I apologize for the scarcity of blog posts recently, but I've been distracted by non-garden stuff. I'm not as tweeting much either.
![IMG_6585](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_uI9jEq23q5iGsWprxUrTRrBQNQcjNHYbEiykMXio_1qIQZ65xu6RsWks4_Cr9ux-Ww_jbrciAn-zcXaJg9FyyLImP-HteuZle1m1qYltk4t6kbPUIWsOto0OnBn4c3130=s0-d)
The garden really slows down this year and it's tempting to think "nothing is happening". Also, the light is mediocre most of the time. There's a very narrow time interval when you can take pictures.
![Arctostaphylos bakeri 'Louis Edmunds'](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_tUjOhz5umff9dmXQTohTIAjZ-kEvYv2147gBwIuTLiVjZVG33_wFcNohvyvqw9AY0HihMHHupKullWfPXJ9JRj-ke5pkgvy9P66fFIKszUEVsMpw7vK7StN74vFjS5p3I=s0-d)
You can see what I mean from the deck.
![IMG_6515](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_tvTuF9rto-OoHfnUHILQBrejkAf05Q9_92e-V9PVi-qccaZLGJcDmP_X8HsBqDsNR6Ty5RMjKglNDGi_yHdWSfOebhAhxWqOeZgqWpSNTFimn3YhiMbhIx7GW1IRBvP40=s0-d)
But things
are happning; there's no confusion about that.
![Mushrooms](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_ti1egO8yoVZabzs4vJ4EoOEIeGxhGbEX5EBKwPGv9ER7_-epyxAcVx9ZAnRcqYdqlzeCs5cKiWgq1iYEgfNcRY-arqWHHPha2a49mmPwpD_S0hLQZjdLrprS6kgABRtlA=s0-d)
I learned about the crimson-flowering fava beans from
Michelle.
![Vicia faba](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_s1zfsyuNNojehM_NeRcoxQTuGVtIDyjieNSOlRiqRUSAYu2Yvg88VWHOzCZKRFxFwbD5V58te1FG2ZZbpNZVxWyOf18-H9CdgJKreuAgEjJms7jhDAP0LBjH00c80T0Q=s0-d)
I forgot the name of this tiny Gladiolus
![IMG_6538](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_u7X4vp8Loxuijqkq118blqpX23vzVGEQBS330So5DwMNWRnpKIg1MPgTldzC5a3UBksnhIu265ouOEho-ofdbBUPsu6QEoPRDuJuouT5Zk9m3QyXdWu27a_naMnxB7e1Y=s0-d)
Echium pininana may be the closest thing this garden will ever get to a "structural plant". I have five of them in the ground, and sixth one on the way. The first batch grew vigorously from fresh seed, but seed sown later seems less so.
![Echium pininana](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_tS28ctSKc8zetKDMNKBK5qwEsvlGFiVl-LpLNvxJlw6ZEHZmpGIcgJHGrG4WoDJMhJLUh_oSvEI9Ob5jG2kmHLM5N45FjPZ2fmnvtBPcy5n9phAG-bc8S5fmgFyyowBOU=s0-d)
Anyway, they grow straight up and become towering spikes of blue flowers in the spring and summer. I'm not sure if that will happen in 2010 or not, so I have a wait-and-see approach.
Lots of things are sprouting from the ground, besides mushrooms.
![Poppies, camissonia](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_t50N7JDngMHiq6X6aLJHjMhUxqWe-9h_OB7ULfo0wK1bx7WFHApjGkofG_AcLlTjDy96Ft6sg7n7g0YpL3qIctoS2wvH8Ke5qVrkZQa0Thg2WeLA44uYyen7e2IP8qyg=s0-d)
![IMG_6503](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_vSDNFWn5vFKoouGm1nwWpma5ut2qR1gvVvvxdgiwTVstkfh9iF_HreZ6YbQpq64anwRAkOnXH3wr5X6FkhtSzKUJAQic42cMG6DKjDuHKB0aqH5b7qDGW5l8A7eKP6FZ8=s0-d)
![IMG_6475](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_tilz8EqSkjSZvxxzK88mMB1A_s9pW_LpUI3chSocMAgVBYHslz0OctQLufnI0iMAmFDZcuHrvpwyY6LIxjvDtjsB_NHCEAWh43ad3xA7YLLDCj5CeHjWCwYMTwoNJ5Odo=s0-d)
And some trees have flowers.
![IMG_6571](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_u7xLsD6hlkSZxfdSenG0niCwLxnJ-JnunsWRpwlVaQdkn1zFVjQIQ2rFoxr-CJLmR3pW2AhBxp2Gi3Z92Cy8uAbgSM6D6qeemFMGXw_J3oaLttcw5z0YM77gnfSieMdPE=s0-d)
And some of the trees that don't have flowers will have flowers later, like this Ceanothus with Rosa 'Moonlight' climbing up into it,
![IMG_6561](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_s-eT9fd1UyXcFzyDWBWvaRGHJm5BbW-KFIZeC_nATsNGW9gwR6Zt1I8Jq516S9ku1My09ICLhsxiW-Mm5qPi7O011g3ru8BbKsaZiDacbelO2ZGw97Y9M_Z1CLXeHJSA=s0-d)
an idea that occurred to me while I was writing a note to Frances about what I should do with Rosa 'Moonlight'.