Another month without any significant rain. I am on the last of the stored water from a brief downpour a few weeks back. The stored water goes to watering pots and the veg patch. I pinched out all the tomatoes at two trusses in an attempt to get those that had formed to plump up on stingy water rations. I usually get a second crop of dwarf beans but I see no flowers forming. The self-seeded rocket is managing without water but in the flower garden things are going over fast. I’m watering those plants new to the garden last year. I resisted buying new for this summer for which I give myself a pat on the back. Here’s six things that are coping with the dry conditions.
One
I give myself another pat on the back for staking and pinching out the one dahlia I have in the garden. It’s a cactus variety grown from seed a few years back. It’s not been watered which I think has limited the flowers but here’s one that has done well.
Two
The hollyhocks are just about managing in the drought, here’s a pink one that has spread itself about, even over the fence to my neighbour’s garden.
Three
These dazzling geranium psilostemon were cut back to the ground about three weeks ago and have re-flowered superbly.
Four
The ‘Hawkshead’ fuchsia is just opening out. It seems to be settling in well after looking half dead in February.
Five
The penstemons were also cut back after the first flowering and have also rewarded the attention with a second flush of flowers. I think this one is ‘Garnet’ which doesn’t appear on my plant list. An oversight I think.
Six
The white veronicastrum is just beginning to go over but has done well without additional watering.
There’s still no hose pipe ban here but I aim to manage without using mains water for as long as I can. I’m happy it’s going to be dry again this weekend as we have family here and we can sit outside and survey the parched garden. Frozen fruit is defrosting for another summer pudding, there are not quite enough raspberries from our garden so extra has been bought in. Here’s hoping your gardens are doing well and that there is time to enjoy them. Jim’s garden looks impressively colourful and he has posted a link to a video of it as visitors to his open days experience it. Worth taking a look I think.
n20gardener 
Well done those flowers! I suppose we should be choosing drought tolerant plants for next year,,,
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Well despite the drought you have a magnifcent dahlia and your very own seedling which makes it even more special. Do you know the mother’s name? I am always amazed at the infinite variety of colours and forms you get when you grow your own dahlias.
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Another hot week it looks like for you. Thankfully in the far south-west the temperatures are much cooler and we have had some rain and wonderful Cornish mizzle this week which has refreshed the flowers. Currently bright and breezy!
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‘Garnet’ penstemon is pretty, but does it need to get cut back so that it does not get scraggly? I believe that it inhabits one of our landscapes. (I do not know, since it was labeled as something else.)
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Sorry about the drought–I know (recent years) how difficult that can be. This summer, we’re having the opposite situation–plenty to too much rain. But I won’t complain because drought is worse, unless one’s house and and self suffer from flood. Anyway, your plants look great, and that Dahlia is…wow…glorious! My Hollyhocks aren’t performing as well this year, either. Culver’s Root (Veronicastrum virginicum) is blooming all over the place here in the prairies, and the pollinators love it. 🙂
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Prairie planting has been a thing in recent years here. I like culvers root.
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Your plants are doing well despite the lack of rain.
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‘Hawkshead’ fuchsia is lovely. I had one until it got flattened one year. I’ve been trying to limit watering to pots and shrubs/trees planted last year and some of the annuals grown from seed – although most of the Cosmos are on their way out. It’s been a tough gardening year.
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Very bright and luminous colour of the geranium! I also really like the dahlia you showed us. Take care, the heat wave continues!
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Veronicastrum is on my list! I have a plan staked out on campus where I will collect seed, assuming the groundskeepers don’t mow it down… The red penstemon is very pretty also!
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