Saturday, April 10, 2010

Waking the dead

I seem to have spent the past couple of months cutting back the overgrown bits of the garden and it still looks like the Matey Grocer. Last month's wet frosts have devastated the tree heather and a couple of lavenders but they look like they may pull through. Ditto the penstemons and Phygelius. Sadly, we've seen the last of the rather pretty "little" Phormium that was in a container by the patio. A great shame: the pink, red and dark green striped leaves were a nice touch on a bright summer's day.

The streets round our way are littered with Cordyline leaves. Every third house had a Cordyline in the front garden and every three out of four have bit the dust with the winter.

Once every so often Mother Nature insists on reminding us that we're only two degrees south of Moscow.

7 comments:

Charlie said...

The same thing is happening to my Canadian friends—plants and flowers were springing, only to be buried again by snow storms.

Everything is blooming nicely here in the desert, but in a month the sun will burn them down. That's what we get for planting non-native species.

Barlinnie said...

I cannae say that anything has changed up here for years. Each Spring the lush greenery frames the burnt auburn and brilliant gold of the heathers across the hills and fields that parade the borders of the Loch that is Lomond.

Pat said...

Two of my lavenders have just disappeared. I know what Charlie means about non native species. Two or three I've planted would look more at home in New Zealand but when I try to get rid of them they rear up again just to spite me.









zealand

Gadjo Dilo said...

How come your lavender has been killed by wet frosts whereas ours has survived our snow and -19 degree temperatures and is looking as spruce as Paignton Al?

worm said...

grrr...our lovely lavender which was the centrepiece of our garden looks like its not going to kick back into life...the frosts also destroyed all our fuschias too :(

But our palm tree is doing just fine thanks.

Ms Scarlet said...

...but has it killed off the hornets, that's what I'm waiting to find out.
Sx

Kevin Musgrove said...

Charlie: yes, they've had it really bad.

You do have some wonderful native species in your neck of the desert.

Jimmy: sounds good to me. Judging by the state of things on the Pennines it could be a glorious purple Summer.

Pat: bad luck with the lavenders. With my soil the only way I can hope to keep them more than one season is by having them in containers.

Gadjo: it's the wet that's done it. Just as they were coming out of winter dormancy the combination of torrential rain and night frosts have rotted the bases.

Scarlet: you old softie, I'm sure they'll be all right don't you worry.