In which I failed to document the heatwave as it happened

But for the sake of posterity, let it be known that we had 2 consecutive days of 100+ deg F, and then a third day in the mid-90s. I think the official San Francisco temperature was somewhere in the 90s all three days, but temperatures soared way over that in the backyard micro-climate.

It seems that my digital thermometer doesn't function properly at extreme temperatures. At one point, it recorded 132 deg F.



The potted cherry trees dropped all their leaves, but that seemed to be the extent of any heat-related stress effects. Things have returned to "normal" and we're back in the low 60s today. Bleh.

In the thick of it, the princess flowers shriveled up into dark purple crisps. I thought they'd drop, but they cooled off okay.



And the heat didn't melt my neighbor's house.



The sunflowers paid no mind



and Verbena bonariensis kept on keepin' on.



There it is above with one of two Angelica stricta 'Purpurea' from Annie's Annuals and Perennials. Another one is a little farther along.



It's kind of a disappointment when Cosmos blooms white, imo.



The heat might have prompted this long-suffering Passiflora sanguinolenta, also from Annie's Annuals, to make its first flower.



This poor plant has been moved, stomped on, and broken so many times I thought it wasn't going to make it. I managed to provide it safety for the last year, but safety was shady and I worried it wouldn't grow. After a long climb, the vines reached daylight and now it flowers.

(As I was took its picture this morning, I thought about how lucky those of us are who garden here to have Annie's Annuals to garden with. They always have so many different, interesting things to try. I feel gratitude.)

I think this corner area could use some color adjustments.



And as I sit here right now, I'm thinking some dark green foliage might do the trick. Hmm...





Just a week or two ago I was entertaining the notion of removing Salvia uliginosa for failure to perform. Well, it's performing now, and the blue flowers are among my favorite.



So I'm not entertaining that notion anymore. For now.