Mid-summer gardening blues

Does anybody else get the mid-summer gardening blues? Every year, just about now the garden loses its appeal. Asters and dahlias still to come of course, but all the exciting stuff has happened and now there is not a lot to do. Sure, the lawn needs mowing and there is endless watering to do - but those dull jobs are chores.
:(
Anyone got a cure for the blues?

 

I haven't even got a lawn to mow, Hornbeam, just the endless watering, but most is on irrigation.

I'd suggest a G&T but "they" would say the girls are at it again!

 

I feel the same as you hornbeam..I have started to remove the dead!! and planning for next year..I quite like the autumn when everything is going within!!..I still have the tomatoes and cucumbers to look forward too..to cure the blues? well you should start a project that will keep you absorbed..a wild flower book would be nice you have the photos!!

 

same here i havnt got a lawn, still waiting for a lot of my flowers to appear, although my jasmines and hop is going mad, running out of places on the balcony to trail them, they will either eventually have to go on the roof or end up downstairs to my neighbours.
I maybe am pleased i havnt got a lawn or you lady of leisure, i definately think a large G&T is better than the thought of mowing a lawn.
I think hornbeam i would get someone in to do that and sit and relax from rosa

 

How big is your balcony, Rosa? It seems to be heaving with quite a variety. I bet all your climbers look lovely. Any pictures?

 

I think it's like the Tardis.....
I've been venturing out in the garden only to water things morning and evening. Still lots of things to come like scented lilies, althought he new longiflorums are out now, beautiful scent! But it's SO HOT! The older get the less tolerant I am of working in the heat. :(

 

Sounds like a Tardis and a half!

Ditto, Liz. We're 27oC today with a nice breeze so it's quite tolerable. Did a bit of deadheading the Felicias before lunch, actually, I cut them back quite a bit. Doing this regularly I have them blooming most of the year! Like you, watering in an hour or so. In the meantime, just reading in the shade!

 

its at a guess length 15 feet by about 7 feet and that is where all the flowers and climbers etc are then i have an enclosed area where my table and chairs are, taken some photos, i can send them to e-mail addresses but at present at a loss of how to post them onto gardeners.I would love to have a garden, would fill it up, the balcony looks nice could not get anymore on it, gone a bit mad with the climbers as when my friend and i visit the garden centres there is a lot of temptation as i have 4 jasmines growing only got them because i wanted other colours than just white so i have ended up with 2 white, pink a yellow,I got a hop over a year ago it died came back died off again and i honestly thought it had gone so i bought a russian vine in its place then lore and behold the hop has appeared and they are both growing like mad, dread to think where they are going after they have filled my balcony.
Cant believe they are doing so well seeing that they are just in large pots.Then had a notion i would like just a few edibles see how they go this year iff they dont suceed, will give them a miss next year and stick to my small amount of bedding plants with my climbers, just certain plants do well on these balconies i have lost quite a few over the years its trial and error.
from rosa

 

well you all need to read Christopher Lloyds succesional gardening and you will be happy again ..........

I am having great fun with bulbs, crinums, habranthus, amercrinums, and also getting quite excited about developing stream bed.

I do know what you mean though Hornbeam, after the spring flush you get a kind of lull, but just enjoy your garden, sometimes we actually forget to!

 

Hornbeam, Up here I have the opposite problem. Nothing has really started yet. My Platycodon has only recently condescended to get out of bed. Some of this years seedlings have just started to flower - Cosmos and Agrostemma (corn cockle) but others are not much more than an inch high - Heliotrope, Cleome, Coreopsis, Cuphea and Laurentia.

I am waiting for summer, which arrives around October.



9 October 2005

 

I agree this time of year is a bit quiet, but for me even more so, I just have endless pots to water and deadhead, can't wait to get started on a new garden

 

It's my busiest time. Endless weeding (where does that chickweed come from? :D ) and few flowers yet to show for it. Some nice successes from last year though. Quite a selection of layered plants and cuttings are doing well and of the experimental rose cuttings I did about half have taken and are putting out good roots and some flower buds. I've learnt a lot and will def. do more this year.

The first of the sweetpeas are about to bloom though so the summer is really catching us up. We haven't had the vicious heat you southerners have had and we've also had enough rain to keep things fresh and green. It's all there just waiting to happen!

Now is the best time to have a good look and see what can be propagated so prepare a small sheltered nursery area for overwintering semi hardwood and hardwood cuttings, clean out, repair and repaint coldframes and have a peek at what's going on in neighbouring gardens and balconies for more ideas for next year.

Just to add - After putting up the little greenhouse at my friend's house she's been given some more tomato plants - it looks like salad for the rest of the summer!

[ 05. July 2006, 10:12 AM: Message edited by: frogesque ]

 

Rosa, there's instructions on posting a photo in the "how to" section of Site Feedback and Information. Once you get the hang of it, it's easy!

Hi, PeterS, I love that garden! My Platycodon is blooming now. I hacked around in the pot during the winter and thought nothing was there but it came right back. I've had one flush on my Heliotrope already, cut it back and now it's nice and bushy and starting to bloom again. I bought a new Cuphea the other day, Tiny Mice (or Bat Ears), it's lovely!

Frogesque, my Sweet Peas bloom in February / March from a November planting so they don't get scorched by the sun. Freesias bloom then also.