Almost, Not Yet

Do they pray, or prey? 
 
Almost but not quite time to go at it with fall garden clean up.  Plus,  the painting project in the kitchen/family room needs finishing.  Painting got delayed because we had some very hot days, too hot to paint.  Or delayed because I'm just so tired.  Also the news has been awful, enough to sap energy and enthusiasm. 

So, a few pictures to make the eyes happy.  

This scene, which has been in several blog photos over the past few years, has finally reached rightness:  Aloe thraskii large enough to be the focus,  the silver of Maireana sedifolia, Leucophyllum candidum 'Thunder Cloud', and Aloe pseudorubroviolacea making a base, the black Aeonium an accent, the 'Peaches and Cream' Grevillea a splash of acid, the Bouganvillea in flower, a small half circle of black arch sharpening the far right center of the scene.  Now I can stop taking pictures of this, having finally got what I was looking for.
 Next, an especially heavy flush of Russellia flowers.  Why so heavy now?  No idea.  The bare stems making green curvy lines adds interest to the chorus of orange trumpets. 
 A long long wait, but the delicious purple of the Salvia leucantha is suddenly the perfect companion to the outlier golden Agave desmetiana I like to call 'Blonde on Blonde'. 
 Very happy with this photo of Grevillea 'Ned Kelly' aka 'Masons Hybrid':
 And a couple more flowers from Protea 'Sylvia'. 
 I hope your weekend is lovely. 

Comments

  1. Much color for this transition season. You've made good choices. Weekend forecast to be perfectly lovely. Highs in 70-74, lows 59-55, cloudy.

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    1. We got a rain shower last night...yipeee!!!!!!! Maybe we'll be able to get out and garden today in this kind of weather. Enjoy the weekend, Jane!

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  2. The news has been awful. I'm glad you have pretty stuff in your garden to distract you. My Russellia has never had a heavy flush of flowers so I wish you knew the secret behind your floral explosion. My only thought when I look at my own garden right now is a prayer than this or that makes it through the latest construction-related onslaught. The roofers are working on the garage right now, overlooking my cutting garden...

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    1. I think the heavy Russellia bloom is just a matter of the plant now being very well established, plus that magic winter we had '18-19. All the Russellias have been doing great this year, more than ever before.

      Hope those roofers are almost done making a mess.

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  3. I just heard leucophyllum called the "barometer" plant because they're so sensitive to humidity and burst into bloom when it increases. You're so right, that planting has achieved perfection!

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    1. Maybe it IS the humidity. Mine and the neighbor's (the neighbor's plants are much prettier, grrr!) have all done exactly that, burst into bloom.

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  4. That first picture is perfection. I can see why you are so pleased with it. I love the colors of the salvia with the bright yellow/green plant. It looks so cheerful.
    Have a great weekend.

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  5. So nice when your vision finally turns into the fleeting moment of perfection. Lovely. Many beautiful flowers but the Agave desmetiana is a real show stopper especially paired with the dark blue.

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    1. Important to enjoy those moments--they are all fleeting, in the end.

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  6. Amazing photos of the mantis and the plant combinations! Most of your plants would not grow year round in my garden, which is why they look so exotic to me. I love the Grevillea 'Ned Kelly.' I enjoy seeing what grows on the other side of the country!

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    1. Me too. I love Hostas, and such herbaceous plants that can't survive in coastal SoCal. I enjoy so much seeing the plants that are exotic here but common elsewhere.

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