Tough love

The Brugmansia has done really well this year producing wave after wave of 10” long fluted and delicate blooms which are often 4” wide. It is in a bed on the south side of the house and has limited protection from the wind on the northern side but is exposed on all other fronts. The boughs of the Brugmansia have thickened up and it looks like a substantial shrub. I know a method of striking cuttings from this plant but as I will not be around all winter I think that’s a task best suited to the springtime.

This being an El Nino year we could be in for a rough and long winter and there could be casualties in the garden. This plant is getting towards the stage of being too big to move around easily so I have decided to leave it in situ over the winter. Brugmansia do shed their leaves and there should be just enough moisture in the soil to keep it ticking over. I have resisted the temptation to shorten the branching stems as I expect there to be some die back due to the cold. Come springtime I will cut the stems back to remove any die back and this should also encourage the plant to form a nicer shape. I think six to seven feet would be the best height for this specimen; allowing us to view the flowers at a reasonable level whilst the plant adds a bit more structure to the flower bed.

The late show

Colder nights will soon put an end to the colourful late blooms in the garden. The seed catalogues are starting to arrive and the planning for next years show begins in earnest.

The low sun gives a very directional light which accentuates the form of spiky flowers like this.
Softer morning light gives reduced contrast and is more suited to delicate blossom and fine detail.

There are still some late flowering plants like the Hebe which are producing enough non flowering shoots to enable cuttings to be taken and I will try them, if they do not root now springtime will give me a second opportunity to strike cuttings taken from the same plants.