If the weather forecast is accurate, we should expect some rainfall in Camber this month but not a significant amount.
That means established plants will be fine, but all the newly planted bedding plants and pots will need watering regularly by hand. This is something we have been acutely aware of at the beach garden because every drop must be ferried to the beach in containers and ladled out carefully to the plantlings.
Over the years we have tried many techniques to keep water where it is needed, water crystals, burying water containers by the plants and even using sandcastle buckets with drainage holes, ultimately still carrying buckets of water across the car park.
This year we are trying to contain the water into small moats in the sand, scaling down water collection techniques used in arid areas of the world. This stops the precious drops running straight off the sand or forming a hard crust on the surface.
We discussed using a pebble or wood mulch, but they quickly get covered over in sand or blow away. Ultimately the only solution is to grow native, long rooted drought tolerant plants.
Jobs for May – weeding, weeding, and more weeding!
Keep on top of those strays before they set seed. But if you do recognise the weed plant because it has self-seeded from its designated place, why not replant or pot it up.
Share your freebies with friends or grow it on and donate it to the plant stall at the Camber Community Summer Fete on Sunday 2nd August (More on that soon).
