Cherries, again, were a disaster - I sprayed with dormant oil and sulphur, but the results were the same as last year. I don't know where to go next for assistance. So disheartening. Strawberries were also poor - honestly, a 2m x 2m bed and I didn't get a quart of berries. They had been well manured and protected with bonus straw too. Many of the ripe ones were eaten by bugs, but they didn't even get as many as I did. Raspberries were better than last year but still not great, mainly due to the drought I suppose. Apples are coming but not as many as last year. Still can't seem to grow rhubarb. What is the matter with me??
Tomatoes are looking good. I got the kale covered so it is clean, lovely garlic crop is drying on the shed wall. Cukes and squash were late going in but they are producing. Some good news.
Any more good news? Quite a few hellebore blooms this year, lavender was great, even little rooted cuttings took off and bloomed. It's the Mediterranean climate kicking in, I suppose. Hydrangeas are looking good too, even the new ones from last year, although the macrophyllas do need a load of watering. I even have blooms on three of the Nikko Blue ones I propagated, though there are none on the mammy plant at all. The PG types are looking good, lots of bloom on Phantom, Vanille Fraise, and the lacecap Bluebird. The little Glowing Embers only has one bloom this year, but the plant is looking healthy.
Looking back through the photos I see that the roses did well - we still had rain then - and I fell in love with an old
favourite from the Rose Mound - Celestial. This is her in bud and I'd forgotten how lovely the blu-ish foliage is as well. Must get her out of that congested and light-less space and put somewhere more prominent.
Other roses did well blooming - I decided to make 'Alba Meidiland' into a pillar rose - inserted a cedar post beside her and tied her up as well as I could - the thorns are merciless - and she did well, but of course by the time blooms came along she was pretty much buried in the bed. I think Pillars are a Good Idea - just need to find the right place for it to happen. Also, I used a half post - 4 feet - and I could easily have gone for the full 8. Good to know.
Peonies did well too - many bloomed for the first time. I have three 'Garden Treasure' Itohs that have bloomed now, and even one 'Cora Louise'. They were gone too soon but they were lovely when here. 'Hillary' bloomed too, and the many lactifolia ones were prolific. A standout was 'Charles White', just two blooms but a giant of a plant, big leaves and flowers. Going to be a winner.
The two kalmias bloomed well, although I would be hard-pressed to tell the difference 
between them. One is 'Heart of Fire' and the other is 'Sarah' and I couldn't see a tiny bit of difference between them. My next kalmia has to be REALLY DIFFERENT. This is the older one, 'Heart of Fire'. They really give you a long bloom season, and the blooms are so unique.
The peony at the top is hiding under a rose so it lasted quite a while; I haven't yet figured out which one it is (have to go through back copies of the Vesey's catalogue). It is great, and the photo also shows buds of the 'Alba Meidiland', which is bound to its post very close by. A success to end off on.
