On 2013-08-15 22:19:06 +0100, kay said:

Sacha;989949 Wrote:
I wonder how many of us have noticed that things have grown and
recovered from the cold spring but aren't flowering? Our Clematis
rehderiana was looking very sorry for itself but has put on new leaves
and grown quite a bit, too but we don't think it's going to flower this

year. I imagine it's taken all its strength just to survive and get new

leaves. The Rosa banksiae lutea tangled up with it did much the same.
It put out a few blooms very very late but obviously was conserving its

strength.


If anything, it's been the other way around here. It's been a fantastic
year for flowers, and two water lilies that have sulked in the 6-year
rainy season that we've just had flowered this year for the first time
in about four years.

Up in the Dales it's been equally fantastic - a late start, but common
spotted and heath spotted orchids in amazing profusion, and frog orchids
all over the place.

I think it's the things that err on the side of a bit tender that have
suffered. Other things have flowered amazingly well and given a
terrific display. But the two plants I mentioned aren't toughies in the
same category as some. The Clematis isn't evergreen with everyone (or
so someone here told me a while ago) and the rose is known to be a bit
of a wimp in nasty weather. Its cousin R. banksiae lutescens did much
the same, though it didn't lose as much foliage. But it did lose quite
a bit, has regained it now but flowered really badly. But out of those
3 plants, 2 are on the front of the house and took the full blast of
the cold spring winds, which checked their growth in budding terms.
Other roses in the slightly more sheltered areas, like Gloire de Dijon,
Gertrude Jekyll, Seagull and Wedding Day flowered their little socks
off. But the almond trees also flowered very porly because just as
they were coming into flower, the cold spell started and checked them,
and they never really got going again.
--

Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
www.helpforheroes.org.uk