SoS 8/2/20
It’s been such a long time since I SOS-ed.
The main reason is the ongoing drought where I live.
Deciduous trees are yellowing and losing leaves, not because autumn approaches, but because of lack of water. Our subsoil is dry for at least a metre, if not more. The above is one of two massive sixty year old willows in our garden, favourite hiding places of our grandson and our terrier.
My borders stopped flowering weeks ago and whilst we can keep the borders alive, it’s as though the plants are going into hibernation. So there’s little to photograph as even in the city, trees are beginning to shed, street verges are dry and in some cases just dirt. And gardens of the less interested are looking awful.
However, on a quick walk yesterday, I took pics of what caught my eye and gave me hope that this pervasive dry will end one day and it will rain.
Acorns in a street row of oaks. I love the trees – so shady in summer.
Down a little lane and shaded from the worst of the westerly sun, this tiny little clematis (unknown?) which I found so pretty. I wouldn’t mind a cutting, as I have a thing for clematis.
Which brings me to seedheads of Clematis Montana in my own garden.
Nasturtiums. Love the colours, love the taste of the flowerheads in a salad.
And finally, Pachystegia insignis. This plant that grows down the road from our little city-bolthole is the one that caught my eye a while ago with its leaves. It has papery white flowers and now these wonderful seedheads. It’s very hardy and I purchased three last year. All in tubs as a plantsman friend says they do best in tubs, she has found.
And that’s it from me for this week and probably for a little while because of the drought. It will soon be time to begin reading catalogues, to separate seeds and think about propagating, but without adequate water, it’s hard to divine anything beyond life-support for what one already has.
So pootle on to other wonderfully wet northern hemisphere gardens with The Propagator, folks. It’s envy on steroids!
Toodles.
This weeping willow seems to be a great hiding place for kids: it must be very tall!
You took very nice photos (as usual); photos which give us a glimpse of the end of summer (for you…)
Thank you for also sharing the Pachystegia insignis which for me is new. It ‘s lovely !
Fred, the two willows, both enormous, were planted by the original builder of this garden in the 1950’s. We bought the property from his widow. They were defining features of the desirability of the property and over the years have given us no end of grace. Willows are now listed as noxious weeds in my state but these willows are loved and protected in our garden. Sometimes, in the gales, they are like Harry Potter’s Whomping Willow and we lose the odd bough, but they come back as strong as ever and continue to undulate and sway like some dance of the seven veils. Watching them lose so many leaves at such a time gives me the shudders as I wonder if they will survive this ongoing dry. It’s now over 18 months since we had truly meaningful rain. Keep your fingers crossed for us. Cheers.
There are some Pachystegia insignis in the Botanic Gardens next to where we live. Gorgeous aren’t they?
They are a statement plant for me. Leaves, flowers and seedheads. But mostly the leaves which have a kind of damask beauty to them.
What a great hidey hole for kids & dogs, those willows. Also loved your story of them in comments above. That acorn photos is beautiful. Is the clematis a wild one? Looks like one growing wild here called Old Man’s Beard, but I’m awful at plant ID. Ah, nasturtium . . . & that Pachystegia insignis is very elegant in all its stages.
I’m not sure about the clematis, Lora. It looks as if it might be growing through the fence into the lane from the garden behind. It’s rather cute although rather aggressive. I had a look at Google on Old Man’s Beard and you could be right! Thank you so much for your kind words about the willow story!