Yet another week of crap weather has come and gone and yet another week of no gardening for me. The grass is sodden and needs to be cut and the plants all look as if their swamped in water. In fact, the garden is beginning to look like a swamp rather than a romantic courtyard where one can relax with a nice glass of chilled rose.
My re-potting plans are put on hold and I can’t say that I’ve been enjoying my garden. In fairness, I did say I was a fair-weather gardener in my first JJ post so it is only to be expected that I have nothing to report when it has been raining all week long!
However, the rain has made for some interesting progress in the garden; My tomato plants are growing second to none and the strawberries are everywhere. In a very bored moment I decided to count how many strawberries were growing – I got up to 106 and then stopped counting. Now all we need is for the sun to come out and make the things turn red!!!
Tomato Plants
A plant I have had for a long time now is a Rhododendron which my parents gave me when they left England and which I then subsequently moved to France. I’m told that it’s over 20 years old and I have memories of it looking lovely when I was much younger, but it has looked like this for at least the last 4 years:
Why I ask? I have given it flower food and fertilizer but it won’t move. See those buds? I’m not sure but I think they were there last year so I’m not entirely confident that I will have flowers this year. I really don’t want to risk killing this plant as it’s been in the family a long time now, but I am at a loss as to what to do with it. Any suggestions welcome!
My Rhodi did nothing for three years. I took it out of it’s pot, planted it in the garden , with more acid-y soil, and it is going like a train. It’s covered in flowers right now.
Thanks for the tip Lesley, really appreciated. I’m glad to hear its flowering and at the same time I’m really jealous! Out of interest, did you put it in the sun, shade, semi-shade?