Pink sky at morning, gardener take warning...
Last weekend I was stuck inside because it was raining, and happy/content, because it was raining. This weekend, again I am stuck inside, neither happy nor content, because it is nearly 90F (32 C) outside, with relative humidity of about 5%. What a horrible winter it has been. Stuck inside, projects waiting.
Will the weather ever improve?
What to do? Might as well blog until it cools off.
A couple of weeks ago, I took a cutting of last year's sweet potato vine to propagate a new one for this year, carefully putting it into sterile soil, just damp enough, enclosing it in a plastic bag, etc, etc. Of course, it died. When I went to throw it into the compost, there in the compost was all the leftover vine, happily rooted in several places with 8" of strong, healthy roots, and with 6" or more of new growth, the foliage slightly pale from having grown in complete darkness. I swear the plant was laughing at me.
There and back again.
Also in the new plant department, I thought Agave seedlings were tiny, but Aloe seedlings--whoa!
How do I possibly keep these things alive? 
And also in New Plants, this Alstroemeria 'Rock And Roll'--why? I finally figured it out--the foliage reminds me of Hostas, which do not grow here except as annuals. Love Hosta foliage! I hope the Alstroemeria doesn't bloom. The red and gold flowers would be too much. The foliage is enough.
Bored gardeners stuck in the house sometimes go looking through old photos. I found this one from 2006, right when I started thinking about replacing the Baccharis on the front slope with something more interesting. The violet Bougainvillea is the same, everything else is different.
The neighbors that planted that Lophostemnon confertus right on the property line have moved. I wish they'd taken their tree with them. Sorry, hot weather makes me grouchy. When (if?) the Grevillea 'Moonlight' and the Ceanothus directly above the Bougie get larger, that emptyish area at the top of the slope will look better. Ahhh...just occured to me that the big clumps of Aeonium-something just to the left of the Lophostemnon trunk's base belong at the base of the slope shown in yesterday's post instead of where they are. A little more moisture, a little less sun and they'll be happier. Must split up move them...when (if?) it cools off.
Spring appears to be arriving early this year, with a brutal summer and an ugly autumn likely to follow. But for now...
Will the weather ever improve?
What to do? Might as well blog until it cools off.
A couple of weeks ago, I took a cutting of last year's sweet potato vine to propagate a new one for this year, carefully putting it into sterile soil, just damp enough, enclosing it in a plastic bag, etc, etc. Of course, it died. When I went to throw it into the compost, there in the compost was all the leftover vine, happily rooted in several places with 8" of strong, healthy roots, and with 6" or more of new growth, the foliage slightly pale from having grown in complete darkness. I swear the plant was laughing at me.
There and back again.
Also in the new plant department, I thought Agave seedlings were tiny, but Aloe seedlings--whoa!
How do I possibly keep these things alive? 
And also in New Plants, this Alstroemeria 'Rock And Roll'--why? I finally figured it out--the foliage reminds me of Hostas, which do not grow here except as annuals. Love Hosta foliage! I hope the Alstroemeria doesn't bloom. The red and gold flowers would be too much. The foliage is enough. 
Bored gardeners stuck in the house sometimes go looking through old photos. I found this one from 2006, right when I started thinking about replacing the Baccharis on the front slope with something more interesting. The violet Bougainvillea is the same, everything else is different.
The neighbors that planted that Lophostemnon confertus right on the property line have moved. I wish they'd taken their tree with them. Sorry, hot weather makes me grouchy. When (if?) the Grevillea 'Moonlight' and the Ceanothus directly above the Bougie get larger, that emptyish area at the top of the slope will look better. Ahhh...just occured to me that the big clumps of Aeonium-something just to the left of the Lophostemnon trunk's base belong at the base of the slope shown in yesterday's post instead of where they are. A little more moisture, a little less sun and they'll be happier. Must split up move them...when (if?) it cools off.
Spring appears to be arriving early this year, with a brutal summer and an ugly autumn likely to follow. But for now...
Agreed. 87 degrees here 7 miles east of Los Angeles. 10% humidity, dessicating wind. All new plants put in before the rain are wilting. Who wants to water in the winter?
ReplyDeleteNot me! I was hoping for at least 2 weeks off irrigation from that rain, but everything looked so stressed yesterday I turned the system back on today. :(
DeleteOur version here in Norcal of unseasonable warmth has been the 70's. Socal is in my blood,but I'm glad I'm not there.
ReplyDeleteI ponder my ancestors, 400 years in the "New World" now, four centuries of effort through snow and freezes, all to plant a single descendent in a place with sunny, warm winters. Like a message in a bottle tossed upon a sandy shore. A warm, sunny shore.
DeleteI can't believe how hot it's been in the Southland. Upper 60s here in the Sacramento area. Hopefully we'll get some rain tonight.
ReplyDeleteThat alstroemeria is a beauty. Will look for it since hostas don't do well here either.
Wishing you all the rain you desire--or more! I'm uneasy about that Alstroemeria--we'll see what happens. Can't see something with that much variegation being a thug, tho.
DeleteYour front slope as it looks now is quite pretty, I like it. Glad you got some rain, but wish the following weather had been more conducive to gardening.
ReplyDeleteMe, too!
DeleteSo interesting your Aloe seeds have germinated, wish you succes with the growing. The Alstroemeria foliage is really like Hostas, wonderful, but in combination with Alstroemeria flowers I don't know, hope you show them when flowering.
ReplyDeleteI don't know either about those flowers. I will show them when they flower. It may be a challenge to take the photo!
DeleteI wish it would rain here, we have had some cooler evenings since it is now Autumn but back to the heat and humidity over the last couple of days...I hope the weather clears for you soon.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful images dear Hoover, next time I want to strike a plant I will throw the cuttings in the compost, I might have better luck there.
xoxoxo ♡
Maybe plants have a sense of humor!
DeleteI'll trade you 90ºF 5%RH for 90ºF 80%RH (but you'll have to wait a few months). I'm glad it gave you the time though to post more old photos -- love the comparisons!
ReplyDeleteDouble 90's---uhh..no...we have saunas for that here.
DeleteBeautiful sky shot! And that sweet potato vine story...chortle.
ReplyDeleteI have some rain I'd dearly like to unload on you from the Pacific Northwest, but I know it will remain at least as as uncooperative as your sweet potato vine cutting.
We can dream, can't we?
DeleteAt least early spring here goes from chilly to mild without rain! And this year, no winds or dust storms...hopefully, that isn't storing up energy to hit! Hope you get some rain and even 70's.
ReplyDeleteDust storms...never mind, no more complaints from me!
DeleteI'm usually green with envy over the wonderful plants you can grow, but I don't think I could tolerate the weather you describe. Guess I'll have to be satisfied with moss and ferns...oh, and a few other things that grow wonderfully here.
ReplyDeleteThere are wonderful plants for every climate, we just need to admit it to ourselves. Or deny it vigorously. ;^)
Delete