The rain began on Sunday and the temperature fell from a very pleasant 17c to only 3c. Spring is a cruel business sometimes- and the harshness of the return to winter temperatures in a matter of hours can catch you and the garden unawares. But there was the bonus of rain and that can’t be knocked as we are in a bone-dry Spring this year. Some plants handle these swift changes with applomb. Like Cistus x purpureus ‘Alan Fradd’.
It has a crinkled look about it, and has very slowly grown from a tiny tot to a big, ranging bush of 1.2m all round. I do nothing to it in the way of snipping or pruning, as I rather like it’s collapsible, droopy look- it’s true, I like my plants to do their thing rather than be primped up.
Another shrubby thing that is on the droopy, way-out side of the fence is Lonicera syringantha. I think that I bought it in a bin-end sort of way, and for ages it languished unsuitably planted. But about four years ago, I gave it a second chance and it has romped home with that chance. True, it arches and weaves itself about but the small pink flowers smell lovely in a delicate sort of way, and it has made itself into rather a nice, front of border plant that allows lots of stardom to others behind it, but gives some nice shapes. The flowers are tiny, and it was a miracle of evening light and no wind at all, that I managed to even get them in focus- from the rear!
Another arching shrub, maybe it qualifies as a small tree, which really does have centre stage presence, but only for 3 weeks- but this is such a good short run, that it really is worth it- is Sophora microphylla ‘Sun King’. You need to like glowing yellow. But, if you do, and it is such a great refresher in Spring, this is the shrub/small tree for you.
It goes baroque on you. Swags of glowing yellow flowers hang like expensive earrings all over it- in fact, in the rain, it is almost weighed down by it’s own blossom. Magnificent and not well-known enough really. Very tough, takes the cold but needs sun, and grows to maybe 3m x 3m, maybe a tad bigger in the end with us. It needs good drainage, will handle dry and you want to place it so that the baroque glory isn’t lost or hidden by anything else.
Our wisteria flowered like a train and then packed up when we got the first rain the other week. I know people in the UK who would love to be able to grow wisteria, and I was one of those people, But living here now, it has to be encouraged with care. Like honeysuckle, it moves very swiftly from being lovely to world domination, and they share the same socking great root systems which cost sweat and tears to deal with. But, for a couple of weeks in the two places where it is allowed, it can look and smell magnificent. What can be more lovely than eating beneath this canopy, humming with bees at the same time? I am sorry I have no idea which wisteria it is.
Moving swiftly to orange, as I love to do, and Geum ‘Totally Tangerine’ has towered away in big clumps all through April and has really handled the heat and the dryness. I am really hoping there maybe a little more to come, if the rain doesn’t batter it too much. I adore this plant. The colour, the fading to a golden-peach, and the stubborn bright green leaves all make it an exceptional doer. Looking out on it right now, it is beaten but as yet unbowed.
jardinecofriendly 
What a pretty lonicera, I don’t think I’ve ever seen it. I like orange too and grew your geum in my previous garden where there was enough sun.
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