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Learning to live (and plant) in an unpredictable climate
[warning, long post!] I have only been herbaceously gardening for just over a year. In addition to the steep learning curve relating to my new passion, I have also been grappling with a very bonkers, changeable climate in my new home in Catalunya (early, warm springs, hotter summers, occasional prolonged drought, combined with UK-style winter temps, snow, floods and fierce rain storms that can strike at any time of year that batter everything in sight). This is not advice and may be stating the bleedin obvs to most of you, but this is what I have learnt so far:
1. Soil preparation is key - areas where I incorporated literally tonnes of organic matter, grit and deep mulch improve both water retention in drought conditions and drainage in wet, helping plants cope with the bonkerness. In the areas I skimped on this prep, plants are struggling more and it’s much more difficult to rectify it later.
2. Deep watering is essential, directly to the roots - I find I need to really thoroughly soak the roots deeply of each plant, let it all sink in then immediately do it again, but I water less often overall and use less water in the long run. I have learnt how deep is deep enough for each plant via trial and error.
3. Some plants grow really big - I have planted with height and spread info in mind, but some plants just keep growing! Verbena B nearly 3 metres, Agastache Black Adder 135cm and still growing, dwarfing the things behind that are theoretically taller. Tithonia plants dotted around to ‘fill gaps’ are triffidy bushy monsters a metre wide and I keep having to chop off side shoots to give my perennials some breathing space.
4. Non-drought tolerant plants can survive drought - I planted Heleniums as a gamble, they are doing absolutely fine in the strong dry heat, but they can’t survive my intermittent rain storms as the flowers are far too delicate and get shredded. Echinaceas on the other hand, have much tougher flowers and cope with both extremes admirably.
5. Some drought-tolerant plants can’t survive - lavender sulks and withers even in pots in a very free-draining substrate, with the notable exception of Lavender x Intermedia. Allegedly drought tolerant geraniums for full sun shrivel in said full sun without a lot of cosseting.
6. Roses keep on blooming much later and tend to keep their foliage in mild winters, providing handy platforms for hideous blackspot when the rain comes. I am planning to defoliate the plants and force them into dormancy in late autumn to try and avoid a repeat scenario. They don’t seem to mind the summer storms as new ones planted in Spring are not affected by BS.
7. Organic principles have gone out the window as I reach for the fungicide...but only the roses so far. In my vegetable garden I am sticking resolutely to them.
8. This is the best forum ever for support, advice, encouragement and entertainment
1. Soil preparation is key - areas where I incorporated literally tonnes of organic matter, grit and deep mulch improve both water retention in drought conditions and drainage in wet, helping plants cope with the bonkerness. In the areas I skimped on this prep, plants are struggling more and it’s much more difficult to rectify it later.
2. Deep watering is essential, directly to the roots - I find I need to really thoroughly soak the roots deeply of each plant, let it all sink in then immediately do it again, but I water less often overall and use less water in the long run. I have learnt how deep is deep enough for each plant via trial and error.
3. Some plants grow really big - I have planted with height and spread info in mind, but some plants just keep growing! Verbena B nearly 3 metres, Agastache Black Adder 135cm and still growing, dwarfing the things behind that are theoretically taller. Tithonia plants dotted around to ‘fill gaps’ are triffidy bushy monsters a metre wide and I keep having to chop off side shoots to give my perennials some breathing space.
4. Non-drought tolerant plants can survive drought - I planted Heleniums as a gamble, they are doing absolutely fine in the strong dry heat, but they can’t survive my intermittent rain storms as the flowers are far too delicate and get shredded. Echinaceas on the other hand, have much tougher flowers and cope with both extremes admirably.
5. Some drought-tolerant plants can’t survive - lavender sulks and withers even in pots in a very free-draining substrate, with the notable exception of Lavender x Intermedia. Allegedly drought tolerant geraniums for full sun shrivel in said full sun without a lot of cosseting.
6. Roses keep on blooming much later and tend to keep their foliage in mild winters, providing handy platforms for hideous blackspot when the rain comes. I am planning to defoliate the plants and force them into dormancy in late autumn to try and avoid a repeat scenario. They don’t seem to mind the summer storms as new ones planted in Spring are not affected by BS.
7. Organic principles have gone out the window as I reach for the fungicide...but only the roses so far. In my vegetable garden I am sticking resolutely to them.
8. This is the best forum ever for support, advice, encouragement and entertainment
Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
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