4/21/09

A hot day in the garden

Too hot. 100 deg F hot. This insane heatwave is supposed to end tomorrow, and be more like San Francisco again. Meanwhile...

Rosa 'Wild Blue Yonder' opened half way, then stopped. I wonder why.

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Carpenteria californica is less reticent. She has a lot to say this year, more than ever before.

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More every day.

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Asphodeline lutea is a newcomer, not particularly well-sited, but sited well enough for now.

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As nice as those things are, my heart belongs to the micro-meadow where poppies and coast melic grass intermingle with the newly budding leaves of pajaro manzanita.

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Various other parts of the garden do what they want, but as long as the manzanita grows, the poppies open, and the grassy wands wave, this little gardener is happy.

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It's spring! Welcome to the garden!

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14 comments:

Unknown said...

everything looks happy and lush. Great garden!

Chloe Marguerite said...

I love the mini meadow! And your Carpinteria C.!!

Good god, I've had mine for three years now and it's it's still a tiny little thing with no flowers. How do you do it?

Chloe M.

chuck b. said...

Really! That's interesting. I have no idea what I'm doing special with that plant... Due to its adjacency to other plants that I water, its roots probably get more water than they would get otherwise. I don't water most of the natives. Also, it goes in and out of sun during the year. Most of the plant is in shade throughout the year. Actually, I have two of them, and that's true for both. The tops get sun, that's it. I prune it a lot too, esp leaf pruning. I remove every single dead-looking leaf by hand. It's a lot of work.

Weeping Sore said...

Your garden is so lush and bursting with color. We've had a few triple-digit days here in San Diego, but nothing so verdant grows in my yard, so the only effect was that I have to water my starts more carefully.

CiNdEe's GaRdEn said...

It looks beautiful there in spite of the heat! It has been miserable here too the last few days. Cooler temps coming soon! Hopefully!!!! It is much to early in the season for such hot dry conditions!
CiNdEeS' GaRdEn

donna said...

It's going to be 86 degrees in WI tomorrow so I'm not surprised that it's 100 in San Fran. I think I've commented before on your Carpenteria californica and I see that it's still lovely.

jenn said...

Oo. A new plant to try:

Carpenteria californica is lovely. And from the Chapparel Biome!

Might be worth a try for me here in the low desert...

chuck b. said...

It's kind of hard to find. Keep it in light shade for best results.

Pam/Digging said...

Phew, and I thought our high of 94 yesterday was too hot for April. Your garden does look very spring-y though, despite the summery temps.

Bay Area Tendrils said...

Yes, let's hear for the micro-meadow! Seattle gardeners, well, they're as crazed as Portlanders and all of us plant geeks in the Bay Area!

Annie in Austin said...

If anyone can fit a micro-meadow on a city lot it is you, Chuck. I love your poppies! Sorry about the 100 degrees and hope it's cooler now.

The Carpenteria is amazing- looked it up and saw a common name is Tree Anemone, but it's botanically closer to Philadelphus/Mockoranges. Does it have a pleasant scent?

Annie at the Transplantable Rose

chuck b. said...

I didn't know that about the similarity to Philadelphus...interesting. The fragrance is very light--nothing like most mock oranges (except maybe for P. inodoratus). To this nose, it's a generic lily-type scent. But again, very light. I definitely encounter it because I have to push the branches away to walk past this plant in my small garden. Otherwise, I'd have to get very close to get the smell.

lisa said...

Beautiful spring, Chuck! We're getting that warm front just today, then the temps drop like a rock again to 38 tonight! Fickle spring for me so far.

Country Mouse said...

Love your micromeadow! - I'm trying to get one going here but it looks a lot like a "disturbed site" instead - mucho weedy at the moment!