Survival

After 'despair' 'survival!  Last night we had a little rain - about 4  mm - not nearly enough but better than nothing.  Since the beginning of May we have had about 100 mm when for the same period the average rainfall should be around 200 mm. Moreover it has been very hot, often over 30 C. so the result is we are very dry, and most plants, but especially any tree or shrub planted in the last three years is under stress.  I do not think that I have actually lost anything yet, but it is too early to tell. Moreover our solution to drought - a very large underground reservoir - has failed us,admittedly not helped by the fact that a hose pipe became unattached when a tap was open, and as a result a lot of water was pumped out to no good purpose. Still I am disappointed. I suppose it just goes to show how much water is needed if you are going to have serious garden in the Gers.

It is of course a good moment to go round your garden to see just what plants best resist the drought, though since all mine are fairly reently planted it is perhaps a bit early to arrive at any definitive conclusions. For instance my hibiscus droop terribly and are in no way a pretty sight. But most people's at this time look wonderful, and in gardens where I am sure that virtually no watering takes place. The answer I assume is that they need time to get their roots down at which point, I hope in the not too distant future, all will be well.  I am also hoping that the same will be true for the magnolias. Readers of earlier blogs may remember that I have planted mine in full sun on a southern bank, not altogether the recommended position. Unsurprisingly they are not looking too wonderful, but they are certainly surviving.  Looking well on that same bank, and perhaps of all the many trees that I have planted growing the fastest, are two decorative pear trees, Pyrus calleryana  Chanticleer and  Redspire. Also growing well in the same area, indeed almost too well to be true, is a Black mulberry.  Despite their large leaves the Paulownia family seem to cope surprisingly well with the heat.  These can be pruned to the ground to produce in the space of a year a very exotic shrub of up to 3 metres high, but if this is done you miss out on the lovely lilac coloured candelabras.

Other trees that are surviving well include various oaks but especially one of my favourites, Quercus schumardii. Good spring and autumn colour, and with a finely cut leaf, they look very smart throughout the year. Looking bad are members of acer and cornus family. I am so attracted to the latter family that I have planted a fair number, including Aurora,, capitata, kousa chinensis, Satomi, mas, Norman Hadden, officinalis, and Porlock. They are not I should add on my south-facing bank, but even so they seem to get too much sun, and they may prove to be an expensive mistake.

In my enthusiasm for Buddleya Lochinch I had forgotten that alas it shares in the great defect of almost all of this family, the fact that its flowers die badly, i.e. they leave a nasty brown mess at the end of each branch. These can of course be cut off, but if you have lots of them and they are big bushes this is easier said than done. Still I forgive them almost anything for the butterflies that they attract. Lavenders share both the same virtues - attract butterflies - and vices - nasty dead flower heads - but at least they are smaller so easier to manage. This year in particular I was struck by the large number of butterflies that sought them out - there was almost a plague of Painted Ladies. I am going to invest in more of them. Pep. Filippi has a marvellous selection.

Barack and Obama have launched a sustained attack on all my flowers, but are otherwise doing well.