Weather 2008

[Paddy Tobin]

Hi Lesley,

Apologies for the delay in replying to your kind comments.

That is indeed a Libertia perigrinans, the patch of good colour at the end of the garden. I think it is a great plant, never a bother from it, needs its space OK but gives a great warm colour and even if it wanders a bit too far it can be removed very easily and then one has something to give to another gardener. That patch came from the tiniest piece I was given about ten years ago. It is a great plant.

Magnlolia 'Fragrant Cloud' had some flowers well burned by this cold snap but the thaw came almost immediately and only the most open flowers were damaged. It now has a new show of flowers all in good condition. Our cold spells are fortunately very short lived and only do a little damage. A plant which I like and which was caught at just the wrong time was Bergenia ciliata; the flowers went all brown, pity, but the foliage will be good later and there is no threat to the life of the plant itself, so its just a temporary setback.

Actually, that part of the garden - where the libertias are - is only a new area which we started about five years ago. If you can imagine that behind my back as I took that photograph there is an equal area which is simply in grass with the exception of a ten foot bed along the boundary fence; so plenty to keep me busy for another while.

I saw your comments elsewhere on garden size and agree completely. If ever downsizing was necessary I think I would simply leave it go to nature and tend some part closer to the house. Of course, the compost heaps will be kept going until the very end. It is Mary's and my intention to one day retire to the compost bins with two bottles of the most excellent wine and appropriate medication and so finish our days where we most enjoyed them.


All the best, Paddy

[mark smyth]

Is everyone also in the UK and Ireland suffering from this drought and dessicating wind? It's exactly 2 weeks today since we had any proper rain. We've only had a few spits here and there. The rain gauge has been totally dry all this time. I dont like to do it but the hose has to come out on Monday afternoon when I finish work early.

[Maggi Young]

Mark, speaking to Alan Newton in Ponteland yesterday, I had to sympathise with him when he told me of yet another day of perishing, pouring rain! Been like that for about a week... he's ordering scuba gear...

[mark smyth]

Lucky him! Now if it had been a west wind I would probably be complaining about too much rain.

I see on Sky news' weather tonight rain is coming on Wednesday for us. Harold McB was telling me via email he's having difficulty getting plants for the Ulster show on Saturday. Dnt know if that means they have been pushed on too far with the warm days. 13c in Margaret G's garden today

[Lesley Cox]

If ever downsizing was necessary I think I would simply leave it go to nature and tend some part closer to the house. Of course, the compost heaps will be kept going until the very end. It is Mary's and my intention to one day retire to the compost bins with two bottles of the most excellent wine and appropriate medication and so finish our days where we most enjoyed them.

A great way to go Paddy. Will two bottles be enough though?

[Paddy Tobin]

You may be right, Lesley. Perhaps, we should begin to lay down a more generous stock just to be sure. However, the general plan has always appealed to us and with refinement it should work well. Perhaps, the timing of the taking of the medication would be a deciding factor.

Paddy

[Anthony Darby]

My plants are weeks behind compared with last year. Last year I had a Cypripedium 'Sabine' at the Perth show. This year it is nowhere near flowering. 'Emil', which I had at the Glasgow show last year, is <1" above the ground!

[Paul T]

Paddy,

I loved those snow pics.  Sorry it has taken so long to finally see them.  That is a very special looking double yellow hellebore.... you're lucky to have such a good colour (or are they common over there now?).  Snow is rare here too, and to settle that much even rarer.  Congratulations on being out there in time to see it looking so good. 

[mark smyth]

My yellow Hellebore isnt happy in this heat and lack of water

[mark smyth]

I used to look forward to warm days but that was before I got hooked on plants. Today we were a tiny bit over 16c.

Yesterday after work I was very disappointed to see all the flowers, maybe 30+, on my Pulsatilla collapsed with the lack of rain. My Primula veris was also flat to the ground. Most disappointing was a pot of Trillium rivale I wanted to put in the show this Saturday. The whole plant has collapsed I thought it had died. After a soak over night the leaves are not quite how they should be but all the flowers are dead

Roll on Wednesday night when prolonged rain arrives

[Paddy Tobin]

Paul,

The rare fall of snow is treasured here for its novelty.

Yes, hellebores are readily available in good forms here though one had to be prepared to pay dearly for them. The best value I have ever had was a package of six seedling plants from Ashwood nurseries in the UK. They all turned out to be good plant, none spectacular but clearly well above average.

Paddy

[mark smyth]

warmest day this year, 20C

[Paul T]

Mark,

Don't you water?  Do you rely on rain for all the usual watering in your garden?

[Anthony Darby]

I can go away on holiday for three weeks at the height of the summer and leave the garden, including all my cyps in pots, quite safely (touch wood).

[mark smyth]

Paul, Ireland, and Scotland, get a lot of rain so when it stops there is a problem much the same as when some snow falls - the country grids to a halt. I tend not to water and when I do it only plants in pots. The day a rain didnt happen in my area. It lashed for a few minutes around 5.30am and again around 3pm. The rain gauge showed .5cm. When the rain fell this afternoon the temperature fell from 15c to 8c and back up again