Late February. The month has been mostly dry up to now. Rain total for today stands at 0.37", with more forecast over the next several days. A week ago as the garden was really getting dry, I turned the irrigation system turned back on...leak discovered.
Digging caused this:
New less expensive valve arrived. Too big. Won't fit. Went and bought expensive valve that is an exact replacement for the old valve. However getting it back into the space proved difficult. A neighbor's mow-blow guy walked over and had a look at it. He tried a few things. He tried the first, larger valve. Nope. He pondered the hunk of granite and got a power drill, hammer, and chisel. He drilled a line of holes in the granite and then split off pieces by hammering the line with the chisel. Okay, learned something there. Some back and forth with me about the new valve vs. the old valve ensued...
....but the rest of the valve saga is for another day. The situation is on hold until after it stops raining.
Other than that, rose pruning progress--and some clean up of potted succulents.
Tidied up succulent pot. "Before" was too embarrassing to post.
"After": doesn't look too bad:
I think 'Indian Summer' will work better:
The oldest 'Belindas Dream' rose, a wonderful bloomer for nearly two decades, went into a steep decline the past few years. Close examination revealed the dreaded crown gall disease, so out it came. I thought hard about replacing it with another 'Belinda's Dream', though it is wisest to leave the area rose-free for a few years, until the crown gall pathogen can die off somewhat.
Sometimes you need to go to a nursery and stare at plants to think clearly. I narrowed it down to a choice between 'Julia Child', 'Bolero' and 'Our Lady of Guadalupe'.
Wisdom won out over rose-love. We brought home a Leucadendron 'Blush'. It may do quite well in the spot. Fellow South African native plants in the immediate area (Felicia, Agapanthus, Gerbera...
One stem (circled) escaped:
Tomorrow is another day!
Ugh, irrigation woes! And rabbits too :( At least we're getting some rain. We had hail this morning but fortunately it didn't last long.
ReplyDeleteHail is not good for succulents. We haven't gotten any here--yet.
DeleteRain makes up for the rabbit attack. A little. Counting on the owls.
that oak is looking magnificent! and yes to 'Blush' getting another chance.
ReplyDeleteOak now taller than house! Who says they are slow.
DeleteWashed by today's rain, the new 'Blush' looks pretty good.
Solid granite, wow. And don't get me started about the rabbits. Grrrr... I'm glad you're getting a nice share of rain, though. :)
ReplyDeleteThe granite means the house isn't going anywhere (I think). I was hoping the coyotes had cleared out the rabbits, but apparently not.
DeleteRain is magic!
The photo of Magnolia stellata is so great, worth faming and hanging in the house.
ReplyDeleteKudos for figuring it out the irrigation valve. I doubt I'd ever consider it.
When I saw the damage to the Arctotis flowers, I had to laugh, although its not a laughing matter. I see that same type of frustrating damage in my own garden. In addition to cursing and wishing for more coyote babies, I took a class in cloche making. It is not only fun, its purposeful.
Chavli
The Magnolia flowers are really, really pretty. It's a late winter highlight in the garden.
DeleteThe irrigation stuff is mainly practice and patience.
I made a wire screen to put over the front gate to keep the rabbits out. The test will come taking all the wire screen cylinders off all the vulnerable plants to see it if really does keep the rabbits out. Holding off on that a while longer... The Arctotis is outside the walls, so it is vulnerable.
Cloches, cool! Good for you! Sounds like more fun than irrigation valves.
Ha! I wholeheartedly agree that sometimes all you need is to visit nurseries, stare at plants, and dream. So sorry about your irrigation issues - it sounds so frustrating. Glad the rains will tide you over until you can figure it out. Hooray for owls - our bunny problem diminished significantly once an owl was spotted in our midst a couple of years ago. They snipped off every Epimedium flower I had that one year. I was so mad...
ReplyDeleteIt really helped going through the roses there at the nursery thinking it through. Beloved was so patient about it. Darn rabbits. They pick the prettiest flowers! What is especially annoying is when they bite off a flower and don't even eat it. Epimediums--even more annoying to lose those beauties.
DeleteMy sister learned the hard way that moose love tulip flowers. She planted a bunch and just as they opened and were gorgeous, a moose ate every single flower. Just the flower, left the rest. No more tulips for sister.
It has been raining softly and steadily here all day. Rain! It has made for a wonderful day of reading, cooking, and puttering. I'm curious, how are the rabbits getting in to your garden? It seems like you have several walled garden "rooms," but maybe I am mis-visualizing. I take it there is no way to stop up entry points? Rabbits are not a problem I've experienced, thank goodness; gophers, on the other hand .... I truly detest gophers! I remember when you planted that oak -- an experiment, I seem to recall. The experiment has paid off. It's looking magnificent. Your view of the mountains is lovely.
ReplyDeleteI am on the other side of them, and seeing them every day makes me happy. And now they're green! They're just so pretty, softly folded and pleated. Here's hoping for more gently raining days before the end of winter. Elizabeth
A lot of the most vulnerable plants are behind the walls, but there are two gates and they slip through the spaces in the gates to get behind the walls. I put a temporary screen over one gate and a better more long term one over the other. Now, I need to see if they work.
DeleteI see signs of gophers in the neighborhood but none in the garden--yet. I have a trap ready to use if needed. Yes they are even more destructive than rabbits.
The oak has exceeded expectations. We are really enjoying it and birds adore it--there's always at least a few in there.
Yes, how about those green hills! It's been a long time.
Thank you for your kind comment and best wishes for more gentle rain.
Your post captures the trials and tribulations, the joys, the anticipations of being a gardener. Rabbits are so frustrating--good luck to your neighborhood owl! Enjoy the rain!
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteI put up rabbit-blocking screen over one of the gates--need to do the other now--we'll see if that prevents at least some of the rabbit damage.
They are welcome to the neighbor's nice green lawns.
Rabbits - what a pain. It's the taunting that gets my goat for sure. It's sort of sad, but I might not notice for a long time if they would just mow something less noticeable to the ground and it disappeared. But, to wait until the moment that something is about to bloom - that's cruel.
ReplyDeleteI really hate it when they bite off a flower and then just leave it there. Grrr!
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