5/6/09

The unseasonally wet garden

Tomatoes are still small in the orange cages but at least the cages match the poppies.

2009-05-06 garden

Speaking of poppies, I've been looking at these for weeks trying to figure out what makes them different. Well, they're double. Duh!

2009-05-06 garden

Here's another orange I like right now, from an unnamed Senecio.

2009-05-06 garden

2009-05-06 garden

This wet May weather is weird, but it's almost August-like. A heavy fog will do this too.

2009-05-06 garden

Remember the unfurling top-setting onion from last week?

2009-05-06 garden; top-setting onion

Here's a little area I'm unhappy with. There is too much root competition from the cup-and-saucer vine (Cobaea scandens) for anything much to grow here so I put down some rocks, and sowed some Nigella seed. The Nigella's coming up; that could fix it. But this corner just feels cluttered and messy to me. I'm thinking of using some Sempervivum here.

2009-05-06 garden

I gave the Cobaea a big pruning on top; it's all the way off the deck right now, but it will come back. It is coming back.
Besides the flowers, I really like its ropey trunk.

2009-05-06 garden

Here's another place where I'm not happy. I did some pruning and made a hole. Whoops.

2009-05-06 garden

The hole let me find this lost Calochortus tho'.

2009-05-06 garden

I guess planes flying over my garden would get a view like this.

2009-05-06 garden

And this. Remember when I moved my compost bin? It used to be over here under the tree fern. Now that I've moved it the tree fern has lost a major feeding artery, and the fronds are coming up much smaller than they used to, which is, well, horrible. Size matters!

2009-05-06 garden

Here's a view from where the compost bin was.

2009-05-06 garden

And another.

2009-05-06 garden

This is the nursery area. I'm still not sure what to do with the lovage (Levisticum officinale). How big should a pot be to keep it reasonably happy?

2009-05-06 garden; Levisticum o.

And the meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria). I need a plan for that too. Maybe some would be nice underneath the tree fern.

2009-05-06 garden; Filipendula

This year is going to be big for fall aster (Symphotrichum chilensis). I have four big, spreading patches of this plant. It may actually become something that I have to dig up in places to keep under control. Or, maybe not.

2009-05-06 garden; Symphotricum chilensis

Also doing extremely well, but not subject to being dug up, Keckiella cordifolia--a favorite California native, from SoCal, I believe. Ungainly and wild, its stems spread through neighbors and resembles a frightwig. Then it makes hundreds of red trumpet-shaped flowers. Bring it.

2009-05-06 garden; Keckiella cordifolia

In the lower left, I staked a pot* of Nerine to shore up a slope that was exposed and eroding into the path a bit. (*Poked bamboo stake into ground, put pot on top of stake through drainage hole--thus securing the pot from tip-overs when accidentally kicked by clumsy gardeners.)

2009-05-06 garden

Sinningia tubiflora may flower soon. In the meantime, the felty leaves are the softest leaves in the garden.

2009-05-06 garden

Even softer than lambs ear (Stachys byzantina)

IMG_7833

I'm just about sick of looking at bulb foliage. Where I haven't cut it to the ground, I'm braiding it.

2009-05-06 garden

2009-05-06 garden

2009-05-06 garden; Sisyrinchium bellum

2009-05-06 garden; Asphdeline lutea

2009-05-06 garden; 'Victoria'

2009-05-06 garden

14 comments:

Adriana said...

Is that a walking onion?

chuck b. said...

Yes.

Frances said...

Hi Chuck, hooray for your lamb's ear! Not from TN is it, I thought that was a failure of shipping packing? Love your views from an airplane, so funny that Someone would even think of that, isn't it? It all looks so good, but I am with you on the bulb foliage. The daff greens are the worst here, last way too long with our also unusually wet spring. The tulips are yellowing nicely and can be cut now. They are so much more polite. I have the Fuchsia outside but in the shade, should it be in the sun to produce blooms? Feeding?
Frances

chuck b. said...

Tulip foliage is kind of pretty if one can stand let it die--it turns red. Yeah, daff greens are the worst. I would give the Fuchsia part sun. It may or may not flower this year. How tall is it now? I wouldn't worry about feeding; good potting mix should be sufficient.

Pam J. said...

Your garden is divine.

chuck b. said...

Thank you!

Jacque said...

I really enjoyed your garden, the variety and controlled wildness is the way I like to garden. This year I am mixing more edibles into the flower bed areas. I will need to read back, I was wondering if you have any water features? ~Jacque

Christopher C. NC said...

Designing for overhead views from planes is a critical element of design now, what with google maps and all.

I really must make a proper nursery area for starting seeds. My current haphazard hodgepodge is severely lacking.

chuck b. said...

Jacque, a birdbath is my only water feature. I installed a pond when I very first started, but it attracted raccoons who trashed the place. I have a fountain I might install some day, but I haven't gotten around to it.

Christopher, That's a very good point you make about views from planes.

Catherine@AGardenerinProgress said...

Looks so pretty! We have lots of columbines blooming here now, they are all so different.
I remember asking you the type of camera you had, I think you said a powershot. If it is, do you mind telling which one you have? I think we're going to get one this weekend. Your pictures are always so clear and bright!

chuck b. said...

It's a Canon PowerShot A650 IS. But that model has been discontinued.

Maggie said...

Wow.
My first visit. Came in from Ewa's and wow. Just WOW!

Daphne said...

Beautiful garden and beautiful photos. Just wondering if you know what kind of skipper that is? I've noticed one in my SF yard in the last few days that loves my flowering onion chives. Thanks for the inspiration.

Bay Area Tendrils said...

My God... You're so ambitious! (Reminds me of me about 10 years ago... the garden's maturing and I'm slowing down).