August 2018

Difficult growing conditions have meant some plants have not bloomed and won't be blooming at all this year and some have bloomed incredibly early. My Chinese Lanterns are a disaster. The first orange lantern weeks ago, months early. I did try to grow some in pots and as I watered my pots, they have done well, unlike the ones in the ground, which I can't share a photo of as they are so heart-breaking.

chinese lanterns pot-grown

also in a pot, some self-seeded borage with lots of buds

borage

borage

I wasn't sure how the morning glory would cope with this shady corner of my neighbour's patio but it's been fine. Not as shady as I thought. (Scarecrow on the chair under the table)

morning glory

the toad lily has lots of flowers but they're small; I'm afraid I'm underwhelmed

toad lily

beginning of July the toad lily didn't even have any buds, I guess the hot weather really accelerated things

The globe thistles bloomed early and are already past their best. In previous years, August was their prime time.

the lupin has only bloomed because I've been watering it - a lot

lupin

but all the watering has helped the slugs, they've started on this hosta which I've been keeping out of their reach recently - but they've found it

slug-eaten hosta

and they went for the hyssop seedlings which had been doing so well, I just see a slug trail

slug-eaten hyssop

even though it's so small, this nepeta has buds, some plants react to difficulties by blooming - to ensure seed production and long-term continuation (prickly sow thistle on the right)

nepeta prickly sow thistle

I have no idea why this poppy is so small (in a 9-cm pot) and so much later than the others (nipplewort or smooth sow thistle seedlings in there as well)

the heat has helped the cleomes which have some prominent buds

a couple days later, the flowers have started to bloom

cleome flowers

the ever reliable Japanese anemone, appear totally unaffected by the heatwave

japanese anemone

a self-seeded calendula

calendula

a few days later, the first bud has opened

calendula

I love green alkanet and have it all over the garden in the spring but it's totally unnecessary to have any in pots. My agapanthus didn't bloom this year, whether because of the weather or being crowded out by the green alkanet, I don't know. It's time to remove all the green alkanet from pots. I'll start on that when the heatwave ends, in theory tonight (August 7th).

pot with green alkanet