At last some welcome rain for the garden! Plants seem to have doubled in size overnight but there are plenty of petals from the Mock Orange Blossom lying like confetti on the ground – one casualty of the hard rain that fell. However it was much needed and there are still plenty of buds on the Philadelphus so I will not need to wait until next year for the powerful scent that wafts into the dining room when the patio doors are open.
Some of the annuals in Mrs McGregor’s cutting garden have also been damaged by the heavy rain drops and the ‘everlasting’ Strawflowers and Statice will need to be picked as soon as they have dried out so that they can be preserved for the winter. The Sunflowers are very robust and don’t seem to mind the rain – they just grow taller than ever! A bunch of these in a large vase really does bring a taste of France into the house on a dull day but the winners in the cut flower stakes at the moment are a bunch of Alstroemeria in shades of green, yellow, cream and soft mauve which have lasted for weeks and made a blowsy arrangement in a big vase. Alstroemeria are grown commercially as cut flowers, but they are very easy to grow in gardens and make a long lived clump in a sunny border with moist soil. Just watch out for slugs as the new growth emerges in spring!
Now that we have had some rain, I am going to try some late sowings of Cornflowers and Love in a Mist along with Calendula (Pot Marigold) to improve the choice for cutting until the late summer perennials begin to flower and we move into the ‘harvest festival’ colours of rich gold, magenta and deep pink that Michaelmas Daisies and Chrysanthemums bring along with rainbows of color from Gladiolus and Dahlias which we would not be without.
The allotment too is glad of the rain and it is time to dig the first of the potatoes and monitor the plants for Late Blight which is a problem in showery, humid weather. Tell tale signs are yellow patches on the leaves which quickly turn brown before the top growth collapses within a few days and often overnight. Once it strikes, the only thing to do is cut off all of the top growth and get to work with your fork to harvest the entire crop before the infection spreads to the tubers. Late Blight can also affect tomato plants which are in the same family as potatoes.
I have kept the courgettes and runner beans well watered through the dry spell of weather and the courgettes have loved the sun. They are flowering well and soon I will be able to harvest finger sized fruits to fry in butter and lemon juice – one of my favorite summer dishes!
The hot weather was lovely if not a little trying to work in, but I am glad of the rain and for a few days plants can take a breather and regain their vibrant colours which seem to fade in prolonged dry spells. Watering from a hose or water butt can keep plants alive, but they seem to thrive after a few hours of gentle rain and the garden always looks much better for it!
