New Garden. Year 2.

 2026 Update.

2026 was exceptional.

For gardeners exceptionally difficult! 

Record breaking summer heat and near complete lack of rainfall, a hosepipe ban and a newly planted garden with a very light soil = difficult.

I used to live on the West Coast of Scotland, for a while anyway, and my friends up there will not understand what I am complaining about, having had a wetter than normal summer. It is difficult to comprehend how two areas, 450 miles apart, can have such opposite climates.

When the rain eventually came in August it was surprising how plants revived. Some losses, but not as many as expected. Unfortunately we are now back in drought, just when I am usually potting up irises for sale next year. These will have to wait a while.

Irises generally have coped with the drought and heat very well if planted in the ground, and did not need watering at all. Definitely good plants to grow if this weather is going to be the new normal.

New Seedlings

This year a couple of PCIs, grown from seed from the SPCNI seed distribution scheme,  flowered for the first time. This is seed from American cultivars.

Proposed name: "Harden's Art Nouveau"

Proposed name: "Harden's Ultramarine"

Plus one from my own seed,

Harden's Russet.

All these are not available for sale until I have built up sufficient stocks. Despite not being actually damaged by the drought, the PCIs have not grown as much as normal and so I may not have as many to sell this year. A more 'normal' season, weather wise, would be really nice!