Heat Respite! Quick! Hurry! Go Garden Again!

Above, 'Old Port', more heat resistant than you would expect from a rose bred in Northern Ireland.  

Our heat wave was brief.  June Gloom!  A little more time to garden.  Wheee!

'Home Run' in early March:
'Home Run' leafed out--barely--in early March, and it sat, slowly dropping leaves and dying back and turning black until a month ago, when I dug it out, intending to toss it.  For some reason unknown, I cut off the dead bits (most of it) and potted it.  
What is in that pot!?!?
Still futzing around with the bottom of the front slope.  Mulch makes all the difference.  I moved Aloe sinkatana from where it was being engulfed by Maireana sedifolia to join the 'Roikoppe's as a yellow accent.  Some internet surfing reveals what is now in local commerce as A. sinkatana is more probably a newly discovered species called Aloe zubb.  What a name, eh?  The source of the name "zubb" is somewhat--hmm--read about it here.  Maybe more 'Roikoppe's for the red "x"s, or I could split up the "zubb"s?
Geranium 'Tiny Monster' became quite beautiful in our long stretch of May Grey.  It won't look this good come August.

More combination experimentation--this day lily's flowers, name forgotten, has the identical colors of the Gazania (that flower is faded).  I think they belong together.  A move for next winter. 
The little 'Queen Victoria' Lobelia has grown rapidly and flower buds can be seen developing in the top of the plant.  I water it daily with the water I use to rinse out the coffee pot.  It's happy, I'm looking forward to the intensely saturated crimson flowers. 
Small and just planted, the Phylica is already performing its anticipated task of glowing like fire in late afternoon light.  The cage is for protection while it settles in. 
Smears of green Sideritis flowers mixed with the black foliaged Lagerstroemia, with Gazania and the Phylica in the background made an interesting abstract--for my eyes, anyway. 
Ah.  What I thought were the Ballota flowers had not opened yet--the open flowers are pink!  Still, a cool plant.
I like this combo too, the Kalanchoe orgyalis with the Ballota.  The Ballota is currently overwhelming the Kalanchoe, but that will change.
The Erigonum grand rubescens, tiny plant though it is, burst forth with flowers in the past few days.  So glad I didn't miss them, hiding in the house from the heat.  Still these flowers are long-lived, nearly all summer.  This California native is considered amount the choicest for floral beauty.  I brought the little plant regular collected rain water from our measly winter, and this is how it thanks me.  What a fabulous thank you!  I killed the first plant with insufficient water.  CA native need some water, especially when small and new. 
Little plant, how can I help you grow bigger? 
Delicious food for native bees and butterflies...and for the eyes.

We discovered on our recent Huntington excursion that their Aloe brevifolias were in full bloom, so late spring is their normal bloom here in California.  A nice extension of the Aloe show.  Now we just need some summer bloomers to make the show year-round.
The Hairy Canary Clover (Dorycnium hirstutum) seedlings from Late To The Garden Party, bulked up considerably in that long stretch of May Grey.  We--gardener and plants--were all happy here in the weather that non-gardeners consider dreary. 

Comments

  1. Everything looks great, and I also like the abstract combo! We long for sunny days after several grey ones, then want the clouds back after a couple of hot days out in the sun. At least I do. Seems your hot weather will be hitting us in a few days. :(

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Apart from May Grey/June Gloom, an overcast day is so rare here, we enjoy every one we can get. Hope it doesn't get too hot in your area--it's only June. It shouldn't get hot until July--isn't that the rule?

      Delete
  2. I can just imagine the pang of excitement with the respite from the heat!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Aloe zubb! Who would have thought. What I have fits the description perfectly. Smaller, spotted, and producing red flowers. Although I would much rather have a real A. sinkatana with yellow flowers.

    Your erigonum looks great. Mine is languishing in the heat and hasn't produced any flowers yet. But I'm not giving up.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Zubbs flowers are mostly yellow apparently, so at least you have one of the less common.

      I would like to have a few more Erigonum grande rubescens--the flowers are beautiful, and the plant certainly doesn't take a lot of room or water.

      Delete
  4. Your daylily and the Gazania are a great match! Could the daylily be 'Pandora's Box'? Your photos of the red buckwheat have just put it on my wish list.

    I'm glad the Hairy Canary Clover seedlings are doing well - they don't particularly like being dug up and moved I've found (although that hasn't stopped me from doing so). I didn't notice any self-seeding with my original plant in the first couple of years but now its prolific so keep watch. (Ditto with Solanum xanti, by the way).

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh yes, that's it--'Pandoras Box'. Thanks! The Dorycniums are doing GREAT, thanks again! My Solanum xanti looks pretty bad. The buckwheat loves slopes, so do try it.

      Delete
  5. I love the eriogonums. Such an amazing habitat plant. My grand rubescens was swamped with all kinds of pollinators from bees, to butterflies, to parasitic wasps. It also re-seeded like crazy, so you should have lots of volunteers next year.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I will be thrilled if I get some seedlings! (As will the local pollinators.)

      Delete
  6. The Erigonum grand rubescens looks fantastic. What is the plant to the left?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. A fabulous plant, Teucrium chamaedrys. Low ground cover, stays a gorgeous glossy dark rich green even in extreme drought. Rose-pink flowers at this time of year that the bees adore, long long lived (15 years and still going strong). Love that one too! :)

      Delete
  7. Hooray for a respite from your heat and a chance to play outside! Fun and beautiful plants. Thanks for the Arabic lesson.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Umm, you're welcome. I think. Yeah, now I too know a word in Arabic that I really didn't need to know.

      Delete

Post a Comment

Always interested in your thoughts.

Any comments containing a link to a commercial site with the intent to promote that site will be deleted. Thank you for your understanding on this matter.