JEARRARD'S HERBAL
21st August 2022
Fuchsia 'Genii' .
The heat in the garden has softened noticeably in the last week. Rain has arrived and although it didn't come in a great burst of relief there have been some long spells of drizzle.
The ground has softened slightly and some water has collected in the water tanks. There hasn't been enough rain to allow me to relax but the temperatures are dropping,
the evenings are drawing in and the stress of sunshine on the garden is reducing. I am not yet confident but I am less worried.
Throughout the garden the plants have responded. In the last few days before the first shower most of the hydrangeas had wilted, even the trees that shade them were looking sad.
Fuchsia 'Genii' had been having a spectacular summer but ten days ago it finally exhausted the last available water. It dropped its flowers and most of the older leaves.
It was mostly sticks, with a few buds and small leaves at the tips. Light rain has allowed it to recover, almost picking up where it left off. It is still looking a bit thin
but new leaves are expanding rapidly and if the moisture continues it should carry on until frost or low light levels stop it.
21st August 2022
Magnolia 'Star Wars' .
I am sure that I must have anticipated this years drought when I was pruning in the garden last summer. I trimmed an awkward branch from an ash tree and it came down with
an unexpectedly gentle "whump". It had landed on Magnolia 'Star Wars'. Now magnolias can make sturdy trees and they seem to resist the wind well, but the branches are a bit brittle.
When the gentle ash was removed it was clear that it had snapped about half of the magnolia canopy as well. I was a little grumpy but it was my own fault. I should have cut the ash
branch in shorter sections but I was trying to save time and to avoid working up a ladder.
As it turns out it was for the best. Half a magnolia has stood up to the drought far better than a whole one would have.
Magnolia 'Star Wars' usually manages a few autumn flowers but this year the display has been especially good with a couple of dozen flowers clustered on the top branches.
It isn't easy to take a picture of them nestled among the leaves but they still bring a light suggestion of spring to the heavy weight of summer.
21st August 2022
Roscoea cautleyoides late seedling .
The heat of the summer has had some interesting effects in the garden. The late flowering Roscoea started early and I think they will finish early.
In some years I have found the red forms of R. purpurea still producing pale, timid flowers into November. It isn't going to happen this year.
They have been in flower for a few weeks but already the end is in sight.
Many years ago I planted all of the R. cautleyoides forms out into the garden where most of them have prospered. R. cautleyoides 'Last Emperor'
was the exception, it struggled for a year or two and then vanished. I wish I had kept a piece in a pot but it is too late for regrets. A decade after it had gone
I found this late flowering seedling in the border. It was potted and brought into the greenhouse while it bulks up. It must be a seedling from 'Last Emperor'
and I am very pleased that I haven't lost the late flowering habit. For all I know 'Last Emperor' was a seed strain anyway, it looked just like this one and flowered at the same time.
Unfortunately the origin of these things is difficult to track down. For now I will continue to call it 'Late Seedling'.
21st August 2022
Hedychium gardnerianum BSWJ.2524 .
I think that the Hedychium have enjoyed the heat. It could well be a spectacular year for flowering. It is possible that I will see things that have never flowered before.
Alternatively the drought might have set them back. The next few weeks will be telling. Fortunately most of them are planted at the bottom of the garden, as the water drains
down the hill it is the last corner to dry out. When Hedychium get dry they roll their leaves to conserve moisture and lose their lush looks. It hasn't happened yet so
I think they are going to be magnificent.
This is the first of the H. gardnerianum forms to flower. It is a good solid representative of the species. The flower is spectacular but not spectacularly spectacular!
New flower spikes are appearing every day now. The Hedychium garden has never been a riot of colour, it tends to sputter along in monthly instalments
but it is just possible that the heat and sudden rain will synchronise things.
One way or another, this will be a year to remember.