Yesterday France recorded the highest temperature that has ever been recorded in the country. It was about 115ºF (just shy of 46ºC — off the chart) in the town of Gallargues-le-Montueux, in the South of France about halfway between the cities of Nîmes and Montpellier. Here in Saint-Aignan, our thermometer read about 36ºC in the afternoon, and the temperature in the house was in the high 80s in ºF.
I just took this photo of some of our heat-loving potted plants out on the deck. They seem happy with the current weather conditions — as long as we keep them watered. You'll recognize the basil on the right, and that's a Donkey's Tail plant (Sedum morganianum) on the left. It's a Mexican succulent. In the planter box hanging off the deck rail is a clump of Sempervivum tectorum, called Joubarbes in French and Houseleeks or Hens and Chicks in English.
Finally, here are a Jade plant that I've had going for years, and a big pot of Aucuba that seems happy with its growing conditions. Thanks to CHM for the Aucuba cuttings.
Today is supposed to be even hotter here. MétéoFrance, the national weather service, says we should expect a high temperature of 39ºC. Accuweather says to expect a high of 37ºC — that's the normal human body temperature, or 98.6ºF. We'll see who's right.
Today is supposed to be the last really hot day, at least for a while.
Today is supposed to be the last really hot day, at least for a while.
I think the aucuba needs some fertilizer; the leaves should be a deeper green.
ReplyDeleteIt has been fed and recently repotted. The ones planted out in the yard look the same.
ReplyDeleteI just did some reading and learned that aucuba likes a shady or at least partly shaded location. Maybe this one has pale green leaves because the location is too sunny.
DeleteConfirming: Aucuba "grows best in partial to full shade. The leaves will burn and turn a sickly yellow if exposed to too much sunlight." It's rare for our weather to stay so consistently sunny for a long time the way it is right now.
DeleteI guess that's it. Maybe you should move it closer to the house?
DeleteI managed to slide it more toward the house, on the north side. It should get less sun there. I'll just keep an eye on it. It's in such a big pot that I might have to repot it if I decide to move it off the terrace.
DeleteThe more I look at internet gardening sites, the more I think my aucuba plant is the right color — a yellowish green (or a greenish yellow!) I'm going to fertilize it anyway. Can't hurt.
DeleteStay cool! Your basil looks great. I am never able to make them thrive. The sun here seems too intense for them. Is your perhaps on the north side of the house?
ReplyDeleteOne the east side. Morning sun, but just for an hour or two.
DeleteGood tip, thanks. My basil is looking a bit peaked, but it's getting afternoon sun. I'll move it, see if that improves things.
DeleteSome of the plants in our greenhouse look sunburned. This intensely sunny weather has been good for some plants but not good for others.
DeleteYou make me miss my fabulous jade plant that was as tall as my little boy.
ReplyDeleteUntil we moved house and the truck was parked overnight and all my plants died.
That's terrible. When we left Washington DC to move to California, we towed my car behind our rented van, which was packed with all our belongings. I put dozens of big house plants in the car, so it was turned into a rolling greenhouse. It was October, and we were lucky that we didn't have any freezing weather as we crossed the Plains and the Rockies.
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