Just a lesson learned -- my comfrey (which I'd gotten from Richter's and has grown wonderfully) was doing fine in the shade of the patio. It finally rained here and the heat let up while it was raining, so I figured I'd do it some good by putting it in the open for a little bit and when I got home from work it was a totally wilted mess of an excuse for a plant. Luckily I'd caught quite a bit of the rainwater, doused it, and it came back. Sooooo... from now on, if they're doing fine on the patio, they're going to stay on the patio. This is probably a big DUH to most of you, but I'd rather learn from someone else's mistakes, so I'm telling the tale.
plant 'em where they're blooming...
Actually Brigid--that's a good tip. I would put some of mine out thinking--OK, the sun from 4 pm on can't be that bad after its rained all day and it's cool right? Well wrong I was too!
Debbie
Yup, I too fell into that trap... Ooops. Lots of wilted and sad plants!
Nissa
Well, I'm glad it's not just me. The question becomes, would the same thing happen if I put them in the ground, as I had originally planned? I'm not going to transplant them now, of course, but I'd figured I would this fall. I can't help thinking part of what just happened is because they're in pots. But if they're in the ground and it GRADUALLY gets hotter than you-know-where, wouldn't they do better? I've designed the sweetest herb garden, but there's not much point in doing it if the herbs won't survive.
Just keep it the ones you know can handle full sun--basil, rosemary, and such. The only ones I keep in complete shade in summer are mints. Lemon verbena and thyme gets half day sun. I've never tried comfrey.
Comfrey is not native. It has HUGE but fairly delicate leaves and obviously they don't like heat. I'll keep this one going if I can, of course, but from now on if I need comfrey I'll order it dry. I was counting on putting mints out in this garden (it's going to be a 20' circle, with rosemary in the center and four little gardens surrounding it -- "formal gone a bit wild" is the look I'm going for) but you're right. They do not do well in full sun. I'm putting in two dwarf pears in a corner and I think I'll plant the mints beneath those. They're going to shade a little area with a double swing. I'll edge the area and it's fine with me if the mints take over it.
Lord, this is going to take years and several bank accounts.
ooohhh, just thinking about sitting in that swing and smelling the mint!
Brigid, my herbs (potted & in ground) get heat and full sun since they're all on the unshaded south side of our house... and they do great! I think you're right about having plants gradually get used to lots of heat and light, both by planting them out a little sooner and by hardening them off through gradual exposure to more extreme conditions.
I know my zone is different from yours, so I think you should follow dmj's advice!
:-)
Well, this time next year, I'll either be weeping or inviting everyone down for a julip. That's gardening.
The swing will put out shade--wouldn't that be nice to 'drag your feet' thru the mint as you swing--sounds like heaven!
Critter--ya'lls full sun is like our high shade in summer. Put it this way--echinaceas will bloom in almost complete shade in summer for me as long as they get winter sun. But mints all I keep in complete shade. Basil and Rosemary can handle full sun--so can most things till about now. I've still got dill and parsley hanging on in the full sun this year--it looks horrid, but still alive. I think because of all the rain.
My mints are on the way out for the summer. They were in the shade with only early am sun. It seems the intense heat combined with humidity does the damage. They do come back from the roots tho. The comfrey should come back from roots also. It seems when we have a good rain, things seem to wilt quickly. Not sure why...
Looks like the defining element for mint either making it or not in the sun is the zone. My mint gets afternoon western sun and has done great this year. I have lemon balm shaded (mostly to keep it under control!) and even it has gone nuts with the rain and the gradual warmup this season. My lemon verbena...which is new...has been planted in full sun. Is this a mistake? HM
I have a lemon verbena topiary in mostly full sun. So far it is thriving. I intend to watch it and move the pot if necessary. I think it will be more hardy here with ample water. Will know more later....
Anybody have the same thing planted in a pot and in the ground? Any major differences? I'm rolling on this herb garden thing for next year. I'm about to measure it out, put in an edge, and start some sheet composting going. Rosemary in the center, echinecea around the edges (hopefully I can get four different shades) and a mix in the middles of the four little gardens. I have parsley and thyme in a pot, but not doing well no matter how much water and how little sun. Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Rosemary does far better in the ground than in a pot for me. A friend has one that has become huge in the ground. The rest I have kept in pots. pod
I do--Rosemary gets larger in the ground. But rosemary never lives over 3 years in the ground or in a pot for me before the humidity finally gets it. Since I am a person who cannot roast a chicken without a lot of rosemary...I buy a new rosemary variety every year so I always have 3 plants to 'hack' at for dinner.
Where ever rosemary is down here, in my opinion, it needs excellent drainage and space around it for good air circulation. This is just my observations on the plant, in southeast Texas, after 20 years growing it.
Sheet composting works real well down here too. I've been doing that for 20 years too.
Debbie