D O L O R E S
D E L A R G O
T O W E R S
(AKA Jon & Madam A)
Who could have predicted, after a miserable wet winter, that 2026 would have brought us not one, not two – but FIVE heatwaves? Temperatures across May, June, July and August brought what is officially our hottest summer on record to the UK.
Despite it all, the extensive gardens here at Dolores Delargo Towers came though it (relatively) unscathed…
January: The ever-reliable cyclamen provided a little spark amid the gloom [alongside the primulas, and not much else].
February: Bulb season began in earnest, with the Iris reticulata as stars of the show [also in bloom were Ipheon, daffs, crocus and Sarcococca].
March: The “Polyanthus” primulas were at their very best [complimenting the daffs, tulips, wallflowers, Chionodoxa and Doronicum].
April: The show-stopper was the very lovely Brunnera “Jack Frost” [although it had its contenders in Lily-of-the-Valley, jasmine and wallflowers] – and this month also saw the arrival of our second tiered plant display stand. More room for more plants!
May: Clematis “General Sikorski” is the most sumptuous of our collection [the others being “Nelly Moser” and “Rouge Cardinal”; it managed to outshine Roses “Gertrude Jeckyll” and “Velichenblau”, Rosa rugosa, aquilegias, Thalictrum aquilegiifolium, Tradescantia virginiana and even Scilla peruviana to be my choice of “star of the month”]!
June: the Hydrangea (at last!) turned a dazzling blue (with a little help from aluminium sulphate, of course) [its rivals this month were the stunning Lilium “Eastern Moon” and “Muscadet”, Hemerocallis “Crimson Pirate” and Brodiaea – and of course, mid-summer signals the start of the long flowering season of begonias, phlox, salvia, geraniums, pelargoniums, fuchsias and annuals like petunias and lobelias].
July: RHS Chelsea Plant of the Year 2023, Agapanthus “BlackJack” is a stunner [beating-off strong competition from tour fabulous Phlox paniculata collection, Lobelia speciosa, Agastache, Lilium speciosum, Nicotiana and all the “usual suspects” – geraniums, fuchsias, salvias and so on].
August: Begonia boliviensis “Santa Cruz” is the biggest, blowsiest and most floriferous of them all, brightening the garden for months, despite the extreme heat [and outshone even the salvias, fuchsias, pelargoniums and annuals like Bizzie-Lizzies and Scaevula this month].
September: The big surprise – our Nerine bowdenii, which we have nursed for five years of producing just leaves, decided to give us a most fantabulosa show [knocking its closest rivals the Japanese anemone, Ipomoea, salvias and fuchsias into a cocked hat].
October: Salvia ulignosa has flowered non-stop since July! [and it, and its sister Salvias “Amistad”, “Kisses and Wishes”, “Amante”, “Blue Marvel”, “Blackberry Ripple”, “Radio Red” and the rest, alongside our vast fuchsia collection, are holding the garden together now the rainy, dark season is upon us].
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