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TAKE THE HEAT OUT OF THOSE DOG DAYS

Lobelia are perfect for dog days...if you can be bothered!

Saturday July 19,2008

By Alan Titchmarsh

It may not feel like it at the moment but the dog days are upon us.

The phrase refers to an annual astronomical occurrence, when the dog star Sirius, the brightest star and the closest to us, is found in the same part of the sky as the sun.

It is traditionally a time of long, hot days and brilliant sunshine punctuated by bouts of heavy, sultry air – grand holiday weather and brilliant for stay-at-home gardeners.

You can enjoy the holiday mood all the more by getting to grips with the effect of “dog days” on the garden. All it takes is a few temporary changes to your normal routine.

Watering is going to be your biggest job, so get into the habit of doing it in the evening so plants have all night to quench their thirst. Strong heat and light see new buds bursting open and old flowers going over at their fastest rate.

To keep bedding plants going, you need to spend more time nipping off dead heads – try to do a bit every evening. Conversely, get your hoeing done early in the morning so the weeds simply wither away on the spot.

If you have a pond, fountain or other water feature, the level can drop by an inch a week due to evaporation. If you keep fish, then topping up is a must.

But some rather special plants hit their peak during the dog days. Lobelia tupa does not look much like bedding lobelia at all – it has oblong felty leaves and curved, tubular flowers of rich red and will reach a couple of feet tall. Grow it in well drained soil in a sunny border.

It is hardy in a hot sunny spot on a south or west-facing wall. Or go exotic with caesalpinia gilliesii, a semi-tender shrub with ferny foliage and densely packed triangular heads of cream pea flowers with long orange whiskers, looking as if a flock of hummingbirds is expected any minute.

In a mild area it might be hardy, otherwise grow it in a pot and give it winter protection.

Star jasmine (trachelospermum asiaticum) is a great evergreen climber for a pergola, trellis or arch, with strongly scented half-inch white flowers whose five petals are arranged on the twist so each bloom looks like a small propeller.

In a mild area it’s worth going for t. jasminioides which has flowers twice that size, making it look much more showy. Either way, the haunting jasmine fragrance will waft through the garden on a warm afternoon, encouraging you to sit down and have a doze.

The brilliant thing about the dog days is you can be bone idle and get away with it.