APRIL SHOWERS.

For once April showers will be a godsend this year as there has been no rain worth talking about for almost four weeks. In this country we can't survive without rain for more than a couple of weeks at a time. Everything has evolved for a soft mild climate.

Watering has become a daily chore and I can't remember watering outside plants as early in the year for a long time. The upside to all the fine weather is a better than usual supply of flowers all in pristine condition. The camellias have so many flowers out at the one time that the branches are breaking under the strain and had to have some support to avoid permanent damage.

The saxafrages on the raised beds are beautiful especially those with the funny names like, Your kiss, and ,Your smile. Primulas that usually have their flowers destroyed by heavy hail showers at this time of the year are looking very well with not a mark on the petals, and some of them have been in bloom for weeks.

The pots at the south facing front part of the house containing Calceolaria and Cyclamen had to be moved to the back and into a cooler area as the plants were starting to sulk with all the sunshine.

Bulbs in pots dislike warm weather at this time of the year especially the seedlings and all were given a cooler north facing aspect in an effort to keep the foliage growing as long as possible and help build up strong bulbs for next year.

Narcissus bulbocodium that blooms in late January and early February every year did not produce one flower before the 17th of March this year. I have no idea why this happened unless it had something to do with the wet summer last year.

Even with the alpine houses shaded the cyclamen are starting to loose their leaves and will have to be moved out if the weather doesn't change soon. I have already moved the seedlings out as it is important to keep them growing all through the first year if possible to produce a decent tuber that will stand the dormant period next year.

All the Lewisia Brachycalyx are in bloom and it is an easy task to pick out the good performers and those with the best foliage. All those with pinkish petals are separated from the rest in an effort to reproduce seed true to type. Lewisia Brachycalyx is notorious for not breeding true and a lot of plants offered by the trade are crossed with L. Nevadensis and have long spindly leaves. The True L. Brachycalyx has short broad leaves a duller green colour than Nevadensis and a tight rosette of flowers on short stems that do not elongate when open.

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