Things Long Left Undone

 

I think the rose in the above photo can now be considered "established".  Purchased mail order early in 2021(?) or late 2020 as a rooted cutting from Annie's Annuals.  Four years, that's about right to really establish.

 Did it take four years to finally fixed this path edging?  It may have been that long. 

The black plastic edging had pushed itself up and I'd been tripping over it for at least a couple of years, if not four.  Last week we had a stretch of May-Gray, the perfect cool overcast weather to perform a tedious, messy task.  No more tripping.

Along the same path, Echeveria harmsii 'Ruby Slippers' is taking over--needs rehab.  That it looks so pretty is my excuse not to do it. 

 Also path-invading (on a different path) were the Callistemons planted to hide the house on the property behind ours.  Clipping it so I can use the path, I realized I made a classic error.  A shrub with beautiful flowers, to fit the space, must be clipped such that it doesn't flower.   

 Yeah, dumb.   On the other hand, that house in the back is now well hidden. 

The top of those Callistemons is not straight because while I was up there a mother bird (not a Mourning Dove) sitting in a nest deep inside the Callistemon foliage started peeping at me.  Oops, sorry.  I stopped immediately.  I saw her later flying out and then back again to the nest.  So, no apparent harm done. 

 I have often thought of shifting the path over to give the hedge more space.  Perhaps the motivation of missing the Callistemon flowers and the resulting joyous invasion of nectar feeders will make that happen.

 Also did some trimming of the Pittosproum/Metrosideros hedge that screens out the house to our east.  I wanted to ensure the tomatoes and grape vine got enough sun this summer, so I shortened what I could safely shorten. 

I was able to trim the area on the right in this photo:

But towards the left, there are obstacles.  The Hippeastrum papilio, once two bulbs, Aeonium 'Zwartzkop', and many TB Iris, once two fans, have both grown into large patches that prevent ladder placement. Because the area has gotten shady, the Hippeastrum and the Iris don't flower well.  Removal seems like the solution at the moment.  

Summer is more than Dahlias and Zinnias.  It's also grapes and tomatoes.

'Rapunzel' tomato, a new one we're trying.  Or is that 'Juliette'?

'Sombreuil' is also a bit of an impediment for hedge trimming.  I'd chopped it right down to the stump in preparation for digging it out, but my knee still wasn't ready.  So it did this.

Maybe I need to chop it down to a stump every year:

The 'Etoile Violette' Clematis growing with 'Sombreuil' has climbed high into the Pittosporum hedge.  It's never done that before. 

Huh.  How 'bout that?
 

To end this ramble, a few rose photos taken before the heat wave began.

'Munstead Wood':

'Silas Marner':

'Princess Alexandra of Kent':

'Iceberg'

'The Poet's Wife':