Late to the Garden Party

Yesterday afternoon, after a few sweaty hours working in the garden, I was headed inside for a cool drink when I caught sight of a hawk sitting at the top of the tallest pine tree in my neighbor's garden, surveying his domain and trying his best to ignore two smaller birds who persistently dive-bombed him. For perhaps only the second time since I've had my current camera, I added the telephoto lens to take photos.

The hawk's steely-eyed focus seems complete here

But he looked discomforted at times when one or both of the scrub jays took wing to swoop at him on his perch

In between attacks, the scrub jays posted themselves just below him. I speculated that they may have a nest in that tree.

In most cases, one scrub jay remained on watch below while the second mounted an attack

Then, for some unknown reason, a crow swooped in, scattering the two scrub jays to perch on the same branch, facing the hawk. A different kind of territorial dispute perhaps?

The hawk still didn't seem rattled but then he suddenly released an impressive spray of bird poop (which I didn't manage to capture in a photo)

And he suddenly took off, trailed by the two scrub jays

My first guess was that this was an immature Cooper's hawk but the partial view of his tail in flight suggests that it could be a mature red-tailed hawk. My inability to accurately identify the bird had me thinking of my mother-in-law, who could have made the identification at a glance. I miss her.

The hawk was actually the second avian visitor of note yesterday. The male peacock that has apparently decided to make our neighborhood his home stopped by to gobble up the few remaining blueberries left on the three shrubs in pots by my back door. He's very brazen but, as he's becoming a regular, I didn't even bother to take his photo this time. I chased him around the garden until he elected to go elsewhere. We seem to have had something of a critter explosion this year. Whether that's due to two years in a row of good rain, or more people planting vegetable gardens, or simply a fluke, I can't say.

For more Wednesday Vignettes, visit Anna at Flutter & Hum.

All material © 2012-2020 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

I try to avoid planting during the summer. Even with careful watering, plants get stressed by the heat and the drying winds that blow most afternoons. Some time ago, I amended my rule against summer planting to allow planting of succulents but I've still broken it routinely. This year, confined to home most of the time, I've thrown the rule out entirely. Puttering in my garden, even as temperatures rise, is my greatest source of stress relief.

I've paid a few visits to my local garden center since it reopened, the most recent this past Monday. I went in search of fertilizer and a flat of 'Elfin' thyme to fill in bare spots between my flagstone steps. The garden center wasn't as well-stocked as it's previously been due to delivery delays and I couldn't get the flat of thyme but of course I didn't go home with just fertilizer. When I caught sight of several nice Alstroemeria in one-gallon pots, I couldn't help myself, even through I had no great place to put them. So I bought a couple of new pots too!

This is the front entry with the addition of the new pots, some recently purchased and others scavenged from elsewhere in my garden

Alstroemeria 'Inca Vienna', accented with plugs of Muehlenbeckia axillaris, went into a new pot on the left

While Alstroemeria 'Inca Sundance' went into the new pot of the right

On Wednesday, my mail order from Mountain Crest Gardens arrived, containing five succulents.

It was beautifully packaged and almost all the packing material was recyclable. It also included a nice instruction guide.

Three of the plants I ordered were 'Red Wing' Mangaves. One of the new plugs is shown on the upper left. The plant on the upper right is one I've had for more than a year, included to show the deep red color it develops. I planted the three new plugs as a cluster to fill the empty spot left in the front garden succulent bed when I removed a large self-seeded sweet pea bush. The Mangaves' red color should complement the bromeliad behind them.

I also bought myself another Mangave 'Bad Hair Day'. I think this plant is better suited to a pot than it is planted in the ground.

The fifth succulent included in the Mountain Crest order was a Haworthiopsis 'Concolor', one of a group of succulents known collectively as zebra plants. I have three Haworthiopsis fasciata planted in the ground (see photo on the lower left) but, like 'Bad Hair Day', I think these plants are better displayed in pots.

Then yesterday the first of two orders I'd placed with Annie's Annuals & Perennials arrived.

It arrived just after noon, neatly packed as always

Although our temperature was already in the low 80s, I went ahead and planted the 'African Blue' Basil (upper left) and the Helianthus anuus 'Delta Sunflower' (upper right) yesterday. Both were positioned in my cutting garden. Even though I cringed doing it, I cut back the sunflower's main stem to encourage branching, The Rudbeckia 'Sahara' (lower right) and Salvia jamensis 'Ignition Purple' along with the Verbascum phoeniceum (lower left) all have spots identified but I'm giving them time to adjust to our warm temperature before planting.

My second Annie's order is due late next week! Meanwhile, I can probably depend on the local critters to provide a source of distraction too.

These photos are poor as they were taken through glass from inside the house Wednesday night. This is a mama raccoon and her baby in our back fountain. Why all the raccoons insist on rummaging through the shells in the top tier of the fountain I'll never understand but it's clear they pick up the habit from their parents.

Mama was fierce! She wouldn't leave until her baby safely extricated itself from the fountain, which took awhile.

I hope you enjoy a low-stress weekend.

All material © 2012-2020 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

The heat turned up here last week, rising into the low 90sF (33C). My garden is entering its summer doldrums in response. Last year the first dahlia blooms appeared in my cutting garden in late June and early July but I haven't even seen evidence of buds forming yet from the tubers I planted this year. Of course, last year I planted most of my tubers in early March whereas this year I didn't get around to planting the first of these until mid-April and didn't finish planting the rest until early May. As I dragged my feet on pulling the last of my cool season flowers as well, I was also late in sowing sunflower and zinnia seeds in their place. So, I have a gap in my supply of floral material at the moment, especially as only a few flowers are growing in profusion in the garden at large.

Early Sunday morning I focused on the two flowering plants with the most blooms at present, lion's tail and California aster, but I was at a loss as to what to pair with them that I haven't used before. I strolled the garden and cut a few things here and there on spec. What I ended up with produced my first vase, which wasn't something I had in mind at the start at all.

I used an ornamental teapot with colors that matched my selected plant material. I think this is the first time I've used the dwarf myrtle (Myrtus communis) that's been growing in my garden for almost 5 years now. Yellow Jerusalem sage (Phlomis fruticosa) produced a few stray blooms long after the rest of the flowers have gone to seed.

Back view: I used Corokia virgata 'Sunsplash' (aka variegated wire bush) to add height and an airy quality and stems of the copper-tinged Leucadendron 'Safari Goldstrike' as an accent and filler

Top view

Clockwise from the upper left: Corokia virgata 'Sunsplash', Leucanthemum x superbum, Leucadendron 'Safari Goldstrike', Myrtus communis 'Compacta', Phlomis fruticosa, and noID Cosmos

I originally thought I'd throw the lion's tail (Leonotis leonurus) I'd cut in with the materials that formed the first vase but, when I decided against that, I paired the former with other blooms and foliage to create a fiery mix.

I stuck to yellow, orange and red for this arrangement

Back view: The slightly cooler tones of the variegated Abelia brought the temperature of the mix down a bit

Top view

Clockwise from the upper left: Leonotis leonurus, Abelia grandiflora 'Kaleidoscope', Cuphea micropetala, Leucadendron 'Wilson's Wonder', Gaillardia 'Arizona Sun', and noID Zinnias

I ended up using the California aster (Symphyotrichum chilense) in a larger scale version of the small arrangement of "leftovers" I created last week.

The dark blue Lisianthus (Eustoma grandiflorum) took a beating under last week's heat but the aster appears to love the higher temperatures. The latter has been blooming well ahead of schedule.

Back view

Top view

Left to right: Abelia grandiflora 'Hopley's Variegated', Eustoma grandiflorum, and Symphyotrichum chilense. I added stems of a noID lavender as well but I couldn't get a clear photo of those.

Our temperatures are expected to drop this week and, although I've been on a bit of a plant buying spree of late, none of my new purchases are poised to produce instant blooms so I've no idea what I'll come up with next week. However, I've realized that my garden has a way of providing even when I can't see it.

For more IAVOM creations, visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.

Even though it's July and it's been warm, we haven't had any temperatures higher than 95F yet this month. Better still, the mercury has fallen this week and at the moment temperatures are in the downright comfortable range of the mid-70sF. There are still a lot of different flowers in bloom but the quantities are small in most cases. I'll start off with those that are most abundant or eye-catching.

Our native California aster, Symphyotrichum chilense, is blooming both early and vigorously. While it's very pretty, it's spread with abandon to take over much of one bed and I'm going to have to do something to corral it at the end of the season as it's threatening to choke out other plants.

Leonotis leonurus (aka lion's tail) isn't invasive but it's having a very good year

Okay, these Leucadendrons aren't true flowers but they do a good job of imitating the real ones. Those shown here are Leucadendron 'Jester' and L. 'Summer Red'.

I've shown the Leucadendron 'Safari Sunset' and L. 'Devil's Blush' before but they're almost impossible to ignore

I don't envision Cupheas as the stars of my garden but, like some actors in supporting roles, they do occasionally steal the show. This is hybrid Cuphea 'Starfire Pink'.

This is Cuphea 'Vermillionaire'

It's hard to ignore the exuberance of Gaillardia 'Arizona Sun' either. They're the Energizer Bunnies of my summer garden.

Pandorea jasminoides (aka white bower vine) is having a good year too

I haven't kept the Globularia x indubia (globe daisies) as manicured as I like but they're blooming better than ever this year

This noID Lavandula angustifolia (English lavender) has been here for years and always put on a good show. It's bee and butterfly approved.

The blooms of Phyla nodiflora (aka frogfruit) are tiny but profuse, choking out most weeds (except for the occasional opportunistic Gazania)

Other blooms are fading but still deserve a shout-out.

The Agapanthus didn't get the attention I usually give them this year and now they're waning, although there are new blooms opening here and there

Callistemon 'Cane's Hybrid' has continued to produce new flushes of blooms and, photographed from this angle, it does a nice job of playing off the blooms on the mimosa tree in the background

The dark blue Eustoma grandiflorum (Lisianthus) bloomed all at once this year and, in this location at least, appear to be preparing to exit on the same schedule too. I don't have the range of colors in these plants I've had in prior years. They're short-lived perennials here and I pulled most of last year's plants, expecting to get new plugs this spring, which didn't happen.

Most of my daylilies are done blooming. This deciduous variety, probably Hemerocallis 'Sammy Russell', which came with the garden, is finishing up now.

The foliage of Lagurus ovatus (bunny tail grass) died out a month or more ago but the flowers still look fresh

A friend of mine bought these frilly noID Leucanthemum x superbum (Shasta daisies) for me following my mother's death in 2013. My friend passed away somewhat unexpectedly last year. I think of both of them every time I look at these flowers.

The flowers of Limonium perezii (aka sea lavender) dries well but, as it gets scruffier, I start cutting it back

Two of my largest Salvias, Salvia canarienesis var candidissima (left) and Salvia clevelandii 'Winnifred Gilman' (right), are finishing up the season

There are some recent arrivals to admire as well.

I expect this is as good as the mimosa tree (Albizia julibrissin) is going to get. It was literally cut in half in December 2018 in an effort to save what we could from the damage done by shot hole borers. It looks okay as long as I don't let myself compare it to a healthy intact specimen. The good news is that it drops a lot less leaf and flower litter than it used to.

The red fountain grass (Pennisetum x advena 'Rubrum') is just starting to bloom

As I was late in sowing Zinnia seeds in my cutting garden this year, I added plugs purchased at my local garden center to this bed on the south side of my garden when I pulled the remains of my California poppies to provide an immediate Zinnia fix

What's most obviously missing from my July garden this year are Dahlia blooms. As with the Zinnia seeds, I was late in getting my tubers in. They were planted between mid-April and early May instead of early March as was the case in 2019. I'm trusting that those blooms will make an appearance eventually.

I'll conclude as usual with color collages featuring the best of the rest.

Top row: Anagallis monellii, Duranta repens 'Sapphire Showers', and remnants of Monarda 'Peter's Purple'
Middle row: Platycodon grandiflorus, Plectranthus neochilus, and Plumbago auriculata 'Imperial Blue'
Bottom row: Thymus serphyllum 'Minus', Trachelium caeruleum, and Trichostemma 'Midnight Magic'

Top row: Alstroemeria 'Inca Vienna', noID Cosmos, and noID Crassula
Middle row: Kalanchoe blossfeldiana, Leptospermum 'Copper Glow', and Magnolia grandiflora
Bottom row: Myrtus communis 'Compacta' and Orlaya grandiflora

Top row: Achillea 'Moonshine', Alstroemeria 'Inca 'Sundance', and Cuphea micropetala
Middle row: self-seeded Gazania, Grevillea 'Peaches & Cream', and Lantana camara 'Irene'
Bottom row: noID dwarf Phalaenopsis and Phlomis fruicosa

Top row: Bignonia capreolata, Cotyledon orbiculata, and Grevillea 'Superb'
Middle row: Ammi majus 'Dara' and Calibrachoa 'Cabernet Coral Kiss'
Bottom row: Grevillea 'Ned Kelly' and Pelargonium peltatum 'Dark Burgundy'

Top row: Abelia grandiflora 'Edward Goucher', Arbutus 'Marina', Arctotis 'Pink Sugar', and Cistus 'Sunset'
2nd row: Gomphrena 'Itsy Bitsy', G. pulchella, Hebe 'Wiri Blush', and noID Hoya
3rd row: Kalanchoe blossfeldiana, Origanum 'Monterey Bay', Osteospermum 'Berry White', and Pelargonium cucculatum
Bottom row: Pelargonium peltatum 'Pink Blizzard', Rosa 'Pink Meidiland', and Scabiosa columbaria

That's a wrap! Drop in on Carol at May Dreams Gardens to discover what she and other gardeners have blooming in their gardens this month.

All material © 2012-2020 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

Yes, I grow a lot of flowering plants. But over the years I've also developed a good backbone of foliage plants. When I find a plant I like, I often look for more plants in the same species or genus. After the floral excesses of Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day, I thought I'd close out the week by featuring some of my favorite foliage.

I also like to combine complementary foliage. This is Aeonium 'Mardi Gras' with Coprosma repens 'Fire Burst'.

I inherited this clump of Agave attenuata with the garden but I've planted pups from this clump in numerous other areas

This photo of the flaking bark on Arbutus 'Marina' is off-topic but, as all five of my Arbutus are doing their thing right now, I felt I had to share at least one photo

This mass of agaves in my north side dry garden grabbed my attention, in part because the dense clusters of the smaller agave are now encroaching on the larger Agave funkiana 'Blue Haze'. I didn't have a name for the clustered agaves and I went down a rabbit hole looking for one. I found similar plants labeled 'Rosa Gorda' and other things but couldn't locate a formally accepted name. Even San Marcos Growers, my go-to source for plant IDs admitted to the confusion as to its name. One on-line commentator identified it as a hybrid of Agave potatorum and A. isthemensis but didn't cite a source.

My oldest Agave ovatifolia sits several feet away from the mystery clump in the same bed. It's gotten rather cozy with the Agave vilmoriniana on its left.

I inherited several Calliandra haematocephala with the garden too, all used as foundation plants, which means they're regularly sheared to keep them within bounds. The good news there is the fresh new foliage is gorgeous. I actually like the foliage of this plant better than it's pinkish-red powder-puff flowers.

This is Centaurea 'Silver Feathers', which I like in this location, where it glows. I've got too many in another location in the back garden and some or all are going to have to come out as one walkway is no longer passable.

I may have over-used Coleonema pulchellum 'Sunset Gold' as well. I have these plants in both my front and back gardens. Those shown here are in the back, on opposite sides of the flagstone path. The clump on the right is encroaching on Yucca 'Bright Star' and needs to be thinned.

I only have one Dasylirion longisssimum and I'm not sure I like it here but I recently cut back a blue-flowering mass of Wahlenbergia in front on it to reveal its structure so I can make a decision on whether or not to keep it. (The purple-leafed plant behind it is Vitex trifolia.)

Leucadendron 'Wilson's Wonder' deserves its name. I have two, one of which I brought with me from our former house. It's the one on the left, which gets more sun and glows this time of year. The plant on the right is in partial shade.

I often forget that I have a Leucadendron 'Ebony' but I caught it peeking above the mass of Grevillea 'Scarlet Sprite' in front of it and snapped the photo on the left yesterday morning. I subsequently cut back some of the Grevillea and took a second photo yesterday evening. A bit more pruning is required I think. (The plant behind 'Ebony' is Leucadendron salignum 'Chief'.)

I have more grass-like Lomandra longifolia 'Breeze' than I can count off-hand

Here are more in the back garden, mingling with Abelia grandiflora 'Kaleidoscope', the color of which is echoed by Agonis flexuosa 'Nana' in the background

And here's still more in the front garden, mixed with Phormium 'Maori Queen' (and that's not even all of it)

I only have one Melinathus major but it's looking its best right now. I cut it down to the ground each year. It's complemented here by Leucadendron 'Jester'. This 'Jester' is always relatively pale by comparison to the one I have in full sun.

I was ready to pull out this Phormium 'Yellow Wave' but, after two years of decent rain, it's looking better. There's a second Phormium behind it, which I think is supposed to be 'Apricot Queen' but just looks like a smaller version of 'Yellow Wave', never having developed any apricot color.

These Yucca 'Blue Boy' sit in the same bed. The one on the left was given to me by Denise of 'A Growing Obsession' years ago after I reported losing another one to agave snout weevil. There's a third tiny plant in there too, which I found growing in another bed a year or more after I removed the infected plant.

Yucca gloriosa 'Variegata' is a slow-grower. I planted the one on the right in a decaying tree stump to deter the raccoons from using that spot as their toilet. It's taken awhile but my strategy finally seems to be working.

That's it from me for this week. I hope you're finding ways to stay both healthy and sane as the scourge of the novel coronavirus continues to afflict the US. Seriously, anyone who doesn't mask up when going out in public needs to look in the mirror before complaining about shut-downs and the tanking US economy. In addition to wearing a mask, be sure to vote in November - we can't afford four more years of this reality game show with people's lives at stake.

All material © 2012-2020 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

Last week I said I wasn't sure what I might come up with for the next week's vases that might be different from what I'd already used this season as I didn't see any new blooms on the horizon. Well, late last week I was surprised to see a naked lady in the garden! Actually, at least seven of them have made an appearance thus far. The lady is properly known as Amaryllis belladonna, not to be confused with Hippeastrum, which is commonly identified as Amaryllis but isn't actually part of that genus (although both are part of the Amaryllidaceae family). There are only two species in the Amaryllis genus as it's currently construed and both of these plants are native to South Africa.

Amaryllis belladonna gets its common name from the fact that it blooms without any foliage. My bulbs were a gift from a fellow blogger, Tammy of Casa Mariposa, who passed them along when she discovered that they weren't inclined to bloom in her Virginia garden.

Back view: I was also pleased to discover that my Leptospermum 'Copper Glow' had produced a few more stems studded with flowers

Top view: This arrangement was a little too tall to photograph overhead without a ladder

Clockwise from the upper left: Amaryllis belladonna, Abelia grandiflora 'Edward Goucher', Ammi majus 'Dara' in two tones, flowers of Leptospermum 'Copper Glow', foliage of the same plant, and Penstemon mexicali 'Mini Bells Red'

Another minor surprise arrived in the form of a lavender-flowered Lisianthus (Eustoma grandiflorum). Last year, I planted a 6-pack of what was labeled as Lisianthus 'Rosanne II Deep Brown'. It subsequently bloomed in a mottled lavender color. I'd intended to dig it up and move it but lost track of that task during our remodel upheaval last fall. I'd forgotten it until it reappeared last week in a bed in which it stands out like a sore thumb. I had no hesitancy about cutting it for another vase.

I kept this arrangement on the cool side by combining the blue and lavender flowers with the gray foliage of Centaurea 'Silver Feather'

Back view

In addition to the lavender Lisianthus, I used a stem of another blue-flowered variety, which isn't as dark as the variety I cut last week. The silver foliage almost disappears against the background of our kitchen island.

Clockwise from the upper left: Eustoma grandiflorum in lavender and blue, Ocimum basilicum ('Thai' and 'Purple Ruffles' basil), Lavandula angustifolia, Centaurea 'Silver Feather', Myrtus communis 'Compacta', and Salvia 'Pozo Blue'

There are buds on two of the 15 dahlia tubers that sprouted for me this year. The rest are developing healthy foliage but I expect I still have a month or more to wait until I see many flowers. Although it pained me to do so, I pinched back all my dahlias, sunflowers and zinnias to encourage branching. You may see a succulent arrangement next week...

For more IAVOM creations, visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.

Late Tuesday morning last week, I spent a couple of hours working in the garden before finally deciding I needed to take a break for breakfast. Standing at the kitchen window, I scanned the horizon and noticed noticed an unusual cloud formation. Actually, it wasn't the shape of the clouds but rather their color that was surprising. Once I decided I wasn't imagining things, I grabbed my mobile phone and snapped a couple of shots, then followed up with my "good" camera. I posted a photo on Instagram last week but I thought the photos I captured with my DSLR camera were better.

The effect is known as a "fire rainbow," although it's not technically a rainbow and doesn't have any relationship to fires. In scientific terms, it's called a circumhorizontal arc. It's created by ice crystals in high-level clouds like these wispy cirrus clouds when the sun is at a low angle. It's most common in midsummer and more likely at some latitudes than others. For example, one source I consulted stated that it is five to ten times more likely to be seen in Los Angeles than in London.

I don't know how long it was visible before I noticed it but it disappeared even before I mentioned it to my husband (but then I did take several photos before I hailed him)

I'm glad I got the cloud shots as there's no telling when or if I'll see such cloud special effects again. Yesterday afternoon, sitting in my home office, another view caught me by surprise: a cruise ship sitting in port. Under normal circumstances, that's a common sight during summer but this isn't a normal time. I checked online and verified that ocean cruise ships are still not authorized to sail with passengers but a Port of Los Angeles site that lists all ships in port (as well as those scheduled for arrival or departure) showed me that the Norwegian Jewel arrived shortly before I noticed it.

I decided to try my telephoto lens for this shot. It delivered a much clearer view of the ship than my usual shots from the back garden.

The ship is scheduled to be in port for less than ten hours so I assume they're just picking up supplies. The ships were placed under a 100-day "no sail order" on March 14th. This was extended once through July 24th but another extension is expected this week. The Norwegian Cruise Line has apparently suspended passenger trips until at least October. How weird it must be to sail the ocean without passengers for months at a time. Talk about going crazy! By comparison, even with the prospect of another shutdown here, we're pretty lucky.

Everything is relative.

For more Wednesday Vignettes, visit Anna at Flutter & Hum.

All material © 2012-2020 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

As I mentioned in a post earlier this month*, I try to avoid planting anything but succulents during the summer months. I usually end up making some exceptions but this year I've thrown my "rule" out the window. After all, I need to do something to keep myself sane. This week I planted what I received in my latest order from Annie's Annuals & Perennials (my second this month), as well as plants I picked up from my local garden center.

One of the plants in Annie's box literally popped up as soon as I opened the box. That's Tithonia diversifolia, aka Mexican sunflower. When I failed to get seeds to germinate, I jumped at the chance to buy the plant during Annie's summer sale.

I fleshed out my Annie's order with a Mimulus, Aristea major and 3 'Silver Anouk' lavenders

I fleshed out the order by adding one Mimulus, an Aristea major, and 3 'Silver Anouk' lavenders

I stopped by by my local garden center to pick up planting mix and to look for a flat of creeping thyme. I left with more than I'd bargained for.

As you can see, I found the 'Elfin' thyme. I also picked up a Plectranthus, 2 Echinaceas, 3 new-to-me Penstemons, six-packs of Zinnias, Ajuga, Nierembergia, and Lobelia, as well as an odd little plant I'd never heard of.

This is Pterocephalus depressus, aka Moroccan pincushion. The fuzzy bits shown in this shot appear to be the spent blooms of the pink flowers the plant produces.

With one exception, I amazed myself by getting everything into the ground or into pots on a timely basis for a change. I'll start with what went into pots.

This is the Tithonia diversifolia, which straightened up nicely once it was potted up. My plan is to plant it in the succulent bed lining the street in the fall in anticipation of our rainy season. I want it to bulk up and develop a more robust root system before I install it in what is my version of a hell strip.

Aristea major may eventually go into the ground but I decided to try it in this pot in my cutting garden first. Half of the Lobelia six-pack went into the pot as well.

I thought I'd picked up two Echinacea 'Cheyenne Spirit' for this pot but one plant turned out to be E.'Wild Berry'. Echinacea doesn't usually survive longer than one season here but I couldn't resist its beautiful flowers.

With no prior experience growing it, I put the Pterocephalus depressus in a pot (minus its fuzzy bits) so I could give it more careful attention

Everything else went into the ground.

Ajuga reptans 'Chocolate Chip' went into the narrow soil space surrounding the concrete pavers that form the floor of my lath (shade) house

The three Lavandula 'Silver Anouk' went into the top level of the moderate slope that leads down to the lath house, surrounding the Phlomis purpurea I planted a couple of months ago. I'm planning to add creeping thyme along the edge bordering the mulch-covered path.

The white monkeyflower, Mimulus bifidus, was planted near another one I installed after receiving a prior order from Annie's

Seven plugs of Nierembergia 'Purple Robe' were added here in the back garden as filler

Five more Nierembergia plugs were added here, joining the Salvia x jamensis 'Ignition Purple'and Verbascum phoenuceum 'Violetta'received with my prior Annie's order

Plectranthus 'Velvet Elvis' was planted just outside the dining room window near another perennial Plectranthus. 'Velvet Elvis' was labeled as an annual but many are short-lived perennials in my climate.

The Zinnias were used to fill in for some of the sunflowers I'd seeded here. Some of the sunflowers germinated but most didn't get the water they needed to thrive here.

I'd absolutely no idea where I was going to put the Penstemons but finally settled on adding them to the back border. The area I chose had recently been the resident gopher's favorite and, as I began digging, I dug right into one of his tunnels. Because my sandy soil dries out quickly, I usually water the hole before placing a plant. When the water disappeared immediately without ever filling the first hole, I realized it was running right through a gopher tunnel. I decided it was time to try a new strategy.

I'd been using granule deterrents watered into the soil and solar-powered sonic devices like the one shown here to redirect the gopher. He does respond by moving but I haven't yet succeeded in moving him out in the direction of the canyon.

I originally bought several gopher cages like this to use above ground to shield new plants from raccoons but I decided it was time to try them as intended to deter gophers from eating the roots of my new plants.

The upper green section of the cage is intended to sit above soil level while the bottom section is buried. I planted all three Penstemon digitalis 'Onyx and Pearls' in these cages.

So all that's left is to plant the creeping thyme, a time-consuming project (pun intended). Hopefully, we'll continue to get a good morning marine layer to keep the temperatures down next week. For July, we've been very lucky in the weather department.

Stay safe and enjoy your weekend!

*My earlier post entitled "Pandemic Planting" was originally posted on July 9th. In trying out "New Blogger," I ended up republishing that post on July 24th. Every new platform presents challenges and missteps it seems. The current post took twice as long as usual but I got the hang of most things, except how the labels are supposed to work.

While I wait impatiently for my traditional summer blooms (dahlias, sunflowers, zinnias) to make an appearance, I shifted my focus to the flowers that make up the backbone of my garden. Grevillea 'Peaches & Cream' is having a really good year and it provided the inspiration for my first vase this week.

Last week, I speculated that I might end up using succulents in this week's vase. As it turned out, that wasn't necessary but I did add succulent flowers in the form of Cotyledon orbiculata, commonly known as pig's ear (based on the foliage, not the flowers).

Back view: I'm in the process of cutting back Leucadendron 'Safari Goldstrike' so I used stems of that as my foliage element

Top view

Clockwise from the upper left: Grevillea 'Peaches & Cream', Abelia grandiflora 'Kaleidoscope', Cotyledon orbiculata, Leucanthemum x superbum, Lantana 'Lucky Yellow', and Leucadendron 'Safari Goldstrike'

Speaking of plants having a good year, the Amaryllis belladonna I introduced last week is having its best year ever. Last year I think I had three bloom stalks but this year the flowers are dominating my back border. This time I paired them with some of the last stems of Agapanthus.

Pink and blue isn't a common combination for me but the Cuphea 'Starfire Pink' I used as filler material led me in that direction

Back view, featuring Cuphea 'Starfire Pink' and Pandorea jasminoides

Top view

Clockwise from the upper left: Amaryllis belladonna, Alstroemeria 'Inca Vienna', noID Agapanthus, Cuphea 'Starfire Pink', and Pandorea jasminoides

Can you believe that July is almost over? How is it that time still seems to pass so quickly even when each day feels much like the day before? The future is still murky but I'm trying to focus on what I can control in my small corner of the world, like renovating a couple of garden beds to prepare for replanting this fall. I'm hopeful that, in addition to changes to the garden, the new year will bring new leadership to guide the US out of the mess it's in and, if we're all lucky, a viable vaccine.

In the meantime, for more IAVOM arrangements created from floral and foliage material on hand, visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.

It's hard to remain hopeful these days when every newscast brings new reasons for worry - or anger. I've tried to limit my news consumption but I still read and digest more than may be healthy on a daily basis. My garden remains a refuge and, whether walking through it to water, pull weeds, deadhead flowers, prune rampant growth or simply snap photos, it manages to distract me, bringing my blood pressure down and clearing my mind, if only for awhile.

I thought I'd share a few of the casual distractions that caught my attention this week as my Wednesday Vignette, rather than enumerating the circumstances that had me climbing a wall.

For some reason, a Gulf Fritillary landed on this Agave americana medio-picta 'Alba' and spent enough time there to allow me to get a couple of decent shots

Agapanthus 'Stevie's Wonder', planted as bulbs last year, produced their first blooms. I arguably don't need any more Agapanthus but I couldn't resist its dark blue color when I saw it in a catalog last year.

I planted a handful of Crocosmia last year and promptly forgot all about them. I've no record of how many I planted or where I put them but this one made a surprise appearance in the back border.

This unusual Sisyrinchium called 'Quaint and Queer' was in full bloom this week but I had a devil of a time photographing its tiny flowers. This was my best shot.

The seedpod of my Moroccan peony (Paeonia cambessedesii) ripened and burst open to reveal shiny dark blue seeds against a bright red background

I cut the peony's seedpod and planted those seeds in pots in the hope that at least one or two will produce a new plant.

I couldn't find any references describing the requirements for growing these peonies from seed but I thought I'd give it a try anyway. Each of these pots got 3 seeds and I planted the the last one directly in the ground.

Fingers crossed. For more Wednesday Vignettes, visit Anna at Flutter & Hum.

I made a reservation to visit South Coast Botanic Garden again this week, prompted mostly by curiosity over the progress of the Dahlia Garden. I collaborated with two other docents and the then head gardener on restoring that area earlier this year. We'd prepared the beds, ordered the tubers, and agreed on a layout before all volunteers were furloughed in March and the head gardener transferred to another LA County garden. We handed everything over to other members of SCBG's paid staff and that was that. During my June visit, I noticed that approximately half the tubers had sprouted but there were no blooms yet; however, recent newsletters sent to members revealed that some blooms have since appeared.

This is a view of the three raised planters that make up the Dahlia Garden. I didn't manage to get a good shot of the semi-circular bed on the right (west side) so I've shown separate front and rear shots of the bed, regrettably shot from different angles. The rear half of that bed apparently was never planted.

But let's focus on the pretty flowers. We'll start with the plants in bloom in the left (east side) bed.

This is 'Totally Tangerine', an anemone-type dahlia

'Lifestyle'(not labeled by the garden) is another anemone-type dahlia. I expected the flower to be more yellow than lavender-pink so it doesn't blend as well with its neighbors as I'd hoped when we created our plan.

'My Little Sunshine', a so-called cactus-type dahlia

This is 'Cafe au Lait', currently very popular in dahlia circles

'Bahama Mama' is in the decorative class, which frankly seems to be a type that encompasses a lot of dahlias that aren't easily classified in another category. Unfortunately, this one was past its prime.

'Penhill Dark Monarch' may be the most flamboyant of the group currently in bloom. It's one of many included in the Dahlia Garden described as a "dinnerplate dahlia." That description isn't actually a dahlia "type" but refers generally to the large size of the blooms.

Only two of the plants in the central bed were blooming and many still seem to be no-shows.

'Magic Moment', a cactus-type with incurved petals

I believe this is 'Lisa Lisa', mistakenly labeled as 'Einstein', which has a deep purple color and larger flowers

The semi-circular bed on the right (west side) wasn't completely planted for some reason. With the volunteers gone, I suspect the shortage of garden help left the paid staff seriously stretched in addressing the needs of the 87 acre botanic garden and the ball on this project just got dropped. A gardener I spoke to during my visit on Wednesday morning told me that some of the tubers had been planted in pots, which are currently in the greenhouse. Here's what was blooming among the plants in the ground:

'Kelvin Floodlight', a dinner plate dahlia in the decorative group. This one stands out for both the flower's size and nearly florescent color.

In contrast, 'Cherry Drop' (which was also unlabeled) has a more diminutive flower. It's classified as a waterlily-type dahlia.

Pom-pom type dahlias aren't among my personal favorites but 'Kasasagi' is an excellent example

This was mislabeled as 'Ginger Snap', which is a collarette type dahlia. I believe it's actually 'Crazy Legs', a decorative dahlia with similarly sized flowers.

Because our planning group wanted to show the visiting public the wide variety of flower shapes, sizes, and colors available within the genus, the layout of the dahlia beds was a dicey proposition. Our layout called for a zig-zag line-up based on gradations of color and size. With many plants still no-shows, the rainbow effect we sought to create hasn't been realized, at least not yet, and the range of flower shapes isn't represented in the breadth we'd planned due to the number of plants still missing. Plants grow at different rates and their mature sizes are subject to variation, which also complicates the planned symmetry of the beds.

Oh well, the handful of people I spoke to during my brief visit seemed to enjoy the flowers. I think the informational posters we'd originally planned would still be helpful as I encountered a few people who'd guessed the flowers were chrysanthemums!

My own dahlias, which were planted MUCH later than last year's crop, are slowly budding out. Hopefully, I'll have at least a few flowers soon.

'Sellwood Glory' seems intent on leading the parade in my own garden

I only spent an hour in total at the botanic garden. Even though I arrived earlier this time, it was more crowded than it was during my prior visit. It wasn't a problem to maintain social distancing and, with the exception of some small children, visitors and staff were all wearing masks but I felt on edge anyway. However, I did cover a few other areas of the garden before I left.

The Mexican sunflower tree (Tithonia diversifolia) has fully fleshed out and was covered in blooms. The heaviest concentration of flowers was on the tree's west side but that angle didn't photograph as well as this one.

The seating area between the Vegetable Garden and the Living Wall was looking good

Backlit cactus in the Desert Garden

Grapevine-covered bench in the Garden for the Senses

The flowers in the lavender field were fading but the area still looked good

The Brazilian orchid tree (Bauhinia forficata) in bloom

A bright pink-flowered Callistemon in lieu of the usual red version

That's it for me this week. I hope you enjoy a pleasant weekend!

Dahlia 'Sellwood Glory' didn't quite make it to the gate in time to be featured on "In a Vase on Monday," the popular meme hosted by Cathy of Rambling in the Garden but I'll be surprised if it doesn't bloom within the next few days.

Photo taken Sunday afternoon

Meanwhile, 'Mr Optimist' is sprinting, followed closely by 'Enchantress', 'Labyrinth' and 'Loverboy'. The rest of my dahlias currently seem content to produce more and more leaves but I'm reasonably sure they'll come through eventually. The first of Zinnias I pinched back are finally budding up too, a self-seeded Amaranthus has made an unexpected appearance, and more than half a dozen Gladiolas have bloom spikes so things are looking up in my cutting garden. However, this week I once again made do with what my larger garden had to offer.

My first vase was inspired by the light pink Scabiosa in the front garden.

While the pink Amaryllis belladonna are still dominating my backyard border, a few white specimens finally showed up. At the same time a few white Lisianthus blushed with pink also popped up in different areas of the garden. Serendipity!

I dressed up the back of the vase with stems of Abelia 'Edward Goucher', Ammi majus, and Salvia canariensis. The Salvia is more bracts than flowers now.

Top view

Clockwise from the upper left: Amaryllis belladonna (aka naked lady), Abelia grandiflora 'Edward Goucher', Eustoma grandiflorum (aka Lisianthus), Scabiosa columbaria 'Flutter Rose Pink', Ammi majus 'Dara', and Salvia canariensis var candidissima

The second vase is comprised of more foliage than flowers but includes stems of some of the Leucadendrons with bracts that mimic flowers.

There are no actual flowers visible in this front view. I used two stems of Caladium to pull the colors together.

The back view offers just two real flowers, those of a white-flowered Crassula pubescens and a red-flowered Penstemon mexicali

Top view

Clockwise from the upper left: Leucadendron 'Devil's Blush', Crassula pubescens ssp radicans (aka red carpet stonecrop), Helichrysum petiolare 'Licorice Splash', Caladium 'Creamsickle, Penstemon mexicali 'Red Bells', and Prunus caroliniana (I also used Leucadendron 'Safari Sunset', not shown in close-up)

To find more IAVOM posts, check in with Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.

Even as heat blasted parts of the US this season, we've enjoyed a relatively mild summer. Sure, we've had some temperatures in the mid-90s but they haven't been sustained and we haven't yet had a heatwave that's pushed temperatures above 100F. That's not true of all of Southern California - the inland valleys have had some truly miserable highs and the Palm Springs area is roasting. We've been lucky by comparison and I've used the opportunity to tackle some small garden projects.

For some time, Coleonema 'Sunset Gold' has been trying to engulf the Yucca 'Bright Star' in the back border. I couldn't quite bring myself to pull out one Coleonema entirely but I trimmed it back.

This is the "before" shot. Although it looks like one uniform mass, there are two Coleonema shrubs planted here and they were encroaching on both the Yucca on the right and the Leucadendrons behind them.

This is the "after" shot. I shaved off bits of both Coleonema but cut more deeply into the one rubbing up against the Yucca, with the latter plant drawing blood a couple of times in the process.

On the other side of the flagstone path, I faced a decision I'd been contemplating for some time: removal of some or all of the variegated rosemary shrubs (Rosmarinus 'Gold Dust') I'd installed in March 2014. They'd gotten much bigger than I'd been led to understand they would when I bought them in 6-inch pots. They'd also gotten leggy because I hadn't pruned them regularly and they were shading out the Lotus berthelotii planted below them.

This is a before shot of the messy rosemary shrubs. Earlier this year, I transplanted a Leucospermum 'Sunrise' I'd had in a pot behind the rosemary after removing a mass of Bulbine. While the Leucospermum will grow larger than it currently is, what had turned into a messy rosemary hedge wasn't going to complement it well.

I removed all but one of the rosemary shrubs. I left one in place in an effort to balance the Grevillea alpina x rosmarinfolia planted behind Leucospermum 'Goldie'. Both the Grevillea and the remaining rosemary still require some trimming.

Here's a second "before" shot, taken in late June

Here's another "after" shot taken from the same angle as the prior one

I'd initially thought I'd just cover the area with mulch and wait until September or October to replant. Do you think I'm capable of sticking to that plan? I'm already debating what to plant. I looked at the plants on either side of bare area for ideas.

I could emulate what I'd done on the left side by adding more Zinnias as temporary fillers...

Trying for more consistency, I could add another Abelia 'Kaleidoscope' like these on the right to mask the bare legs of the remaining rosemary...

I've also taken care of a few other things, some I photographed and others I didn't.

I pruned this Echium handiense a couple of months ago but was afraid to cut it back harder. When it started producing new foliage on the thick woody branches I'd cut, I went all in and cut the rest of it back. I also took some cuttings, although no source I consulted suggested that this plant can be successfully propagated that way.

Cleaning up the Mexican feather grass (Stipa tenuissima) is something that needs doing every couple of months here. Before I "combed" these plants of their seed-laden plumes, they were covering this dirt path behind the back border.

Two other small projects are still staring me in the face but I haven't committed myself to tackling them yet. Of course, I often make those decisions on the fly.

The Centaurea 'Silver Feather' here are still blocking this flagstone path. I was clearly delusional when I installed seven plants in January 2019. The plants aren't blooming any longer so they can come out, although I've no idea what to use to replace them.

This Euphorbia tirucalli 'Sticks on Fire' has been in this strawberry pot since we moved in almost 10 years ago. I've cut it back several times and I swear it just gets larger. I think it probably has to go.

The week's not over yet. Anything could happen.

On Wednesday, I published a post on a few small garden projects, including one that involved the removal of several rosemary shrubs on the south end of my back garden. I initially planned to leave the area I'd cleared bare until fall arrives but patience isn't one of my strongest traits. In short order, I decided to go ahead with an interim strategy, which resulted in the purchase of another Abelia 'Kaleidoscope' and fourteen small Zinnias. These went into the ground late yesterday afternoon.

The Abelia 'Kaleidoscope' in the background on the right mirrors the plants to the right of the remaining rosemary shrub (outside the frame of this photo but shown in my earlier post). The new Zinnias mirror those behind Leucospermum 'Goldie' on the left (some of which are just visible on the far left).

The Abelia will stay as it'll eventually cover the bare legs of the rosemary and will complement the Leucopermmum 'Sunrise' in the center. With supplemental water, the Zinnias should survive the summer, after which I'll replace them with something yet to be determined.

In the same post, I floated the possibility to getting rid of the over-stuffed strawberry pot containing a large Euphorbia tirucalli 'Sticks on Fire', which caused some commentators to express concern. I admit that it's an attractive plant. I considered moving it but I've already got cuttings of that same plant spread throughout my garden. (In fact, if you look at the last photo above, you can see two of these in the succulent area in the distance on the left.) So, I elected an interim strategy to deal with the strawberry pot as well.

I cut the Euphorbia back (again). The before photo is on the left and the after photo is on the right. In addition to diminishing its height and girth, this gives Dahlia 'Rip City' in the raised planter next to it more sun.

These are the cuttings I'll put out on the curb for "adoption" once they stop seeping sap. I cut them down to a manageable size for transplant in other gardens or pots. I plan to include a warning about exposure to the sap, which can cause skin irritation and eye damage if not properly handled.

I haven't dealt with the mass of Centaurea 'Silver Feather' yet but, while we're addressing the cutting garden, here are photos of the first two dahlia blooms to open there. I planted most of my dahlia tubers a good six weeks later this year than last year but they're on their way at last!

This is Dahlia 'Sellwood Glory', the first to open

This is 'Mr Optimist', which opened on the heels of 'Sellwood Glory'

That's it from me this week. Thanks to everyone who weighed in on my projects! Your input helped me sort through my options.

Best wishes for a safe and enjoyable weekend.

Two of my long-awaited dahlias finally bloomed last week. Although the supply of dahlias available for cutting is still very small, there was no question about what I'd use in my vases this week. The only issue was what I had available to pair with them.

Dahlia 'Sellwood Glory', front and center here, was the first to produce buds and the first to bloom in my cutting garden. It was described as purple but it reads on the pink end of the purple spectrum rather than the blue end, which made it harder for me to find suitable companions.

Back view: Gomphrena 'Itsy Bitsy' is trying to steal the show in this vase I think. The plant literally blooms year-round but I'm not sure I've used it much, if at all, this year so it may be making up for lost time.

Top view: Cuphea 'Starfire Pink', selected as a filler, shows up best in this overhead view

Clockwise from the upper left: Dahlia 'Sellwood Glory', Cosmos bipinnatus, Cuphea 'Starfire Pink', Gomphrena decumbens 'Itsy Bitsy', Pelargonium peltatum in burgundy and lavender, and Pentas lanceolata

'Sellwood Glory' (which always sounds to me like it should be the name of a thoroughbred race horse) beat out 'Mr Optimist' by less than a day. Finding a companion for 'Mr Optimist' was easier as my first gladiolas arrived on its heels.

'Mr Optimist' was meant to be the star of this arrangement but Gladiolus 'Green Star' may be eclipsing it

Back view: I'm disappointed by this view. The small red Penstemon stems can't hold their own here. I probably should have added another gladiola stem or maybe more Coreopsis.

Top view: I was pleased with how well the foliage of Coprosma 'Plum Hussey' balanced the gladiolas, however

Clockwise from the upper left: Dahlia 'Mr Optimist', Coreopsis 'Redshift', Gladiolus 'Green Star', Coprosma repens 'Plum Hussey', and Penstemon mexicali 'Mini-Bells Red'

Last week's vases held up well. I tossed the contents of last week's first vase on Sunday but the second vase consisting primarily of foliage looks almost as fresh as it did last Sunday so it moved to the kitchen island.

The two new vases took pride of place in the front entry and dining room table respectively.

Six more dahlias have buds, including a second 'Mr Optimist'. Seven other dahlias sprouted and continue to grow but have yet to produce buds. Yesterday afternoon, I noticed that one of the purple gladiolas was blooming and that a few of my seed-grown zinnias have produced flowers. While things in my cutting garden are looking up, I'd say it's still running a month or more behind last year's garden. Cooler summer conditions may be a factor but most of the delay lays squarely on my shoulders. I planted most of my dahlia tubers between late April and early May this year instead of early March. I sowed zinnia seeds even later, and I've pinched back both the developing dahlias and zinnias on a more routine basis than I've done in the past. Hopefully, I've just pushed my peak flower season forward rather than reducing its duration but we'll see.

To see more vases created from materials contributors have on hand in their own gardens, visit Cathy in Rambling in the Garden.

One of the projects I committed myself to tackle this month was/is to reduce the mass of Centaurea 'Silver Feather' planted in front of my mimosa tree (Albizia julibrissin). With a heatwave in the near-term forecast, I decided to get started late Monday afternoon. It was tougher than I'd thought as the base of the plants were hard to uncover under all the shrubs' heavy branches.

After removing a mass of asparagus fern, I planted seven Centaurea here in January 2019 to hide the mimosa's scarred trunk after half the tree was cut down in an effort to rid it of disease caused by shot hole borers. While I can say I was misled by the plant's tag, seven plants was still overkill and, within a year, they'd formed a mass that blocked the path through this area.

This photo was taken after I'd removed four of the shrubs

The path is clear but I still wasn't happy with it

I took out a fifth shrub this morning but I'm think the one on the right has to go too. It blocked view of the Agapanthus in bloom earlier this summer and the Centaurea still feels like it's overwhelming the area.

I've paused the project as my green bins are almost full and I need the gardeners to trim that Xylosma hedge behind the tree, which is completely out of control.

Another small project I had on my plate was to replant the Epiphyllum in my lath house, which had grown too large for that space. I'd planned to move it into a hanging basket but when I checked the lath house yesterday, I found this:

We put up the shade screens in the lath house a couple of weeks ago as one branch of Epiphyllum 'Monastery Garden' was heading for the roof. I understand that the plant normally wants its roots crowded before it blooms and it appears the conditions are right now.

So I've paused that project too, at least until the plant blooms.

Viewing the moderate slope outside my lath house, it occurred to me that I need to do something about a very visible bare spot.

I've got a series of Agave desmettiana 'Variegata' planted along the slope, pups of one of the two plants that bloomed in 2019

Adding more Agaves seemed a reasonable solution but, rather than buy a large specimen, I decided to use one or more of the bulbils from the Agaves that bloomed in 2019. I'd saved only those with the best variegation. They're still pretty small but I repotted three of them to allow them to beef up a bit further before I plant out all or some this winter.

So that's another project that's almost there...And speaking of that, I noticed that my blogger stats show that I'm just shy of one million views this morning. As I started the blog at the end of December 2012, I expect a million views isn't all that remarkable but it was/is an informal target I'd set when considering whether or not to continue this blog. It feels weird to be so close to that target this morning. I've no immediate plans to shut the blog down but it's probably time to give its future some thought. I've been posting on Instagram (at krispeterson591) for a couple of years now but I haven't yet entirely embraced that forum as a blog substitute. Deliberations will continue...

Until this week, I'd been exclaiming over what a comfortable summer we've been enjoying in my area of coastal Southern California. This week, the thermostat has been turned up and each day has been getting more toasty. Forecasters say this heatwave is going to be with us for awhile. With the heat on, I've confined my garden activity to early morning rounds delivering extra water to bolster sensitive plants - and taking photos for this Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day post.

I'll start with this month's star performers.

This is Amaryllis belladonna, also called the naked lady because the flowers bloom well after the foliage has died back. Tammy of Casa Mariposa kindly sent me a couple dozen of these bulbs back in 2015 after she decided they weren't a good fit in her Virginia garden. They're having their best year ever here.

This is a white Amaryllis belladonna from the same shipment. They're somewhat more unusual it seems.

I got yet another flush of flowers from Callistemon 'Cane's Hybrid' this month. As soon as the heat turned up this week, they started fading from this lovely peachy-pink to dusty beige.

This is Crassula pubescens. It flowers later than the yellow-flowered variety with smaller leaves but it has almost as much impact in my succulent beds. I've discovered that the flower stems are great in arrangements too.

Cuphea 'Vermillionaire' just keeps on flowering

Ditto for Gaillardia 'Arizona Sun'

This combination of orange and yellow Lantana has been blooming buoyantly for a good month

One border in my back garden is dominated by this variegated Lantana 'Samantha'

Symphyotrichum chilense, aka California aster, is something of an out-of-control monster, but it's pretty even so

I've come to love this hybrid of California's native woolly blue curls, Trichostema 'Midnight Magic'

Last year, Dahlias were the headliners of my August post but this year they're only just getting started. This is entirely my fault, as I planted my tubers a good six weeks later on average than I did last year. I'm including the few blooms I have thus far with the other recent arrivals.

The first and second Dahlias to bloom were 'Sellwood Glory' (left) and 'Mr Optimist' (right)

Dahlias 'Enchantress' (left) and 'Labyrinth' (right) didn't quite make full bloom status in time for their Bloom Day portraits yesterday but I expect they'll be in full flower later today

Most of my Agapanthus are early summer bloomers. I added five bulbs of Agapanthus 'Stevie's Wonder' last year and two of those produced their first blooms this month. The flowers are a deeper blue than any of those I inherited with the garden.

I didn't get around to sowing any Cosmos seeds until July but I bought a six-pack of white Cosmos bipinnatus to provide a supply of those blooms as the seedlings grow

I saw this plant out of the corner of my eye on my last trip to the garden center and found I couldn't leave without it. This is Cuphea ramossima 'Pink Shimmer'. The flowers are truly tiny.

I planted Gladiolus in my cutting garden this year after finding the corms on a last-chance sale. These are 'Green Star' (left) and 'Vuvuzela' (right).

I've killed Grevillea 'Moonlight' twice before. This one, planted in early March, seems happy.

Rudbeckia hirta 'Sahara' was purchased by mail order in July

Pennisetum advena 'Rubrum' came with the garden. It's starting its summer/fall bloom phase.

I planted several packs of Zinnia plugs in July to provide a quick splash of color on the south end of my garden but the seed-sown plants in my cutting garden are finally starting to bloom too. The large photo in this collage features Zinnia elegans 'Queen Lime Blush'.

I had a few surprises too, which deserve special notice.

I fell in love with Coreopsis 'Redshift' in 2012 and planted several in various areas of the garden. This plant in the back border is the only one that survived.

This unnamed Crocosmia popped up, seemingly out of nowhere, belatedly reminding me that I'd planted a dozen bulbs a few years ago. This is the first to ever make an appearance.

I planted a huge bulb of Drimia maritima, aka sea squill, on our back slope last year. The foliage died down in March and it's producing its first bloom spike now. The bloom hasn't flushed out yet and I hope I don't miss it when it does. Although I've never discovered their nest, there are fire ants down there and, when I checked on the Drimia earlier this week, I got stung (again). I suited up in protective gear to get this photo yesterday morning.

As has become my practice, I'll close with the best of the rest, organized in collages by color.

Clockwise from upper left: Erigeron glaucus 'Wayne Broderick', blue and lavender Eustoma grandiflorum, Plectranthus neochilus, Salvia canariensis var candidissima, and Salvia x jamensis 'Ignition Purple'

From the upper left: Pandorea jasminoides, Achillea ptarmica 'Peter Cottontail', Coriandrum sativum, Eustoma grandiflorum, Magnolia grandiflora, Mimulus bifidus, and Tanacetum parthenium 'Aureum'

From the upper left: Achillea 'Moonshine', self-sown Gazania, noID Phalaenopsis, and Rudbeckia hirta 'Denver Daisy'

From the upper left: Grevillea 'Peaches & Cream', G. 'Superb', Hemerocallis 'Persian Market', Hesperaloe parviflora 'Brakelights', Echinacea 'Cheyenne Spirit', Lantana 'Irene', and Russelia 'Flamingo Park'

From the upper left: Leucadendron 'Summer Red', self-sown Amaranthus, Grevillea 'Ned Kelly', Penstemon mexicali 'Mini-bells Red', and Pelargonium peltatum 'Burgundy'

Top row: Alstroemeria 'Inca Vienna', Bauhinia x blakeana, and Cuphea 'Starfire Pink'
Middle row: Eustoma grandiflorum, Gomphrena 'Itsy Bitsy', and Fuchsia 'Old Berkeley'
Bottom row: Osteospermum 'Berry White', Rosa 'Pink Meidiland, and Scabiosa columbaria

For more blooms, visit Carol at May Dreams Gardens.

It got hot last week and it's expected to stay hot most of this week. Saturday was uncomfortable enough to keep me inside most of the day and, because the forecast was for more of the same on Sunday, I got up early and cut everything and anything I thought might be incinerated by toasty temperatures to include in my vases this week. As it turned out, I went overboard - even by my own standards.

Vase #1 was inspired by the first blooms from Dahlia 'Labyrinth':

I played off the apricot and rose colors in the dahlia blooms when selecting companions

which led me to use stems of Grevillea 'Superb' to dress up the back of the arrangement

and to cut two stems of Rudbeckia 'Sahara' as shown in this overhead view

Clockwise from the upper left: Dahlia 'Labyrinth', Abelia x grandiflora 'Kaleidoscope', Coprosma repens 'Plum Hussey', Grevillea 'Superb', and Rudbeckia hirta 'Sahara'. Both stems of the Rudbeckia came from the same plant even though they look very different.

Vase #2 was inspired by the stems of the purple Gladiolus that were fading fast in my cutting garden:

I'd hoped to add white Amaryllis belladonna to this arrangement but Saturday's heat left those stems in an unpresentable state, hence the addition of the lavender Lisianthus

and the white Cosmos (back view)

Surprisingly, the California aster (Symphyotrichum chilense) seemed to respond to the heat by producing more blooms (overhead view)

Clockwise from the upper left: Gladiolus 'Vuvuzela', Abelia x grandiflora 'Hopley's Variegated', Cosmos bipinnatus, lavender and blue Eustoma grandiflorum (aka Lisianthus), and Symphyotrichum chilense (aka California or Pacific aster)

Vase #3 was inspired by my desire to save the last pristine Amaryllis belladonna:

I originally thought I could insert the pink Amaryllis into the first vase with Dahlia 'Labyrinth' but even my color-blind husband told me it wasn't a good fit

I used leftover stems of Abelia 'Hopley's Variegated' and white Eustoma grandiflorum with a slight pink tinge to flesh out this small vase

The last vase features 'Green Star' Gladiolus. All the gladiola stems in full bloom were severely affected by the heat. Luckily, I planted about half my gladiola corms a week after the first ones and those that haven't bloomed yet don't appear to have been impacted by the heat.

I added the first bloom of Dahlia 'Enchantress' and a stem of Dahlia 'Sellwood Glory', which is similar in color

I used stems of Prostanthera ovalifolia 'Variegata' (aka mint bush) as a foliage filler (back view)

Overhead view

Clockwise from the upper left: Gladiolus 'Green Star', Dahlias 'Enchantress' and 'Sellwood Glory', Ocimum basilicum 'African Blue Basil', Prostanthera ovalifolia 'Variegata', Zinnia elegans 'Envy' and Zinnia from 'Northern Lights Blend'

Four vases is a lot, even for me. For more IAVOM creations, visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.

It's been too hot this week to do little more than splash some extra water on plants in the early morning hours before taking cover in the air conditioned house for the rest of the day. A very slow cooling of temperatures is expected over the next several days but, in the meantime, I'm not tackling any new projects. My only goal at present is to prevent what I can from dying.

However, I got a new toy last week I thought I'd share. Its purpose is to help me make compost. My new compost bins were put in service in April, replacing the compost tumbler that came with the property when we moved here in December 2010.

My husband built these bins using junk we had on hand which would otherwise have gone into the trash

The tumbler we inherited slowly disintegrated until it was no longer serviceable. We tossed what remained into the construction dumpster during our remodel last year.

I've been careful about what I put in my new bin but I discovered nonetheless that the material compacts fairly quickly, making it difficult to aerate, and regular aeration is key to decomposition. Cranking the old tumbler wasn't easy as it filled up but it was effective. When my new bin was half full I decided to turn over the contents by moving it from one bin to the other using a pitchfork. That was awkward, time-consuming and exhausting. So I went online to look for something that could help. I settled on the Compost Crank made from recycled materials in Tucson, Arizona by a company appropriately called LoTech Products.

This is the crank

It came with a tag including very simple instructions

And it worked just fine.

Shot of the bin before aeration

The crank is turned clockwise, then lifted. I repeated this action a dozen times in different sections of the bin.

This is what it looked like afterwards

In retrospect I made a couple poor decisions when deciding what to include in the bin. Most compost recipes call for two to three parts brown (high carbon) materials to every one part green (high nitrogen) materials. I don't layer these materials as some experts suggest but I did try to keep the proportions of carbon and nitrogen materials as balanced as possible. This led me to add things like paper bags and coconut fiber basket liners to my mix both which degrade slowly. These additions might have been fine if I'd shredded the material to a greater extent than I did before tossing it into the bin. Still, I've had no problems with odor or animals.

Composting isn't fast but, no matter what you do, it happens eventually; however, my goal is to keep the process moving as quickly as possible. Do you compost? Are there any tricks you'd care to share?

Note: I purchased the Compost Crank on my own and have no relationship or association with the company that sold it.

The heat switch has been stuck in the "on" position for over a week but we're expecting to move back into the 80s starting today. I haven't been doing much more than watering the garden during the past week but, as I wandered about in the morning hours checking for evidence of heat stress, I took my camera with me. After a Bloom Day glut of flowers, I focused most of my attention on foliage. I thought I'd share some of what looks good, as well as a few recent losses.

After focusing my camera on the Leucadendron 'Wilson's Wonder' in the center of this shot, I pulled back for a wider view of the area, which may be the greenest section of my garden at present

When it's really hot I pay more attention to the plants that provide shade. My initial focus was the peppermint willows, Agonis flexuosa. There are six of these trees in the garden, four of which filter the sun on the west side, providing a lacy curtain.

I was trying to get a good shot of the wispy Agonis leaves here but the trunk of the strawberry tree, Arbutus 'Marina', ended up front and center

I couldn't ignore that flashy bark even though I showed the bark of another Arbutus in a July post

I had the peppermint willows in the front garden cut back last year. I may leave them alone during this fall's pruning cycle to get a better curtain next year.

The only annoying thing about these trees is that two of them are planted in the middle of the path that leads from the lower level of the front garden to the driveway

I have to squeeze along the path but, combined with the Xylosma hedge, the trees do a good job of screening us from the street

This peppermint willow stands on the northwest side of the property. It was thinned last year too but I'll leave it alone this year as well.

Relatives of the peppermint willow trees, Agonis flexuosa 'Nana' provides some privacy on the south side of the house, although the dwarf shrubs offer little in the way of shade. However, an overgrown Coprosma adjacent to the patio has helped out a bit in that regard.

I cut the three shrubs down to nearly a foot tall this past winter. They're less than half the height they once more but they recovered well.

Pulling down the shades in our living room (in an effort to keep the house from heating up) allowed me to get a halfway decent shot of this Coprosma repens 'Plum Hussey'. It's an exceptionally pretty mirror plant with glossy leaves that range from lime green to burgundy. I frequently use the stems in floral arrangements.

Grasses and grass-like plants also caught my attention.

I love this Pennistum advena 'Rubrum' combined with Centaurea 'Silver Feathers', especially when the grass sports its graceful plumes as it's doing now

This is Lomandra 'Platinum Beauty', shown in two different areas of my garden. Lomandra isn't a true grass but it creates the effect of one.

I admire foliage that adds color to the garden when my flowering plants start to take a step back.

I've previously grown Caladium in pots here but this year I planted the bulbs in the ground in semi-shaded areas by the front door. The plant on the left is 'Creamsicle' and the one on the right is 'Debutante'.

This plant goes by the cumbersome name of Pseuderanthemum 'Texas Tri-star'. It develops a tall, woody stem as it ages, even when periodically cut back. I usually replace it when it gets this tall but my nursery rounds have been drastically curtailed this year and I haven't found starter plants. When it's cooler, I'll try taking cuttings.

Other foliage stood out on account of its sheer resilience against the heat.

I've actively worked at ridding my garden of Asparagus densiflorus 'Myers' and its thick masses of bulbous roots but I'm somewhat more favorably disposed to this 'Sprengeri'. The stems have an attractive foxtail form and it doesn't seem quite as invasive as 'Myers'. It's also the only plant that's survived in this extremely dry spot, where even succulents struggle.

This is Phormium 'Tom Thumb', shown here mingling with Acacia cognata 'Cousin Itt' on the left and Cordyline 'Renegade' on the right.

Of course, not all is well. Late yesterday afternoon, I noticed that one of my Helichysum 'Icicles' has suddenly turned a sickly beige, although the others look fine. Heat contributed to the demise of a couple other plants as well.

This was Echium wildpretii. I planted it in early February and it was looking good until about 2 weeks ago. It was probably too dry for it here even though I made an extra effort to give it extra water.

Phylica pubescens (aka featherhead) has been in this bed for two and a half years, although I can't say it ever really thrived

I don't think the heat had anything to do with the loss of the tree-sized Toyon, Heteromeles artbutifolia, on the south end of the garden but there's no longer any denying that it's dead. The only question is whether I can continue to put off dealing with it until the fall when I usually have a tree-trimming service in for our annual pruning exercise.

It turns out that Toyons are sensitive to the same pathogen that causes sudden oak death. It was a rapid transition from first notice that it was in trouble to this state of red-leafed suspended animation.

To conclude on a more positive note, I'm including a photo of my Yucca 'Bright Star'. These plants get a lot of coverage in this blog and I hadn't planned to share another photo this month, until I noticed a new development.

The Yucca on the right bloomed months ago and now the largest of the trio planted in this area has a flower spike too

And, even though I intended to focus this post on foliage, I'm closing with photos of the latest dahlias to make an appearance in my cutting garden because I simply can't stop myself from doing so.

Clockwise from the top are Dahlias 'Labyrinth', 'Loverboy' and 'Enchantress'

I'm looking forward to cooler temperatures but poor air quality, the product of the mass of wildfires that have sprung up all over California, may still limit my time outside. It looks like we're in store for another difficult summer season after all.

Best wishes for a safe and peaceful weekend.

Wednesday Vignette: That stare!

Pandemic Planting

In a Vase on Monday: Surprising myself

Bloom Day - July 2020

Find foliage, then repeat

In a Vase on Monday: Another surprise!

Wednesday Vignette: Scanning the horizon

Summer planting rules & gopher curbs

In a Vase on Monday: There's always something

Wednesday Vignette: Bright Spots

Dahlias! (but they're not mine)

In a Vase on Monday: Do you prefer pastel or bold colors?

Small garden projects

An interim strategy

In a Vase on Monday: The new arrivals

Almost there

Bloom Day - August 2020

In a Vase on Monday: Rescue Operation

Mixing things up

Mostly Foliage