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The stress of summer

I like to fill my posts with happiness and pretty pictures, but today I will show you there is another side to summer. HEAT. Some of the plants, and me, do not like it. The drying winds, the humidity, temperatures soaring into the upper 30’s, very hard to handle. I can move into the shade, or go inside and put on the air-conditioning. But the poor plants just wilt.plants unhappy 001_2718x4065These are the straw flowers/paper daisies I nursed along and grew from seeds. They like to be in full sun, but I feel for them as they droop in the mid-day heat. But surprisingly they spring back to attention each evening. Looking very carefully I can just see the slight formation of the flower buds. Hopefully I will soon be able to show you them in full flower.

 

Not only heat has to be contended with, but there is an increase in bugs and caterpillars at this time of the year.

 

Ravaged by the caterpillars

Look at these poor denuded specimens (I’ve forgotten their name. Can you help me Jude!!!) The one on the left has been totally stripped and now the caterpillars are starting on the next plant.plants unhappy 007_2189x2933This one has had a few nibbles. These are perennials and very much survivors, this happens every year and they always grow back. I look on it as pruning by nature. And I love to see the beautiful butterflies and without caterpillars we will not have thembutterfly 008_4575x3234The dwarf lemon always gets problems at this time of the year.plants unhappy 005_2824x2330But I prune these bad areas off and there is always new growth and lots of lemons.

The beauty and delight watching the growth through the seasons more than compensates for the challenges. Talking of growth, just look at those pumpkins they are on the move…monn and flowers jacks 013_5184x3888Jack has plans to build them a frame to grow up from a pallet. Tish one of my favourite bloggers, and a great gardener and photographer,  passed on this tip. This week she has posted a stunningly fragile beauty surviving the snow and ice in her part of the world.

After all that doom and gloom I had to finish on a happy note by showing you the Crepe Myrtle tree that is in full flower at the moment. 002_3888x5184

24 comments

    • Thank you for identifying the leaf miner. I googled it and it has a make your own spray of veg oil and liquid detergent. Have you ever used this? I know the plant is not Salvia. I do know its name when I hear it. I’m having a senior moment and can’t recall it!!!

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  5. Poor plants – I am not good with too much heat either. In Sweden we have the word “Lagom”, which means something in between, not too much or too little of anything. I guess “near perfection” is something like that.

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  6. Sorry PP, I don’t recognise the flower, it does appear to have suffered somewhat though. I’d be drooping too in the heat and humidity and apparently in Perth it is set to rise to 38 degrees next week. No way could I cope with that. I’d have to live in a fridge! Finally we seem to have a respite from the wind and the rain, to be replaced by yet more wind and cold. I’m just eager for a beach walk so as long as it is dry… and this afternoon we were chasing rainbows 🙂

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  7. ha- that plant was so totally stripped it would be difficult to identify! the crepe myrtle is a true survivor in the heat – it’s almost as if those trees enjoy showing off when others are suffering!
    yes, the butterflies are so lovely… perhaps were were given butterflies to compensate for the plant damages!

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