardeners. For example, many here group plants according to summer water needs, when minimizing watering is a priority. Since I grew up in a drought-prone area, I use drip irrigation in summer, which is uncommon here, but very common in California.

It’s amazing to see how lush your garden looks in summer, even in a drought year! And yes, I’ve had a lot in common with my drooping plants lately too! Fingers crossed many of yours have survived this hopefully exceptional year.
Kelly

[Ian Y]

Actually, I’m noticing more differences in cultivation practices than in plant choices. Many of the wonderful gardens here near Seattle grow some of the same plants you do, which makes sense, given that our springs, autumns, and winters are similar. I would guess that the strains we grow have adapted to our climates, but so have the gardeners. For example, many here group plants according to summer water needs, when minimizing watering is a priority. Since I grew up in a drought-prone area, I use drip irrigation in summer, which is uncommon here, but very common in California.

It’s amazing to see how lush your garden looks in summer, even in a drought year! And yes, I’ve had a lot in common with my drooping plants lately too! Fingers crossed many of yours have survived this hopefully exceptional year.
Kelly

It is interesting how our perceptions are relative - I think our garden looks quite bare at this time of year, mostly because most of our ground growth is spring and early summer growing, while you think it looks lush:-)

[Ian Y]

Click the link for the Bulb Log that this week looks at flowers and pollinators.


http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2018Aug081533724031BULB_LOG_3218.pdf

[Ian Y]

The twists and turns of a day's work in this Bulb Log.


http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2018Aug151534330274BULB_LOG_3318.pdf

[Gabriela]

Ian - after the first lines of the blog I kept smiling all the way to the end
You described so well the way a garden day journey goes by, probably familiar to many others here; well, maybe not as rich as yours.

I may repeat myself but with every log I admire your discipline for writing regularly and taking pictures during various task in the garden. I know it is not easy to interrupt for taking pictures while doing something in the garden; but so many valuable lessons for all of us!

[Ian Y]

Thank you for your kind words Gabriela, it is the feedback and encouragement that helps me to keep going.

[annew]

  I was the same , it is like a chain reaction, one thing leads to another until sometimes it's difficult to remember why you went up the garden in the first place! What a lovely surprise to discover the helleborine, word must have got round that this garden was a great place to live 
Fascinating resting buds on the Craigton Purple, quite unlike the C solidas that are the only ones I have grown.

[Ian Y]

Thank you Anne, I think most gardeners will be familiar with these knock on effects when working in the garden - yes and I am all too familiar with not remembering what I went up  the garden for and not just in the garden

[Ian Y]

Click the link to read this Bulb Log with another week of Rhododendron, mixed tasks, planting, repotting, cuttings, also the start of the autumn flowering bulbs .


http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2018Aug221534930320BULB_LOG_3418.pdf

[hadacekf]

This is another very informative bulb log Ian.
This is a very informative bulb log Ian. I like it very much. There is currently a huge difference between the two gardens. We have a temperature of 30 ° - 34 ° C. for 6 weeks and no rain. My garden has a desert-like appearance.
Franz

[Ian Y]

Thank you Franz, I think most of us have been experiencing unusual weather this year - while our weather does change from year to year these have been extreme.

[Ian Y]

Click on the link for the Bulb Log with the fruits and flowers of autumn plus nature the greatest inventor.


http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2018Aug291535536689BULB_LOG_3518.pdf