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We think drought tolerant plants are going to become even more popular with gardeners with hotter drier summers predicted. This doesn't mean gardening will be more difficult we just need to take account of the conditions and pick the right plants which will cope with dry spells in summer. Take a look at our range of plants which are particularly tolerant of very dry conditions. |
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After a long day what could be better than relaxing in your garden and enjoying the beautiful evening fragrance of Sweet Rocket (Hesperis matronalis) as you watch the Bees eagerly buzzing around the flowers? This easy biennial is great in sun or part shade and will readily seed around. Oh and the flowers are edible so pick a few for your summer salads too!
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Now here's a plant for a dry, sunny garden, Matthiola perennis Alba (Perennial Stock). The pure white flowers are highly fragrant on this evergreen shrubby perennial. Ours are blooming now and should continue in to late June into July. If Erysimum (perennial wallflower) does well in your garden then this will too, liking the same growing conditions.
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Don't miss the Suffolk Plant Heritage Spring Plant Fair at Helmingham Hall on the 26th May! We will be there, this was our stall last spring and what a back-drop! This event brings together lots of specialist Nurseries from all over East Anglia and you can view the award winning gardens designed by Lady Xa Tollemache. All set in the grounds of the spectacular 16th Century Hall.
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Asparagus "ferns" are ideal house plants. They are not actually ferns they just get the name from their finely dissected foliage. Asparagus densiflorus Myersii (Foxtail Fern) is so-called because of its bushy stems which resemble a Foxes tail.
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Asparagus myriocladus Ming Fern. This South African scrambling plant has whorls of needle like 'leaves' or cladodes arranged around woody, spiny stems. Will eventually fill a large pot, and looks good trained against a conservatory wall.
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Phlebodium aureum 'Blue Star' is a striking indoor fern with large, coarsely cut glaucous bluish grey fronds. Great for a shady corner or bathroom. The bluish appearance on the fronds is due to a light layer or epicuticular wax.
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Asplenium dimorphum x difforme. A beautiful indoor fern from Australia which makes an ideal house plant for a shady position in a bathroom or kitchen.
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- Many birds are nesting now and some like Blackbirds (chicks in the nest pictured here) Robins and Wrens have consecutive broods through the summer. So if you haven't cut hedges by now if you can try to leave doing so until August.
- The materials birds use differs with species but may include dry grass, moss, leaves, small pliable twigs, feathers and even mud! When tidying your garden consider leaving some piles of such materials. If you put them somewhere you can watch them gather them up you'll be amazed and entertained for hours!
- Continue to put out water and mixed seed in feeders for birds. The adults will appreciate an easy meal while they are feeding their chicks and some such as Green Finches which are heavily in decline in the UK actually feed seeds to their chicks in the form of a regurgitated "soup" (yes lovely but that is nature).
- FROST WATCH!!! Yes we can still get frost up until the end of May. Don't let the warmer days catch you out. A clear, calm night means lower temperatures than if it's overcast and breezy. If the forecast says 4 Centigrade or lower then cover your bedding plants, tomato plants, runner or climbing beans and spring sown lettuces with some horticultural fleece or an old cotton bed sheet at night. You can start hardening of some of your more tender plants by putting them out during the day but don't leave them out overnight until you are sure there is no risk of frost.
- Try to finish weeding your borders so you can give them a good thick mulch which will help lock in moisture, keep roots cool and help suppress weeds. With dryer summers predicted this is going to become even more important. While we would not normally advocate watering beds it has been exceptionally dry so if the soil is dry give the area a good drink before applying a mulch so you lock that moisture in.
- Autumn flowering perennials such as Sedums, hardy Chrysanthemums and tall Michaelmas daisies can be given a trim back now by about half to keep them compact, stop them flopping and help them have more resistance to stress from the summer heat. It may delay flowering a little but you'll have more flowers on healthier plants. If you're a bit dubious try cutting one plant back if you have a group or just trimming the front portion. Then you can compare the results to not pruning and see how you get on.
- If you have grown Dahlias in pots you can plant them out now just be prepared to cover them with a bit of fleece if we get a frost. For more information about growing Dahlias click here.
- Keep an eye on house plants. Those which you may have put on the windowsill for winter to get more light might suffer from some scorching when we get warmer sunnier days. If they appear to be getting a bit stressed or drying out more then try moving them just in to the room a little, just away from the window to protect them from the increasing intensity of the sun. You may not need to do this for a few more weeks but just be mindful of this and monitor how they are doing.
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Don't forget we're always on hand for any questions you may have. Just visit our website for our contact details www.shrublands.co.uk or ring us on 01473 657012
Happy Gardening!
Gill and Catherine
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