Hot, but it could be a lot worse. So far, we've escaped the worst. Time to spot-water to keep plants alive, and little else. The gardener is no more or less happy than the garden. We're both getting by.
Random scenes taken between spot-watering.
At this moment in the morning, sun strikes the dahlia first, leaving everything else in shadow:
There shouldn't be planters in the corners of the patio, really. It's too shady. It was the landscape architect's idea. Several previous rounds of plants failed.
This round: Maranta Leuconeura, Pteris(?) fern, and Sanseveria are doing fairly well. The Maranta vanishes every fall, and re-appears every spring. It is over 20 years old. I've had it for ten years at least, long in a pot--my Mom for ten, at least, before that. Before that, several years with one of her neighbors.
The other too-shady patio planter gets one hour of blistering sun for a few weeks in high summer, deep shade otherwise. Again, several rounds of failed plants. The latest group of bromeliads surrounding a Philodendron 'Golden Xanadu' have done pretty well. The Philo would be more golden in a better location, but for now it fills the space nicely.
July so far here has been not bad--tolerable. Waiting out summer, looking forward to a hopefully tolerable Autumn.
Sometimes you have to wonder if landscape architects have actually done any gardening for themselves. Your daylilies, not to speak of your dahlias, look fabulous. I've been getting a daylily here and there but not in any significant number since 'Spanish Harlem' and 'Sammy Russell' finished up; however, I just noticed a new bloom stalk on 'Spanish Harlem'! It's a reblooming variety but it usually waits until fall...It's been warmer here this week and, while we've never hit 90F, the greater humidity has made gardening far less pleasant so I'm on a early morning and late afternoon schedule.
ReplyDeleteLooking back, the LA we were talked into using did not know anything about plants. She appeared to use the exact same plants on every job.
DeleteThe humidity is draining, isn't it? It sucks the energy right out of a person. July is my least favorite month. On the bright side, looks like AZ is getting some decent monsoonal moisture--which is good news for them.
I love what you said: "Waiting out summer, looking forward to a hopefully tolerable Autumn." That's exactly what I'm doing.
ReplyDeleteMost of the plants are doing likewise!
DeleteThat's what I'm doing, too. Holding my breath that we don't have another scorcher like the 117 degree one a couple of weeks ago. It was just dreadful... This week has been merciful, and I've enjoyed almost every moment of it.
DeleteWe were all thinking of you all in the PNW. We've had some bad heat waves here, but that must have been a nightmare. People dying from the heat. Happy for you at last you are getting a break.
DeleteHere July has been tolerable so far. It is supposed to end with heat. We always have high humidity during summer which my it very uncomfortable to be out.
ReplyDeleteI think it is grand that you have an heirloom plant. May it continue to flourish.
High humidity is the worst. That is one thing about SoCal--we rarely have both high humidity and heat. Usually it is one or the other, not both.
DeleteA poignant plant--the neighbor who gave it to my Mom was dying of breast cancer and wanted to get rid of a lot of things so as not to burden her husband and parents having to clean out stuff when she was gone--so sad, she was not even 35 and had two small children. Mom kept it in her memory, and I keep it in memory of both of them.
After our one dreadful 110 degree heatwave our weather has been so very pleasant. Marine layer in July -what could be better ? I wonder what August will bring.
ReplyDeleteI'm wishing for a Fogust! :)
DeleteHB ! Your plants and photos are GORGEOUS ! Are you using a DSLR camera ?
ReplyDeleteYou have such diversity in your gardens even with extreme temps that you have to bear out, everything is looking wonderful.
My daylily circle that surrounds the clematis tower were supposed to be all the same type .. the pots had all the same name .. but of course fate steps in and jumbles it up with some rouge types that highjacked my plan .. oh well just another oops in the garden.
YES .. even here in the great white north, I am waiting out summer and so looking forward to Autumn !
Yes, got a new camera a few months ago--along with a better lens. It makes a difference.
DeleteClematis surrounded by daylily sounds great. I may have to try that myself. Here where there are so many mass plantings of Agapanthus, occasionally there will be a mass of blue accented by a single white Agapanthus. Perhaps an outlier added an interesting touch?
Last night Kimberly hit a record low -10C. Snowy mountains and frost. Grateful that we, thanks to the Atlantic Ocean went down to plus 6C.
ReplyDeleteplus 6C is about what our "cold" winter nights are--people in most of the rest of the USA think that is funny. Hope your garden sustained no frost damage.
DeleteI just love your garden so much. While our temperatures have "cooled down" to a balmy 80F, the garden is still struggling after a June with temps in the upper 90-100s. The most tell place you can see it is my roses-- they are prolific but the blooms are so much smaller this year than last. They have also been invaded by the sawfly caterpillar, so its been a high maintenance summer with those girls.
ReplyDeleteAngie thank you for your kind comment.
DeleteHeat reduces the size of the rose flowers here, too. Then we have the terrible Chili Thrips now to deal with--I'm going so far as to spray the soft stems and growing tips (the part that pest attacks) with Spinosad to try to control them. Luckily the bees and other pollinators go for Grevilleas and Lavenders, not the roses.
I used to get Sawfly leaf damage quite a bit--thankfully it's tapered off over the years--no idea why. Best wishes for beautiful roses!
We have had a flood (literally) of rain here in Phoenix this July. It is the first appreciable rain here in two years and now it is a deluge. But I'm not complaining. So much better for the plants than irrigation water! They love it!
ReplyDeleteHi Nancy! I was thinking of you when we saw the news that AZ was having a significant monsoonal season--aside from the big negative of flooding, the rain is so good! Hope you get as much as possible with as little flooding as possible.
DeleteGlad to hear July weather there was tolerable, a nice bonus! Curious to see what's doing well in your shady areas. I know several rounds of experiments happened but for now they are looking very good!
ReplyDeleteKnowledge has grown, along with the plants!
DeleteWow, that Maranta is long-lived! Your roses are stunning. Everything looks like it's doing much more than merely surviving; they mostly appear to be thriving. Beautiful. I've always been a huge fan of the Echeverias; we can't grow them here, of course, but I've enjoyed them during travels. Beautiful plants and blooms!
ReplyDeleteYes, quite amazed about the Maranta. It gets no care beyond pulling off the old foliage when it goes dormant.
DeleteThanks, glad you liked the pictures.