Latest lessons from a windy sloped garden 1 June 2008

• Always put pea stakes on the leeward side of pea plants.
• …And far enough on the leeward side that the plants won’t just be blown past the stakes.  Otherwise even hand-curling the tendrils around the stake won’t do any good on a windy day; the wind will blow the plants and the tendrils will be torn off and the plant will flop again.
• If planting annual clary sage (AKA painted sage – Salvia viridis) after it’s already gotten bushy, expect it to tip partway forward. Often. Try to learn to just live with it.
• If planting an upright Swan River daisy (Brachyscome iberidifolia) without a strong plant on the leeward side, expect it to blow sideways. A lot.
• Transplanting on a calm day isn’t as good for the sweating gardener, but it’s better for the plants.
• If the wind picks up after transplanting, it’s best to water the newbies again.  They’re likely to need it.
• Creeping zinnia (Sanvitalia procumbens) does much better under another taller plant to break the wind.