As Planting Season Ends And Watering Season Begins

Echinopsis 'Charlemagne'

Gardening here in Southern California shifts as summer looms.   From planting,  the focus moves to watering sufficiently to keep everything alive during summer's dry heat. 

A few last plants purchased and planted.  Removal of some winter/ spring annuals, an experimental shrub, some tired lavenders.  A three and a half hour weeding marathon.  

Lady Flycatcher continues to prepare her nest:

 Boris and Natasha are contributing nest liner.  I put out a pot of their combings, and Lady F. went for it.

Purchased:  two new roses.  I ordered them over a month ago--impulse buy.  They finally arrived. 
Good quality bare root rose, despite the late purchase

Mail order plant companies were swamped with business during the Covid-19 shut down, causing delays. It's very late for bare root roses here.  They are best planted in January to take advantage of our mild winter rainy season.  They will need protection from heat and sun all summer.  
And better protection than this temporary shade/rabbit barrier (Since corrected.  I used a freed-up sweet pea protector):

The other rose is protected by a 'Rozanne':

 The cultivar is 'Sunbelt Savannah', a Kordes (German) cultivar that is said to be very disease resistant and also very fragrant. 
We'll see how you do

A quick trip to a local chain garden center last week--only a couple of customers there on a weekday afternoon.  Everyone masked, including me.  Garvinea Gerbera 'Sweet Memories' and an Arctostaphylos 'Emerald Carpet' for an empty spot on the east slope.  Both planted immediately upon arrival at home.  That felt good.  No angst about where to put them. 

The Arctostaphylos:

  Here's the first 'Emerald Carpet' I planted a few years ago on the west slope near the 'Fuerte' avocado tree (hence the avocado leaves).  Slow grower, but neat, tidy, dense.  So I got another.

Spring/Summer transition clean up.  The last of the sweet peas came out this week.  

 The 'Duet' Dahlias in this same bed were waking up, so the timing was right. 

 'Duet' reappears after her winter sleep under the sweet peas:

Horror, upon removal of the giant seedling Leucospermum.  The flowers were great, growing a Leucospermum from seed was very cool, but the plant was taking over.   

The horror was discovering root knot nematodes were destroying the Leucospermum's root system.  

Nightmare!

Mystery nightmare, because the plant was vigorously putting out masses of new growth anyway, despite the root system pest.  The soil in this bed must now be solarized all summer and left fallow.  Not good.  Not good. 
This is better to think about:

 Dahlia 'Tahiti Sunrise' was "meh" last year, is "wow" this spring:

Removed a browned volunteer lavender and the Maireana from this street side area, replacing the Maireana with one of the Agave ovatifolias from Pam in Austin.  The Salvia lemonii planted a few months ago is kind of not what I want in a Salvia.  Before that, a Tecoma hybrid was a dud there.  It's a hot-hot-hot-dry-dry-dry area.  I have a couple more Leonotus seedlings available--the Salvia's spot would be a good place for one of them.

We had a cool overcast drizzly day yesterday, making it a perfect time to weed the west slope.  For three and a half hours, Hopefully every single weed.  They were not large weeds, but plentiful.  I was unable to get up there until now, as the arm feels better.

Now the slope is ready for mulching, if a few days of cool weather can be found.  The neighbor's hedge needs trimming back, too.  I hoped to get that done today, but am wiped out from the weeding. Tomorrow, perhaps.  

Volunteer seedlings of Lobelia and Trachelium moved weeks ago to empty spots are growing nicely. 

Hoped-for improvement in the 'Perle d'Azur' Clematis that was covered up by rose 'Laguna' did occur.  The arduous pruning of 'Laguna' back in December was worth the effort.  The Clematis are just visible on the extreme right hand side:

 'Perle' was joined by C. viticella; they make a good pair.  'Perle' bloomed first, then the viticella began, now the viticella will extend the show as 'Perle' finishes. 

 'Perle d'Azur' on the left, Clematis viticella on the right: 

This Covid-19 Spring, I've focused on the plants that are already here.  Time spent sitting and looking at various parts of the garden, looking, looking, thinking about how to make it prettier, or prettier over a longer stretch, or more bird/butterfly-supporting or easier to manage. 

Also worked at:  acknowledgement this or that plant is not looking its best due to a lack of attention, and taking action to move, remove, or better care for. 

It's been a different gardening experience.

But just as fun.  Predicted to be close to 90F (32 C) by Tuesday, so the watering will then commence.