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Swapping Huckleberries

Himalayan Honeysuckle ( Vaccinium glauco album)  Himalayan Honeysuckle ( Vaccinium glauco album) has been an attractive feature along our north-facing foundation since I planted it in 2016. You will have to take my word for it since I cannot locate a photo although I know one exists somewhere in the realm of the Internet or floating on a cloud somewhere.  I did locate a photo of how it looked when it was first planted - It took a few years to fill out but it did so nicely to an attractive mound about 2 feet high by 3 feet wide.  Last year, it started to look bad.  I cut it back but it had not improved and this is how it looked a few weeks ago - I decided to rip it out and plant another huckleberry - this time Vaccinium ovatum , more commonly known as the "Evergreen Huckleberry".  This is a plant that I've wanted for ages and kept putting off getting one because I could not find a good place for it. By most accounts, this is an amazing plant, a native one and excellent for

Looking Good in August

African Daisy (Osteospermum), Fan Flower (Scaevola) and
Sweet Potato Vine (Ipomoea)

It is the most miserable time of year and last week was a doozy. We had a record number of days with temperatures over 90. 

As I write this, however, the windows are open and a cool breeze is coming through the house. It is about 70 degrees, much more to my liking. This will be short-lived as another 3-day stretch of hot weather is coming up this weekend.

Gladiolus 'Olympic Flame' in a pot. These were a very pleasant surprise!


Agapanthus 'Purple Potion' - This is the first time I've
gotten agapanthus to bloom. 


One of my favorite plants - African Boxwood (Myrsine A. 'Scarlet Marglin').
 It grows in a pot on the deck in full shade. 


A heat-lover that I love is the Chaste Tree (Vitex agnus-castus).
 The bees love it too.


Another plant that probably prefers it warm is this
 Yucca (Hesperaloe parviflora 'Coral Glow')


 
Clematis 'Comtesse de Bouchaud' - Most of the clematis are
on the wane but this one starts later.

Baby's Breath (Gypsophila paniculata 'Bristol Fairy')

Four O'Clocks (Mirabilis) - I haven't grown this since the Alabama days. There it was aggresive so I was apprehensive about it. I'm keeping my eye on it.

The lilies are doing nicely - most are in pots.
This one is 'Roselily Natalia'.

'Stargazer' still one of the best

I would never have guessed that pansies would be flourishing in August!


And for matter, snapdragons too!

Painted Tongue (Salpiglossis sinuata)

Porcelain Vine (Ampelopsis brevipedunculata 'Elegans')


Jasminum officinale 'Fiona Sunrise'


I guess I'm a fan of redbuds. These are just two - 'Ruby Falls' peeking on the far left and 'Rising Sun' on the right. In the middle is Himalayan Honeysuckle (Leycesteria formosa 'Jealousy').

'The Impressionist' - This poor rose has been moved three times. I have no idea why it is now pink - it is normally a coppery yellow. 

Michael pruning a rose and trying to save the clematis growing in it.



Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

Comments

  1. Your garden looks stupendous this August, especially given the recent heatwave. My Osteospermums mostly shut down flower production during the summer months (although, when I'm lucky, the plants themselves don't perish). My snapdragons are done and gone. The chaste tree I planted years ago from a tiny pot is still small and hasn't flowered but I haven't given up on it. Oddly, I haven't even seen flowers on my Hesperaloes this year - maybe too little water even for them :(

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  2. The photo of Yucca 'Coral Glow' is looking very nice against the weeping cedar. It's not often that you shoot this angle of the garden. It looks to be a dark leaf Euphorbia in the back. Do you know which it is?
    Chavli

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    Replies
    1. Chavli, that is Euphorbia 'Blackbird'. This bed is along the elevated retaining wall next to the driveway (that goes downhill). It has been a challenge finding things that grow well there.

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