I understand exactly where you are coming from @Palustris - it's soul destroying isn't it? It makes me want to scream when people who live in wetter parts of the country whinge about 'another rainy day' and then moan about how dry the soil us if they don't have rain for 2 weeks. How on earth would they cope with our conditions?
My garden never looked better than in a 'wet' summer like last year. We've had only 2 of those in the 12 years we've been here.
Things are not as extreme for me as they are for people like @Nollie and those enduring extended periods of searing heat in (eg) the south of France - but they are as bad as they get in the UK. We can be literally surrounded by heavy rain showers and get none at all. Being surrounded by huge mature trees (much, much higher than our house) doesn't help the groundwater situation at all.
Regarding roses: they are the mainstay of my summer garden. If they're well watered, mulched and generally cared for for 6 months after planting, I find them to be really good doers in dry (but improved) clay soil. They put down a massive sort-of tap root which will source water deep underground. My roses are looking really good this year. I give them a good watering-can water maybe every 2 or 3 weeks - but that's about it. They are not delicate plants - they're tough old shrubs.
Heaven is ... sitting in the garden with a G&T and a cat while watching the sun go down
No loss in my garden, however - My salads are in a veggie trog under two trees, and are in the shade most time of the day; they thrive marvellous without all-day sunshine - I covered my Spirea Big Bang, which had already slightly burned top leaves from the June weather, with an umbrella from Sunday morning on - I had the parasol in the corner where the ferns are
All in all, no damage to any plant in bed, greenhouse or pot, and Mr F.’s strange cherry tomatoes couldn’t stay longer green and the first ones are harvested.
Nature helped a bit as clouds covered the sky on both days from 3 in the afternoon until 5.
So basically, is the best thing to do to cut down perennials such as Salvia Caradonna, Veronicas and Trifolium that have gone over anyway, even if you wouldn't normally do that until Autumn? I'm not sure if the top foliage (even if it is half dead) at least gives some protection from the sun/heat ? There is no sign of any rain of any note in the forecast for the foreseeable future and the last rain of any real force was back in the middle of March iirc.
There is a huge range of poppy and salvia types. The Guardian should know better.
As soon as there is a topic that I know about, I realise how little often the Guardian knows. I don’t think they have real experts in their office or in contract.
@AnniD - as soon as 'stuff' starts looking really tired or has dead leaves I cut it back - hard - like hardy geraniums after the first flush. I then give it a single good watering and step back.
My Salvia Caradonna and thalictrums all have lots of new growth at the base and I fully expect to see nicel fleshed out clumps in a couple of weeks. The salvias will give a second flush of flowers mid to late August.
I'm in good company here. In the Beth Chatto dry garden (about 20 miles away) they never water but they do cut back plants which are flagging. Then plants can concentrate on maintaining their root systems and not their expendable foliage.
Heaven is ... sitting in the garden with a G&T and a cat while watching the sun go down
@Palustris I do know how you feel. Hoping that you have rain and your garden recovers. I am yet to see what I have lost in my back garden. But, my roses all have lots of crisped/spent flowers and wilted buds. This weekend will be the time to do some massive deadheading and deep watering. Though it says thunderstorm in the weather forecast for tomorrow, we have to wait and see whether it rains.
Oxford. The City of Dreaming Spires.
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils (roses). Taking a bit of liberty with Wordsworth
I will would think that bushy salvias would be fine in the second year. And very established roses out of direct sun.
Planting and replanting for drought tolerance is certainly the way to go, as noted above. People balk but sand and gravel is wonderful for a huge and diverse range of plants - and is best for low maintenance wildlife planting. We need to look at new, cheaper, easy care perspectives.
Posts
My garden never looked better than in a 'wet' summer like last year. We've had only 2 of those in the 12 years we've been here.
Things are not as extreme for me as they are for people like @Nollie and those enduring extended periods of searing heat in (eg) the south of France - but they are as bad as they get in the UK. We can be literally surrounded by heavy rain showers and get none at all. Being surrounded by huge mature trees (much, much higher than our house) doesn't help the groundwater situation at all.
Regarding roses: they are the mainstay of my summer garden. If they're well watered, mulched and generally cared for for 6 months after planting, I find them to be really good doers in dry (but improved) clay soil. They put down a massive sort-of tap root which will source water deep underground. My roses are looking really good this year. I give them a good watering-can water maybe every 2 or 3 weeks - but that's about it. They are not delicate plants - they're tough old shrubs.
- My salads are in a veggie trog under two trees, and are in the shade most time of the day; they thrive marvellous without all-day sunshine
- I covered my Spirea Big Bang, which had already slightly burned top leaves from the June weather, with an umbrella from Sunday morning on
- I had the parasol in the corner where the ferns are
All in all, no damage to any plant in bed, greenhouse or pot, and Mr F.’s strange cherry tomatoes couldn’t stay longer green and the first ones are harvested.
I ♥ my garden.
I'm not sure if the top foliage (even if it is half dead) at least gives some protection from the sun/heat ?
There is no sign of any rain of any note in the forecast for the foreseeable future and the last rain of any real force was back in the middle of March iirc.
I thought tomorrow might bring some. 75% chance of storms earlier on, then dwindled to 20, then nothing…
Top of my columnar acer is rather crispy, I’ve just noticed, but I keep giving it a bucket of water every few days.
I ♥ my garden.
My Salvia Caradonna and thalictrums all have lots of new growth at the base and I fully expect to see nicel fleshed out clumps in a couple of weeks. The salvias will give a second flush of flowers mid to late August.
I'm in good company here. In the Beth Chatto dry garden (about 20 miles away) they never water but they do cut back plants which are flagging. Then plants can concentrate on maintaining their root systems and not their expendable foliage.
I am yet to see what I have lost in my back garden. But, my roses all have lots of crisped/spent flowers and wilted buds. This weekend will be the time to do some massive deadheading and deep watering. Though it says thunderstorm in the weather forecast for tomorrow, we have to wait and see whether it rains.