Not complaining! Seeing the terrible flooding in the Houston, Texas area because of Hurricane Harvey, a mere heat wave is nothing. Not complaining, just explaining.
Despite the heat, I planted an Erepsia pillansii. Quickly. This is a tough little succulent shrublet in the Aizoaceae family, better adapted to extreme heat than I.
Erepsia pillansii
(Image in the public domain)
New and not-new Bromeliads went into the shady corner by the back gate. Considering how randomly this little area developed, it looks decent. The other plants are Philodendron 'Golden Xanadu', a couple of rooted begonia cuttings, and a tiny clump of dwarf Mondo. (Ophiopogan japonicus 'Nana'?). Sticking a pot in the shade is the extent of gardening when it is 100F.
You are brave 1) to go outside and 2) to plant something in the ground. The shady little spot looks more than decent. I love it. Much texture, many colors it really works.
ReplyDeleteWell it is at least 10 degrees cooler than where you are, so not that brave.
DeleteThe plants seem happy in that corner. The LA originally planted an Azalea of all things, which wasn't happy--too dark there. But that was a long time ago.
Stay cool, Jane!
Yes, the flooding in Houston and the surrounding area certainly puts the current heatwave, hasty as it is, in perspective. That Erepsia is entirely new to me - I can't wait to see it in bloom (although I suppose I'll have to).
ReplyDeleteThere is one flower bud left on it, the nurseryman said it was in bloom from spring until now. Hopefully I see it open, despite the heat wave.
DeleteSome pieces will be rooted, a couple with your name on them.
I totally understand, heat puts me in a bad gardening mood! Summers here are brutal too with months of triple digit temperatures and this isn't a dry heat. Hope when I write next your garden will have had some refreshing rain!
ReplyDeleteThat will be November, if we're lucky. I know as summers go ours is not bad and humid summers like yours and and like Houston's are much worse. I keep reminding myself. Eventually it will help!
DeleteWhat a beautiful, luscious corner...the 'golden xanadu' really makes it sing!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Holly! The 'Golden Xanadu' would look a little better (more golden) in just a touch more sun, but so far I haven't come up with a better spot for it.
DeleteI love your bromeliad corner! Maybe I'll do something like that, too, with the clear understanding that the bromeliads would have to overwinter inside.
ReplyDeleteI'm getting so tired of the heat. It's been a long hot summer. Our forecast is even more dreary: 110° tomorrow, 110° on Saturday, 106° on Sunday. There go my weekend gardening plans!
A lot of Bromeliads do just fine as house plants, so that sounds like a great idea.
DeleteYour weather sounds even worse than ours! Maybe you have a good excuse to take the family for a weekend jaunt out to Mendocino or some other cool coastal place?
Your shady corner is delightful! I love the Bromeliads.
ReplyDeleteThank you Rebecca! I am new to Bromeliads, and working on figuring them out. A fascinating group of plants they are.
DeleteAbsolutely loving your patch of bromeliad; a cooling visual to meditate on until the heat wave passes. Yours is going to be one clean house!
ReplyDeleteA garden friend from Ohio is headed here to visit on her way to a week in the Outer Banks (NC). So of course the long steady rain I've been longing for has arrived... It'll be a thrill to show her the garden here even with umbrellas, though. That's the beauty of real gardeners: they "see" the picture intended when looking at puny, newly planted divisions or bent-over sopping grasses (that would have been backlit and sparkling on any other day...)
The heat today is staggering--literally. After fetching the mail I had to drag myself indoors. It's over 100F. We always get a handful of days of that per year, but it's an unpleasant surprise every time.
DeleteLong, steady rain sounds wonderful. Kick a puddle for me, please, and enjoy your friend's visit.
It's over 100F in my old San Francisco neighborhood today; I bet the heat is even less well received there, with AC scarce. Even the cool and foggy babes are into the 80s. Yikes; what will they be like in October, the normal "hot" month?
DeleteWell, hopefully cooler. I can hope, anyway. Yep, the house is getting ridiculously clean. Vacuuming behind and under the furniture, scrubbing the floors, and the carpet cleaner has been busy. Trying paint samples on the walls--September will be painting month.
DeleteSummer can be pretty warm here in VA but 102 F is wretched, no matter where you are. I'd be in the shade, too!
ReplyDeleteIt's bad in the shade, too. I'm indoors with the A/C on. Hope your weather is better than here.
DeleteBTW it was fun to see your garden through the lenses of the Fling goers--beautiful!
That's yet another extended heat wave! We'll send you our cooler weather...I promise.
ReplyDeleteOh, pretty please! It's another miserable day today!
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