Thursday, September 1, 2011

After the heat


I walk around the garden and take stock of the damages. Some years ago during a similar heat wave all Astilbes in the garden were destroyed. This time nothing died, but I had to realize again that I can keep in the garden only such plants which can withstand the sustained heat.


After Astilbes I also had to say goodbye to Ligularias, and now – with a terrible heartache – to a great part of Hydrangeas as well. To make these cold-loving plants look good, or at least not to get heat stroke in this heat, such an amount of watering would be needed which I cannot supply, but even if I could, it would certainly make the soil so desirable for pest fungi that it would be these latter to destroy the plants.


This extraordinary heat highlights that that there is an ecological limit which cannot be crossed: the heat tolerance of plants must be taken into account just as much as their tolerance of cold.

3 comments:

scottweberpdx said...

That's so true...there is only so far you can go to help plants along.

Templom Kata said...

Well… gardening is life-long learning
:)

delia said...

Since Google translator refused to translate what you write, I just dream behind your photos and your garden, both fabulous!