This is proving to be a very hard summer. We are now in the 7th week or so of temperatures 90% of the time in the C30s, and with maybe 20mm of rain in that time. It is a terrible test for my ‘no watering’ policy- in which I have endeavoured to find and grow plants that will survive by themselves with what nature provides. It is now far too late for any panicky watering, which I have considered, as the ground is so hard and dry that genuine and very long-lasting gentle rain will be the only way to recover the situation. I have made one or two exceptions for plants that were newly planted in the cold June we had, but otherwise, I am waiting to see what will happen. Can I be accused of being reckless? Maybe…
The plants in the pots are being watered- which takes about an hour and a half everyday. Thank goodness for the expanding hose! Not to mention the agricultural canal and the underground water sources that we can pump water out of…
But the potted plants are also feeling the strain of the heat. Poilanthes tuberosa ‘The Pearl’ which has a simply gorgeous perfume, like warm baked custard with a hint of the exotic, has produced only one flowerspike from 3 pots. It is the most beautiful thing too, but simply not in the mood for flowering at all.
The potted Salvias are also on the fed-up side. Even with watering. I have just moved into survival mode, keeping them alive till we at last cool down. I have taken 2 newish roses out and re-potted them, which has revived them somewhat- and my new Aspidistra plants are in deep shade in the cool, in pots.
With watering three times a day from the squeezy bottle, or, when bigger, the small watering can, seed production has not, amazingly, been too bad. I keep them in the open barn, so they get 3-4 hours of angled sunlight, and then shade- and I have really had to be on it to keep them all going. But successes (for the moment) include Alogyne hakeifolia, a lovely Hibiscus relative which I fell in love with in Spain, Malva sylvestris ‘Zebrina’ has romped away from seed to small plant in 4 weeks, Heuchera cylindrica ‘Greenfinch’ and x brizoides ‘Firefly’ have done the same though they are tiny plants in comparison, Clematis tangutica ‘Helios’ and a lovely load of hollyhock seed from my friends in Winchcombe, are coming up beautifully. Other plants I shan’t name, for fear of incurring the hubris curse.
From this, you can see that I am looking all the time at toughness in plants, mostly to do with drought resilience- but I own that this period is straining my willingness to live happily with brown.
Changing tack, the stunning Hibiscus palustris is very happy, right by the canal with roots certainly reaching the water. The huge, chiffon paper flowers look fabulous with some backlighting, and although it can be invasive, it is not looking that way so far here. Perhaps it knows not to wander far from the water.
So, looking ahead, we have maybe 5 mm rain offered to us this week, but nothing more. I know that plants will come back from this, but I am feeling as if my policy has hit a murderous phase.
jardinecofriendly 
Lovely photos Alison! And I do like the Clematis tangutica ‘Helios’ – would that grow in shade? I admire your ‘no watering’ policy. You should have a look at Beth Chatto’s nursery for ideas about which plants survive the hot weather here. http://www.bethchatto.co.uk/gardens/our-blog/garden-news/how-the-gardens-are-coping-in-these-extreme-conditions.htm
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What beautiful photos you’re taking with your new camera. The Hibicus palustris with the sun glancing on its petals is exquisite. I feel your pain with the dry weather. You’re so sensible to grow hardy plants. It’s my intention too, but I keep straying from the path and weakening, usually about plants I’ve seen in Northern Hemisphere gardens! I’m trying seeds too, in an effort to buy less plastic, but it’s a lot more effort and remembering than simply going to a nursery and purchasing a Pot!
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That Hibiscus is stunning. It is very interesting reading about your experiment; this is the future I guess…
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I love the scent of tuberoses…..how lovely
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Just remember, you get more rain than some of us do. In my former neighborhood, the average annual rainfall was only about a foot, and only during a few months in late autumn through early spring. I am looking at property near Trona, where the average annual rainfall is four inches, and it gets well over 100 degrees daily from late spring through early autumn.
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