Time moves on but July is a good month in the City Garden.
Hydrangea problem
Stems were turning black and shrivelling up. And I saw some odd marks on leaves as well. So I have sprayed with a fungal spray and I am also watering the plants from the bottom, rather than using the spray. I just hope this does the trick. I really don’t want to lose these plants, or any other hydrangeas, so any help or advice from The Propagator or Ruminator would be much appreciated.
A new idea
I have quite a few grasses which I don’t want to lose, but no more space left. This means more pots and troughs. I will have to sneak them into the garden without saying anything.
Agapanthus
The small agapanthus is flowering for the first time and it is pretty.
Joy of the week
The lysimachia are bright yellow at the back of the garden as I look out of the window – they make me smile. They started life as a variegated plant but the green original has taken over. Never mind, it is the flowers which are lovely and the plant seems to be happy in semi-shade, a real bonus in this garden.
The medicinal glass
Well, it has been a tough week, but at least there is a different view this week! The Japanese anemones are starting to put on a show. It is a little early but I am not complaining as I enjoy my medicinal glass this evening they will be standing tall and looking good next to me.
Green Lewisham
I found the book on WOB this morning in addition to Amazon, Waterstones, Book Depository and various other outlets. It’s quite a thrill to type in the name and see what happens! And this week there was also on interview on London Life and Radio London. All very exciting, but now back to reality!
July in the City Garden definitely feels like a lull, a blooming before everything and everyone is too tired. I hope The Propagator is pleased!
I don’t know what is affecting your hydrangea but I agree with you that it looks like a fungal infection, so treatment with a broad spectrum fungicide is right on the money. Overhead watering in warm conditions may well be what allowed it to get a foothold in the first place so watering from the bottom is good practice too. I fancy you will have already removed the infected shoots back to healthy buds so it’s just a case of vigilance to spot and promptly remove any further outbreaks with a backup strategy of keeping your fingers crossed. Fungal infections are almost always right inside the host plant tissue (main exception being powdery mildew) so are easier to prevent with pre-emptive spraying than to cure once present, so most fungicide treatments work by creating a spore killing protective film on the plant, but you’re only going to do that if you expect a disease to attack the plant. It may be worth spraying when all infected material has been removed to reduce the risk of it coming straight back.
Thank you very much indeed. I will continue as you suggest and keep my fingers crossed. It has taken so long to reach this point I really don’t want to lose the plants.
[…] looks beautiful in the City Garden but rather prim and proper here. It is probably the lack of water which holds her back in the […]