It's december and the heat keeps rising, I am not spending much time in the garden during the hottest hours, I only garden very early in the morning and late in the afternoom. Lately I've been thinking of a problem I've refused to accept: I have too many plants and oddly most of them are plants I don't really like or plants I downright hate or poor performers I refuse to remove ¿why is it so hard to discard and dig out plants? Roses are my favourite flowers and I have many of them but sadly not all do well in my climate, Hybrid teas are the most problematic roses to grow here, they are -
with a few exceptions- very prone to all kind of diseases and look very bad most of the time: ugly bushes with a few diseased leaved holding on for dear life, this makes me sad because I consider Hybrid teas the Queens of Roses, they boast the most impeccable, picture-perfect form of any rose. Earlier this year I finally found a local nursery that sells David Austin Roses, I planted four in february when heat was at its worst here and they grew and bloomed marvellously and practically without signs of disease while most Hybrid teas were agonizing. Then in winter had decided to replace Hybrid teas with English Roses, I did it..partially. You might laugh but I didn't have the heart to dig out and discard all the HT roses, I said to myself what I said many times when I faced this dilemma " I will give them their last chance this year" and then spring arrives and they fared as poorly as aslways whereas english roses look much better. I even decided to keep in planters the Hybrid Teas I dug out to plant the english roses.. I just can't discard a rose, this is very embarrasing and it's not only roses what I hoard: I have lots of pots cramped all across the garden with plants I don't really appreciate or plants that occupy precious space in the small garden: palm tresss of many types, Alocasias, Philodendroms, Cycas, Cordylines, different types of Ficus, lots of Amarylis ( I like them but there are too many of them), invasive crocosmias, Euphorbias, Agapanthus , Frangipanis and many others plants that are mostly gifts from friends, relatives and neighbours who don't know my taste in plants, you don't see these plants here since I only post pictures of the plants I like (mostly Roses, Camellias, Water lillies) but all these unwanted plants demand time and effort from me and this is something I want to change. I decided to "let them go" and do my best to find those plants new homes this summer. I want only the plants I like in my garden. Please forgive this disgression! I know you surely want to see the pictures of what's blooming now in the garden.
There are still some Roses blooming and defying heat but unfortunately chilli thrips attacked earlier than ever this year and many buds were ruined.
It's also hibiscus time, a bit later this year because of the unusually cool and long winter
Water lilies love the heat
Miscellaneous blooms!
What's blooming in your garden these days?
