May Gray Gardening

Grevillea 'Superb'

Lately, we've had many days of grey overcast.  Gloomy and depressing for sunshine lovers.  For me, heavenly gardening weather.  The plants are happy.

Cannas waking up:

This gardener is thrilled to be able to be out all day in weather that never becomes too uncomfortably hot--the daytime temperatures hover around 68F (20 C).  

No stress here: 

 So much gets done, including little things I never have the patience to fuss over when the heat is beating down.   There is also time to enjoy every minute when each task is surrounded by fresh foliage and many flowers, none of which is stressed by intense sun.

Time to notice--Agapanthus buds!

'Black Pantha' Agapanthus, purchased and planted last autumn:

The first Dahlia buds:

The first Geum 'Totally Tangerine' flower.  I realized rabbits were nipping off all the buds, so adding rabbit guards all over the garden has been one important task for these gray days.

Seedlings and rooted cuttings potted up, to give away.  Hellebores, Trachelium caeruleum, Lavenders, Fuchsias.  So much more energy when it is cool. 

(Not the arrow indicated row--those are new, to be planted. 
Linaria triornithophora, and two California native plants, Lupinus albifrons, and Lessingia filanginifolia.)

 The second 'Superb' removed and a new copy planted and mulched.  It was tough removing a plant that supported so many birds and bees, was so spectacular and that I failed, by failing to regularly cut it back.  My bad.  I hope the new copies will do well.  

While I dug out the stump, a steady stream of confused and disappointed bees and hummingbirds came looking for those nectar-dripping 'Superb' flowers.  Beloved pointed out, rightly, there is no shortage of other blooming Grevilleas, Salvias, and Agaves in other parts of the garden, ready and willing to feed birds and bees.  They will be well fed until (and after) the new 'Superb's (hopefully) start flowering.   

Later in the day, a few of the hummers discovered the bouquet of cuttings on the patio table and happily partook. 

So sorry!

Good luck, dears. 

Plants removed from the prison of a small pot and given a chance to thrive in the ground.  I'm working to get almost all the potted succulents on the patio into the ground where they will be so much happier and healthier, except the tiniest, which really must be potted.  It's been slow going, but it is happening.  They deserve a chance to thrive. 

Plants planted, or moved, because the cool overcast means they can recover from transplant shock without the stress of hot sun.

Calylophus planted, Lavenders and Lotus hirsutus seedling settling in and growing:

 Failing plants removed.  The Lomandra 'Platinum Beauty' I worked so hard to divide and move has died.   

Oh, well, now I know how to kill Lomandra 'Platinum Beauty'! 

Seeds, sprouting.  A particularly delicious Bell Pepper from the grocery store yielded some seeds that I planted for the heck of it--and there they sprout.  We'll see if actual pepper plants result.  

Can't deny the seeds were fresh

Pauses taken on cool days, for flower photos.

'Earth Angel', with the second, non-dead Lomandra 'Platinum Beauty'

'Perle d'Azur': 

'Ascot' has never bloomed so much.  Planted at the beginning of the 2011-2016 drought, it never got any fertilizer, because it is better not to fertilize during a drought. I never got around to give it any fertilizer until this spring.  Oops!

Now I know how to prevent a rose from blooming for years--cool!

  Bird activity, to enjoy.  

Little things noticed, moments in time.

The half-moon in a blue sky.  The gray went away in late afternoon.

Skipper (Hylephila phileus?) in Lantana hybrid:

Ideas long simmering below consciousness emerge.  An all lavender-blue and white "room" in the garden would be fabulous:

These colors together are like opening a window in a stuffy room, and breathing in fresh air.

What's good in your garden this May?  What comes into your mind, with the leaves and flowers and sky, out there?