Garden At The Moment/Natasha

 A mistake is an opportunity to do something else  -- artist Ralph Steadman

 Before:

My opportunity was to reduce the height of the front two Metrosideros 'Springfire's.  Mistake was:  they've grown tall enough to deprive the veggie/cutting garden of much winter sun.

Hmm.  Not shortened enough:

Better?   No?   Another couple of feet, maybe? 

I planted the 'Spring Fire's there originally to screen out the house across the street.  It's a beautiful house, but a foliage screen seemed better--providing a feeling of being in a private garden far away from increasingly over-crowded California.   But it, was time to shorten 'Spring Fire's.  Both green bins are stuffed full, so another two feet off the top must wait. 

The 'Cara Cara' orange tree needed topping, so I worked on that, too.  

 It's the dark green next to the column:

A fruit tree is best short enough so the fruit can be harvested safely and without much difficulty.   A little more should come off, but the tree is loaded with green fruit that will be ripe in January.  It's shortened enough for now. 

Three recent purchases planted:  'Southern Border' Cuphea, the mini Lavender purchased back in spring, and 'Flower Power' Salvia.   The Cuphea and Lavender replace a Lantana at the edge of the walkway that just wasn't Lantana-ing enough. 

The Salvia with its cool pink, almost lavender flowers replaced the Pimelea  'Magenta Mist' which was fabulous this spring but--it felt like a Salvia would work better there.   Next summer, lavender Catharanthus instead of white down the center of the area.   White didn't seem to work.  I moved a Mangave 'Kaleidescope' that was next to the Pimelea.  It was obviously unhappy.

Insufficient warmth and sun: 

In a sunnier, warmer place after just a few days it looked dramatically better:

 Calendula and Foxglove seedlings growing:

Started some Snapdragon seeds, which have sprouted:

Volunteer sweet pea seeds are appearing at the perfect time.  There's a packet of seeds to plant in place as well.

It suddenly occurred to me I could just as well have planted the new fig tree to espalier inside the tomato fortress as outside.  Duh.  Not too late to move it...

Most of the succulents in the "hospital" bed adjacent to the new fig have recovered or grown and can be replanted elsewhere.  

A couple of shots of succulents with no need for intensive care. One of 'Moby's children Agave ovatifolia with a Kumara plicatilis, Crassula arborescens, and Aloe sabaea aka Aloidendron sabaeum on far left:

Curio (aka Senecio) ficoides 'Mount Everest' with Agave 'Blue Glow' and Russellia:

I have no idea what this (finally) flowering Dahlia is.  It bears no resemblance to the picture on the package it came in:

Old reliable 'Duet' was also late but looks spectacular:

Many beautiful roses at the moment.  The new 'Silas Marner', still in a pot:

'Apricot Cream':

 Poor 'Darcy Bussell', her new growth constantly eaten by rabbits for years, may finally be coming into her own.  Adding screens to every gate was so worth the trouble!

A neighbor gave me a beautiful piece of Olneya tesota log she had no use for and was going to discard.  The plan is to drape the big clump of Tillandsia on it, instead of mounting the Tilly on a board:

Natasha had her follow up vet visit.  Her liver panel numbers have improved, but need to come down further.  She'll continue on the medication for two more months and will get a re-check then to see if the numbers are back where they should be.  

She's still her beautiful self, even considering the occasional morning vomit.  She looks happy again, finally:   

Boris is doing well but needs a b-a-t-h, so no glamorous picture until he gets one this weekend.