After nearly a week of hot August days (low 90'sF), temperatures dropped a bit. I was able to garden again.. Aided by morning marine layer, off-and-on afternoon cloud cover, and a cool(ish) breeze coming off the Pacific, Leucadendron 'Pom Pom' came out, rather easily:
Alyogyne 'Ruth Bancroft' needs a place, and she'll go where 'Pom Pom' grew. I have another Silene 'Druett's Variegated' and a Teucrium aroanium to add as edging, some Aloes to move, details yet to be decided. If the Alyogyne fails (fingers crossed it succeeds!) I will try a 'Safari Sunset' Leucadendron.
The garden in August is ragged, overgrown, in need of grooming neglected thanks to the hot week--its usual August slovenly state--but its a beautiful sloven. The Lagerstroemias are flowering...
...tomatoes and grapes to pick and relish...
It never occurred to me that grapes are beautiful, not just food:
Not so bad, this August. Cosmos planted too late are starting to flower anyway...
The Lagerstroemias are such stars in the late summer garden, especially when backed by that towering aloe tree - Gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure when your flower arrangement turned into Dahlia-plonking... cracked me up. I love that harvest photo though, with grapes and tomatoes... very satisfying.
Chavli
That something looks good out there is a relief. Tho up to now it's been a mild summer here for which I've been very grateful. More hot days ahead--I knew they had to come eventually. :(
DeleteI'm suffering from a certain selfish maniacal evil smug glee that nothing has gotten to our tomatoes and grapes this year--that we got them, not squirrels and rats. Wondering if it's bad karma...
That is a good word to describe August. It's the time of year when I begin to think everything looks unruly. We've had a very long stretch of temperatures above 90 and it is the pits.
ReplyDeleteYes, the pits. That sums up 90F+ perfectly.
DeleteGood-bye Pom Pom. I would say your August garden is in pretty darn good condition, not looking ragged or overgrown. Are you good to start planting again now, or do you need to wait a few more weeks to be safely out of hot stretch?
ReplyDeleteI should take some pictures of the mess and post them. It's too hot right now (again) to get out there.
Delete"Beautifully sloven"! I'm a semi-obsessive ("semi" may be understated) neatnik but I'll make an effort to see my garden through that lens. I'd forgotten about the nosedives the taller dahlias are prone to take. I haven't seen any of those yet this season but you've reminded me that they're inevitable.
ReplyDeleteI think I was just happy to be out there, that it was tolerable enough to be out there for quite a few hours. I miss the garden when it's hot. Can't stand heat.
DeleteForgot to add, the Dahlias that got pinched back are shorter and are not nose-diving. I hope to pinch them all next year. Shorter seems better, and they are still pretty tall--tall enough.
DeleteI am so in touch with my slovenly side this year. Too many things that took priority over the garden (and blogging too!). It could make me feel bad, but as you say its irrelevant to the critters that inhabit the space. Just like you, I need to keep reminding myself that there is beauty and hope out there still - just have to go out there and focus on that instead of the slovenly parts. I hate the heat too - several days in the 100s here, and now a break. It's nice!
ReplyDeleteHere too many distractions pulling me out of the garden not just the heat. When I did manage to get out there it was a relief and a reminder. Enjoy the break from the 100's! Is your hot weather almost over for the year? We here have another two months at least
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