SoS – 15/12/18

It’s raining here.

Part of the re-emergence of a weather-system off a cyclone. Because it’s a ’rebirth’, meteorologists call it a zombie storm. It’s been gloomy and the air has been heavy since yesterday and about thirty minutes ago the rain began. In our case, it’s a soaking wet drizzle, wafting in sheets across the garden and driven by a north-easterly wind off the sea. It’s not at all cold but it’s what we call ‘wet rain’, a mist that sinks into coats, coverings and skin as if storm-driven.

We’ve known this weather has been likely for a week – farmers and gardeners getting quite excited by a good drop before summer really exerts itself. With that in mind, I took the camera while the weather was finer earlier in the week, so that I’d be prepared for SoS.

I had of course been shopping and bought two salvias and a euphorbia. Plus a quazillion seeds for the veggie garden.

Salvia Leucantha Alba. What a drama for this poor little velvet thing. I upended the pot ready to decant into the hole and the fragile thing broke off. I planted what was left. Yikes!!!

And with the two ends left over that seemed to have roots, I dropped them into a pot of friable soil. I know I have to cut them back very hard to give them the best chance of striking and that was meant to be this weekend. Who knows? I might get out to do it if the weather backs off. There’s also a broken French lavender piece that has gone into the hospital pot. Same thing, I guess. Cut back and pray.

I also planted Salvia Greggii Alba and it’s looking quite happy, thank you.

There’s also an enchanting, delicate euphorbia. It doesn’t say which, only naming it as Euphorbia Diamond Frost. This is the third one I’ve had. One of the Matchbox ones passed away. The other died back to green stems but after nurturing, it’s now returned to full health. This latest is in the Coast garden in a pot and because this garden is frost-prone in winter, the pot will have to go into the cold frame. This little euphorbia reminds me of sparkling tree lights or the glitter of a sequin on tulle. It’s fairylike.

Another of my clematis is in flower. Unidentified because planted before I thought of noting such things, but pictures will help as all came from the same clematis nursery and they will all be named in due course with the nurseryman’s help.

This climbing rose is an oldie on a fence of one of the old holiday houses as we walk the dog. It’s really beautiful and has an age-old scent – the kind perfumiers would use. I have no idea of the name and one evening in late autumn/early winter, I’ll walk in the dark with my secateurs and take a cutting as it hangs over the fence into the street. I’m not a rose enthusiast, except for Mme. Alfred Carriere (my favourite and which graces my veggie garden fence) and Just Joey (my mother’s).

My veggie garden is planted out and since this pic was taken, all the legumes are up out of the soil. We’re also picking very young zucchini with their flowers for the kitchen.

And in addition, the berry house is beginning to ripen. I’ve frozen three bags of silvanberries and loganberries to date. The raspberries may be light on this year because they are old and I cut them back really hard. The boysenberry canes are loaded and my ‘special’ strawberries are actually giving us a couple of fruit a day now. Hopefully that will improve.

And that’s my lot for the week for SoS. Although counting back – maybe the berry house and the veggie garden are two separate entries. But then could I argue it’s all part of the ‘potager’? If not, I apologise…

To wander through gardening minds across the globe, go to The Propagator and click on all the links. It’s a wonderful weekend’s reading.