It's a weird time. Election day in the US is less than a week away and, although I voted early, I'm anxious to reach the end of the long, tumultuous period of political grandstanding. Yet, the election itself may prompt another round of ugliness. I'm sometimes tempted to take shelter as one does in an earthquake, close my eyes, and pray for it to be over without a tragedy of some sort. In the garden, I've got two large trees, one dead and one nearly so, scheduled for removal tomorrow, and I'm apprehensive about the impact there. And it didn't help that this week's latest bout with Santa Ana winds triggered two more vicious wildfires in Southern California, neither of which is anywhere near containment. A flurry of firework displays last night, sparked by the Dodgers' win in the World Series, intensified my fire-related anxiety.
Despite once again contending with poor air quality due to smoke, I've spent time in the garden off and on since the fires started early Monday morning. What I noticed in the back garden in particular was the prominence of blue color.
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The odd light levels when I took this photo of the back garden near mid-day on Monday reflected the early influence of the Silverado Fire
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The bush violets, Barleria obtusa, immediately draw attention. The plants started blooming a couple of weeks earlier than usual this year and appear to be in full bloom now.
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At the time of my mid-October Bloom Day report, this Barleria obtusa next to the backyard fountain had only a handful of blooms
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These photos show close-ups of the violets, accented in the area next to the fountain by another strong flush of Lisianthus (Eustoma grandiflorum) blooms
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On the other side of the path that runs through the back garden there's a second large clump of bush violets. As this one was swamping its neighbors earlier this month, I'd cut it back hard but it's flowering well anyway.
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The bush violets aren't the only blues present in the back garden. In addition to the nice flush of dark blue Eustoma grandiflorum, Salvia leucantha, Trichostemma 'Midnight Magic' and Brachyscome 'Brasco Violet' are still blooming but it's the Chihuahuan Sage, Leucophyllum laevigatum, that's giving the bush violets a run for their money.
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This plant seems to produce a new flush of bloom every time the marine layer returns
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Duranta repens and Salvia 'Mystic Spires' are also adding light touches of blue color in spots throughout the garden, back and front.
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This is one of a number of Duranta I have that sport yellow foliage
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This clump of Salvia 'Mystic Spires' has been in this very dry corner of the garden for years, blooming on its own schedule
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The front garden has the blues too.
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Yet another bush violet, this one backed by Pennisetum advena 'Rubrum'
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The chartreuse color of Coleonema pulchellum 'Sunset Gold' in the background allows the blue flowers of Lavandula multifida to stand out
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This is Hypoestes aristata, aka ribbon bush. In my former garden it grew into a 4 foot shrub but I've struggled to keep it alive here. This one is just a foot tall.
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Blue in the garden is great. However, feeling blue isn't. I'm hoping the change I've been sensing in the country is real and that, once the dust settles, November will mark a positive shift in the national dialogue.
For more Wednesday Vignettes, visit Anna at Flutter & Hum.
All material © 2012-2020 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
