Re: [SG] Pulmonarias

In a message dated 6/21/99 2:06:42 AM Eastern Daylight Time, CCREDUX@AOL.COM
writes:

<< I find the mildew that is so prevalent on P. 'Mrs. Moon' is easily
eradicated
 with one dousing of any fungicide.Pulmonarias should stay nice from spring to
 frost.I think the problem is that many of us are stingy when it comes to
 watering. Puls must be moist. >>

Some of us do not have water.  Some of us on the east coast have been
experiencing a drought.  The southern farmers are a nightly TV item.

I find that if I water here and there it is practically useless as the
surrounding soils leach away the water immediately.  A full scale drought
period is indeed woeful to the gardener.

There have been three very dry summers previous to l999.  We have our fingers
crossed for a bit more rain this summer.

Water districts in my area have restrictions of all sorts.  This year we are
reading "if you had restrictions last year, they are the same this year".  My
garden is served by a well and there are several ponds.  We are not able to
use tested clean well water on the garden when it is needed in the house.

Pumping pond water is a laborious and time consuming chore.  We have cistern
collected water for the garden and this is, of course, limited.
While I think unlimited watering furnishing optimum conditions is ideal it is
not possible for many of us.

Therefore, with tongue in cheek, I advise pulmonaria longifolia types which
do not mildew.  Mrs. Moon and similar types can be sheared off completely and
will return later in the summer.  In fact, they mildew so often for me that I
shear them immediately after flowering.

For all of the parched east coasters there may be hope.  We have had storms,
not rainy periods, but storms twice in the last week.  Previous to that we
had a grey cloudy period of a week producing not one drop of rain.

There are two books: The Dry Garden by Beth Chatto and The Undaunted Garden
by Lauren Springer.  Both deal with low rainfall gardening.

Claire Peplowski
East Nassau, NY
z4
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