Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Terrace talk - end of summer review



We are at the end of September now and therefore nearly at the end of summer - although the temperatures are still in the mid 20s and no rain in sight. So how did the new plants get on during the long, hot summer? I never watered any of them more than once every 10 days and some never at all. Out of around 1,000 plants I think that I have lost no more than 10 - which is less than 1% failure rate. Not too bad - but now I have to plan what extra plants to put in to make the effect complete. The choice is going to be of course from the first group as follows.
Plants that never got watered and still did well: Abelia, Eurphorbia, Gaura, Santolina, Helianthum, Helichrysum, Teucrium, Lavender, Pistacia, Buddleia, Caryopteris, Mytus (small), Phlomis, Perovskia, Spirea, Ceanothus, Elaeganus macrophylla, Vitex agnus-castus.
Plants that only needed watering during the first month then were alright without: Cistus, Rosmarinus, Euonymus, Philadephus, Holm Oak, Laburnum, Arbutus, Verbena Bonariensis, Salvia nemorosa, Echinops.
Plants that seemed to be fine without water all summer but got distressed in the last couple of weeks: Senecio, Hypericum, some roses.
Plants that were surprisingly needy, especially if they were large specimens: Ulex, Pomegranate, Viburnum tinus, Laurus, Feijoa, Myrtus (large).
Y

9 comments:

Noelle Johnson said...

Hello. I came upon your website on Blotanical. Isn't it amazing how plants can survive with so little?

Thank you for sharing your photos.

Noelle (azplantlady)

Carol said...

Hi Yvonne,

Love the textures in silver and green... so dry! Lovely and you did very well with your selections... plants have such a will to live. Happy Autumn! Carol

Esther Montgomery said...

I'll have to study your list. Our ground is so uncharacteristically dry at the moment it falls into dust if you prod it with your foot.

I wish I could talk about having 1,000 plants in my garden. I have half a plant here and half a plant there . . . then some gaps . . . then a bush in the wrong place . . . that kind of thing.


And thanks for the Blotanical Fave. I've 'belonged' there for more than a year now and still get excited about such things and tell my family every time someone says something nice about the blog. I appreciate the '(not)' in your title. I'm still waiting to get thrown out of Blotanical for not knowing what I'm talking about.

Esther

Northern Shade said...

Your Perovskia is looking good. Mine is too floppy, probably because I don't have enough full sun areas. I like your stone wall. The plants look beautiful draped over it. The silvery colours make a nice tapestry.

It sounds like you've really matched the plants to your climate, with such a good survival rate, and only a few who need a good talking to. ("Come on you water-addicted slackers. Grow some tap roots and suck it up for yourself.") ;)

Sue Swift said...

I found you through Blotanical too. Great to see another Italian gardener blogging. Oh do I know what you mean about the books not helping with the temperature range here ...

Jonty said...

Y, Mrs J really wants a hydrangea, would it thrive in our part of Toscana?

Bay Area Tendrils said...

Hi Yvonne,
My gardening conditions are quite similar to those in Umbria, one of the loveliest places I've ever visited, by the way!
The terrain here in wine country also looks quite a bit like Tuscany. Happy to find you on Blotanical, Alice

Crix said...

Hi Yvone! Very interesting your blog :) I'm surching for plants who don't need much water too and sometimes I get surprised too
Big Hug

maría cecilia said...

Hi Ivonne, this pictures look pretty mucho like my hill garden, with those stone small walls... I do the same with the stones that come from the hill.
Cariños
maría cecilia