The MGS Forum
Our gardens, a month-by-month pictorial diary of what's looking good now => Our Gardens => Topic started by: Caroline on May 07, 2017, 09:28:41 AM
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March and April here on Waiheke Island, NZ, have been incredibly wet, owing to two ex-tropical cyclones which headed down the east coast of the North Island. Rainfall for the two months, at 439mm, was the highest since 1961. It has made picking the grapes a nightmare - balancing out approaching rain, the risk of disease and the need to get some ripe fruit. In the garden it was a mixed bag. Hibiscus loved it, and are still performing dramatically, and my Acidanthera flowered for the first time. But other plants that dislike wet feet, such as Nepeta and Lychnis coronaria have just turned up their toes, and the weeds have multiplied much faster than I can deal to them. We are now experiencing lovely sunny autumn days, but meanwhile the clean-up of blocked drains, slips and fallen trees, continues.
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Weather patterns certainly seem to be out of sync and causing problems in many places. Here in Italy March and April were unusually warm and dry with plants responding by growing away quickly. Then came some very cold days with some snow and frosts at night and inevitably some subjects suffered. The locals are lamenting the damage to grape vines, fruit trees and especially the Walnut trees the leaves of which are all black making the trees appear dead...only time will tell. Now it is still cold for the time of year and we are experiencing some much needed rain but it is ruining the roses in particular and weeds are proliferating everywhere. Just part of the joys of gardening.....but more worrying for the farmers I suppose.