HOT AND DRY.

I supposed I had it coming after complaining at length about the weather over the past few months. High pressure over Scandinavia slowly moved southwest and intensified pushing south easterly up over the country. That meant that we were getting winds straight from the Sahara.

As I have mentioned before this country can't really deal with a long dry spell and after about two weeks without rain we are in real trouble. Combine that with temperatures up to 30º C and you can imagine the panic, now stretch that over a two week period with no sign of a letup and you can consider gardening at a complete standstill.

Watering pots is a full time job but it is a complete waste of time trying to water the rest of the garden because the ground is so dry and hot that the water just runs away and does not soak in at all. The two glasshouses have fans on at full speed night and day but still the plants are burning up. Androsaces all look like well cooked buns burned to a nice crispy brown colour. Lewisias are looking very unhappy especially the species and quickly stopped flowing at the onset of the hot spell. They are all dying for a drink but I can't give them any water as that is a sure recipe for disaster. Very hot weather and moisture do not agree with Lewisias, and they are one of the plants that you stop watering when the weather gets hot. A lot of people take some convincing when I tell them that. A light misting in the evening is enough to keep them alive until the weather breaks.

Hardy cyclamen also pose problems with a late hot spell just as the first of them are coming into flower. Those in the garden can look after themselves and will send down roots which will get enough moisture to help them survive. Cyclamen plants in pots in the alpine pose a different problem though. Too little moisture and can become desiccated, probably wont flower, and will take a year to recover if they recover at all. Too much and you can be left with a pot full of mush as they will surely rot. I have arrived at a happy medium after learning by experience (There is no substitute). A quick shake of the hose in the evening, just enough to keep them from desiccation is all that is required until the weather cools dawn again.

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