Whether the weather is good for gardening is not the point.

In times of stress even the garden recognises its limitations. Or does it? Mother Nature in her own peculiar way keeps growth under control to conserve soil moisture; it is an interesting learning curve, especially for those who 'watch over their garden'.

June saw little rain, a most unusual occurrence for the month as rain is normally forthcoming at some point. Drought conditions have created intense heavy flowerings on many trees, including Delonix regia (Poinciana); Cassis fistula (Golden shower); Sterculia acerifolia (Flame tree) which has been absolutely magnificent, especially on a specimen tree in Middle Road, Paget. Lonchocarpus violaceus; Erythrina crista-galli (Coronation tree) though rarely seen have also produced in abundance. Shrubs too have availed themselves of dry weather to show off their attributes with Cryptostegia madagascariensis (Rubber vine); Callistemon viminalis (Bottlebrush), Duranta repans (Pigeon berry); Nerium oleander (Oleander - in various colours); Jatropha hastate (Peregrine) & J. multifida (Coral plant) all making the garden a palette of colour.

Hot dry periods produce abundant flowering, but with the rain cometh vegetative growth, with many plants developing a second flush of flower late in the summer, or when once again a dry spell is prominent. With vegetative growth comes dense growth especially during wet periods, which gives rise to problems in the latter stages of summer when we start to experience storms and hurricanes. So be aware, excessive growth will need thinning before the start of the hurricane season; this will to a degree save in many cases the tree from being devastated by high winds.

Returning to the problem of water conservation or reducing the amount required to keep plants 'ticking over', ground cover plantings will assist to a degree in covering the soil surface but in prolonged droughts even ground covers have a reduced influence of keeping the soil cool, as they too require moisture to survive. Planting in large planting holes assists greatly in developing a good root system which will chase water in times of drought. It is therefore essential and cost effective to ensure plants are planted in large holes with good depth, to encourage root growth to develop a strong system which can sustain the upper parts through times of stress.

Weed control also assists greatly in reducing the competition for water as weeds tend to grow quickly and therefore use - proportionately - more water than other plants in their vicinity. Mulches are often used as a soil blanket to suppress weed growth and retain moisture; once mulch starts to break down it becomes organic matter, which is a growing medium, and hence is a good foundation for weed growth to establish, thus negating the purpose of the mulch. Using the larger bark chips such as the redwood chips is better as it takes longer to break down, it needs to be applied several inches deep to suppress weed growth.

Cacti and succulents are I believe not used enough in today's landscape, they are by their very nature sturdy and drought tolerant, and offer the landscape a wide range of attributes from leaf shape, colour flower and fruit. They also act as a security element if planted close to doors and windows, and many species propagate themselves with off-shoots. Leaf shape and colour varies from species to species, with interest also being found in those species that have 'pads' instead of stems and leaves; thorns also being present on many cacti to add interest to the outline and symmetry of the plant. Flowers are usually of a bright colour from the pure white spikes of Yucca aloifolia (Spanish bayonet) to the yellow blossoms of Opuntia Dillenii (Prickly pear); Pedilanthus tithymaloides variegata (Slipper plant) has small red flowers on marbled coloured leaves and stems; for the night blooming species one can use the vanilla scented lemon and cream flowers of the Hylocereus undatus (Night Blooming Cereus). An unusual and seldom seen succulent is Euphorbia lactea (Candelabra cacti), which has triangular stems with green-grey lesions running through the face of the stem, very attractive and makes a bold statement as it matures, also has small spines on the 'branches', needs room to grow.

Watering is a task which is often carried out between returning home and having supper or after taking the dog for a walk before going to work. Certainly not scientific and mostly just an exercise in thinking 'every little drop helps', but too little water too often can create plantings with surface growing root systems, which are prone to be blown out of the ground during strong winds. Heavy watering just twice a week ? under normal circumstances ? will create root systems to go deep after water ? contingent on planting holes being deep ? with the result the root system becomes an anchor for the rest of the tree, holding it in place during stormy weather.

As with many tasks preparation is the key to success, it is worth spending a few extra minutes to prepare the planting hole and root ball with the resulting growth giving a lifetime of pleasure.