My kalanchoes exploded in blooms weeks ago and the pelargoniums are blooming prolifically, The alyssum are taking off and the miniature roses are setting lots of leaves--only to be attacked by black aphids (already!), which also snacked on the lower leaves of the kalanchoe. The ice plants are starting to bloom and the begonia are doing very well with these moderate temperature. The surprise though, is a lily of the valley that was bought last year on the first of May (a tradition here). Instead of tossing it after the blooms faded, I hung onto it, in spite of knowing that they need to be planted outside in the shade. Amazingly, a couple of shoots came up a couple of weeks ago and yesterday the first little bell-shaped flower emerged! Since my balcony gets full sun, I regard this event with astonishment. An indeterminate aloe plant is surrounded by pups and has put out a flower stalk. I have a loquat that I planted from seed that is growing very well, leading me to already ponder the problem of what do with it after it turns into a tree, as I don't really have enough space!

Most of the seeds I planted haven't germinated. Don't know if this is simply a delay, or whether I should try again. Both planting in peat pots and directly into a large container produced equal failures. My dianthus looked awful after blooming during the winter. The lower stems were weak and floppy and the flowers didn't look very good either, so I cut everything back to see whether a fresh start would produce better results.

My biggest problem here is full sun and occasional fierce winds. At the height of summer I become a slave to my plants, having to water twice a day, so I'm enjoying this wonderful weather while I can!

Lana

What kind of planter do you use? I would think that terra cotta and stone would dry out way too fast for that kind of sun and wind. Plastic would hold the water the best. You could maybe try lining your pots with plastic or syrafoam to keep them from drying out so fast. I did that with some of mine a few years ago and it made a difference.

Lily-of-the-valley is pretty hard to get rid of. It can be a real nuisance in the shade here! But I love it! I think I'll be growing it on my balcony too. I have a little pink lily of the valley a friend gave me recently.

I'd love to see pictures of the south of France!

I have clay pellets at the bottom of my pots which are supposed to help retain the water better. One of these days when I get some money together, I 'm going to buy an awning to lesson the force of the sun.

The miniature roses started to set buds a few days ago, but the aphids are already smacking their lips in anticipation!

Here in France it's the custom to give little pots of lily of the valley to friends on the 1st of May--it's supposed to bring good luck!

Lana

Sounds like you have a hard time with that wind!

That is a very sweet custom, the giving of lily of the valley. What is the first of May holiday in celebration of?

I visited my sister's house today and some of her lily of the valley are blooming already, plus she mail ordered some new pink ones that are also blooming. I had dug some from her yard a few years and planted them in pots on my balcony. Their foliage is all up and I'm waiting for the flower stalks. They'll probably be blooming in a couple weeks.