Dirt Therapy

The last day of August approaches and the end of my least favorite month. With it comes another hot week. Today is especially bad with almost 100 degrees. The garden looks okay though despite this and the fact that we've had no rain in over 70 days! Most of these photos were taken last week on a very cool day with the marine layer present. Redbud 'Flame Thrower' seems to hate the heat as much as I do and looks absolutely terrible on hot days. It was just planted this year and I'm not sure if it just hasn't settled in yet or if it despises the full sun exposure it is getting. But here it is looking its best. Another stunning tree but one with a few drawbacks is Harlequin Glory-Bower or Peanut Butter Tree ( Clerodendrum trichotomum ). I haven't been able to get a photo that does justice. It presents an elegant sight looking out at it from our back deck and the hummingbirds and bees love it. The bad quality that I mentioned is a tendency to run and reappear in less...

Begonia 'Canary Wings' at the top left, surrounded by various fuchsias. A few annuals scattered throughout the garden and in pots on the deck. They are well-watered and fertilized weekly or sometimes bi-weekly. Most do well with the exception of the annual Vinca which has failed me every time I've planted it. It was a staple in the old garden but doesn't want to grow in the new one.  Here are some of the ones that look good at the moment - Cleome 'Senorita Rosalita' - I remember growing cleome, or "spider flowers" we called them, in Alabama and they would get huge, towering to 6 feet or more in late summer. I really love this dwarf variety and I liked it so much last year that I planted it again this year.  Wishbone Flower ( Torenia ) - another favorite for shadier areas. Not a lot of blooms on this one right now. I have it in a pot on the deck. Dichondra is another favorite. It is a very versatile plant and grows fine in full sun or even full shade.  ...

Due to dental surgery, I was unable to do any garden work this week. Since I felt well on Tuesday morning (the day after the surgery) but was told not to lift anything over 5 pounds, I suggested to Michael that we make another trek to Portland to look for a new sewing machine. This saga has been going on for a long time.  A trip two weeks ago was fruitless but he discovered another sewing machine store that sounded promising and it wasn't too much of a headache to get to. This time proved to be the charm - he found the machine he had been wanting - and happy to find a store that he could trust for the future. Let's hope this is a happy ending! Since One Green World was just right down the road from the sewing center and the saleswoman needed about 20 minutes to get his order together, we decided to kill time there. I first discovered this nursery a few years ago when I was looking for a loquat.  I've been contemplating another eucalyptus tree ever since I lost ours last y...

Chaste Tree ( Vitex agnus-castus ) Is it the 15th already? Yes it is. Time for Garden Blogger's Bloom Day. I haven't had a chance to photograph everything in the garden so I just have a few this month. For more gardens and bloom, check out May Dreams Gardens . My favorite plant at the moment is the amazing Chaste Tree (Vitex agnus-castus), pictured above and below. I absolutely love this plant and so do the bees. I hate that I don't have the variety name. Another view - Allium 'Milennium' 'Casa Blanca' Lily Canna 'Panache' Four O'Clocks ( Mirabilia jalapa ) Joe Pye Weed ( Eutrochium purpureum ) Rugosa Rose 'Purple Pavement' Rose 'Marie Pavie' Zooming in, you can see flowers forming on  Clerodendrum trichotomum  (Harlequin Glorybower) (Peanut Butter Tree) Rose 'Ballerina' Rose 'Lady Emma Hamilton' Rose 'Lady of Shalott' Fuchsia 'Lady Boothby' A very unusual fuchsia, Creeping Fuchsia (Fuchsia procumbe...