Pages

Tuesday 2 August 2016

When your "passion" bears fruit ...

Well .. surprise is one way of describing what Garden PA pointed out to me .
How it escaped me ?? has me wondering just how many brain cells really have packed up and left "home" ... leaving my garden brain section in a questionable state.
Here is the amazing little fruit !
The vine is leaning against the side of the house on the deck so all this summer heat may be encouraging it.
We are hoping to see more developing ... have you ever eaten passion flower fruit ?
So .. what else is my poor garden with missing gardener doing on it's own ?
It still appears full and lush .. we had such a tiny bit of rain yesterday, it was a TEASE.
The sprinklers are now set for every odd morning now .. 5:30 ... trying for the best time in the morning so refresh and revitalize ?
Meanwhile ... Casa Blanca finally opened.
I know it seems I am too centered on lilies  ... but they have been such beauties in this ghastly heat.
As for other plants ?
My containers are still surviving ... I manage to run out and water them, nightgown and all .. ugh !
I made them from basic baskets bought at Home Depot but they have become Frankenstein pots !
"Black Rattlers" from the baptisia .... I consider them Halloween decorations .. go figure ?
Helenium and Golden Jubilee hyssop are so pretty together as they mature.
Different astilbe bloom in succession .. Delft Lace is gorgeous beside My Monet weigela.
Little Lime ... is lime
Southern Bush Honeysuckle is blooming yet again ....
And ... very hungry butterflies will linger longer for you to take pictures of them.
This poor wee one had a tear in it's wing ...
So here we are into August and I am setting a record for not being in the garden .. the guilt is tremendous but there is little that I can do at the moment, other than feel GUILTY.
Yet I make plans, and ? order garden books on sale from Lee Valley ... go figure ?

23 comments:

Carrie said...

Don't you worry or feel guilty! You've given your garden the love and nutrients it has needed and each plant is in it's right place - they are thriving because of you and look fabulous. You'll get out there and get gardening soon, for now, enjoy the view xxx

CiNdEe's GaRdEn said...

Everything is so beautiful. You are so lucky to have beautiful blooms all Summer(-: We it 115 degrees last week so needless to say everything is done here. It was done before but it is really done now(-: I enjoy seeing your blooms(-: Thanks for sharing!

Lisa at Greenbow said...

Obviously your garden is in great shape from all the work you did this spring. Well worth the results. Those pots are a big wow. Is the golden hyssop a perennial? It sure is a striking color. I had no idea that passion vine had fruit so I have never eaten it. Is it edible? What kind of passion vine do you have? Is it in full sun or partial? I have very little full sun. I love the passion vine flower. To have fruit would be a bonus. Don't feel guilty. The heat trumps guilt in my mind. I stay inside and fret. ha...

NanaDiana said...

Oh My Gosh!!! Just look how lush and beautiful your garden is!!! Can you actually eat passion fruit (she asked ignorantly)? I would love to have gardens like yours- mine are AWFUL this year and not going to get any better, I'm afraid.

Hope you are doing well- xo Diana

Nadezda said...

I have never eaten passion flower fruit , Joy and wait for to know you opinion. Your garden is lush despite of a little rain and working sprinklers. I love Casa Blanka, it's really pure white color.
Have a nice day!

Jennifer said...

It sure pays to have a watering system in place with a summer like this one! You garden looks so lush and green Joy! Your patio containers are amazing too. You should see my garden. It looks shellshocked. Everything is drooping and thirsty even with me watering as often as I can. Sadly there isn't even some rain in the forecast. At least it is to be a couple of degrees cooler this weekend.

Pat said...

So I'm guessing you've been away for awhile. No clue what passion flower is but the fruit looks interesting. We do watering at 5:00am but not for my backyard. Dam, your garden is so full...love it ! OMG don't think you can get larger pots but if one could it would be you, pretty arrangement. Maybe my hyssop don't flower much do to lack of watering. Nice capture of the butterfly. Hope you're enjoying the summer. I know we are. :)

rochefleuriegarden said...

Congratulations on growing passion fruit. I have never seen them. Perhaps with global warming they will become common! They certainly are not as yet.
You have so many beautiful plants. I wish my garden was half as neat as yours!

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Carrie you are such a dear heart, thank you ! .. the moments I do sneak out things seem t be surviving .. so fingers crossed I will soon be in full garden mode ... sometime ? : )
I had a quick peek of your camping post and loved it .. I have to leave some comments!!

Cindee girl wow ... that heat (of which we are getting a little LONG taste of) is so draining.We are lucky to have some blooms each month in this heat wave .. I so hope this won't be the typical trend though ... even with global warming/climate change .. maybe it might back off one year ? Stay cool girl .. hide in the house with the Little Princess ! haha

Lisa girl thank you: ) Yes the Golden Jubilee hyssop is a perennial even though it is supposed to be a zone above me it keeps coming back to delight me .. I love it !
Since we have never had "fruit" from this vine (just grow it in the summer .. treat it as an annual) .. but I Googled it and people do eat the fruit .. I am not absolutely sure though?LOL Yup .. you are right girl ... heat trumps guilt for sure ! haha

Diana girl hello there and thank you so much ! .. I have to get over to your blog (I have fallen so behind in visiting blogs) When the fruit is ripe .. we just want to look inside it to see what it looks like .. hope to capture pictures of it too.

Nadezda girl thank you so much : ) .. I hope to take pictures of what this fruit looks like inside .. yes, I love Casa Blanca for how beautifully pure white it is .. it glows in the garden.

Jennifer girl you would have laughed at my containers this afternoon .. talk about DROOPING! .. it is amazing what happens when you water them though .. coming back to life and not looking like zombie plants ? haha .. another yes for the sprinkler system .. best year possible to have it put in other wise the gardens would be in such poor shape I can't even "go there" to think about it ! haha .. no rain for us yet ....

Patsi girl .. I haven't been anywhere other than here ? LOL
Yes watering early in the morning .. we have the sprinklers set to start off at 5:30 .. but when I watered by hand I tried to be out there by 6:30 .. so I understand.
Thank you so much about the pots ... but I think next year I will tone it down a bit? LOL
Glad to hear you are having a good summer girl ... you must love the heat !

Alain hello there : )You are too sweet , thank you. I am thinking this hot dry summer is just the beginning .. I dread the change and the lack of anyone truly trying to change it.
How anyone can deny that this is happening is beyond me .. hope all is well where you are!

Victoria Williams said...

Your garden is looking fantastic! Despite little rain it's still looking lush and gorgeous. Those containers are to die for.

Helen said...

Oh, Joy, what a joyful garden! And you've made some changes to your blog since I was last here -- I think the last few times I visited via cell phone, and the new look wasn't as obvious. Things are looking great out your way, despite this hot, droughty summer. Enjoy the rest of garden season!

Helen said...

P.S. I have eaten passionfruit, but apparently the kind we can grow isn't tasty like the ones you can buy in the shops. Worth an experiment, though, perhaps? You can do a taste test and blog about it.

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Hello Victoria : )
Thank you so much .. but this lack of rain is incredible .. I have never seen such a dry summer in over 17 years .. record breaking here. Those containers are a lesson this season .. monsters ! haha

Helen girl thank you for dropping by : ) and thank you for the compliments!
This little fruit is very interesting but I am hesitant about actually eating it .. but cutting it to peek inside is where I will go with it, once it matures .. if I can tell it matured ? LOL

Casa Mariposa said...

Your garden looks fabulous! My lilies were duds this year so I'm glad yours are doing so well. I garden in my pajamas all the time. :o)

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Hi there and thanks Tammy girl .. I got CAUGHT this morning .. viewed close to the ally way garden by some nice woman walking her dog .. I didn't recognize her because all I wanted to do was ESCAPE watering can in hand and all !! haha .. she smiled and waved (probably felt so sorry for me ? haha) .. I had great lilies this year but maybe that means next year they will be duds ? jeez!
PS .. wish I could meet you at the fling next year ... but I just can't travel ... it is a shame because I know you have a wicked sense of humor (some what like I can be ? LOL)

RobinL said...

Now remind me, did you plant that passion vine recently? And it blooms for you? Mine bloomed the first year, then never again. I let it live for about three years, and then I had to tear it out. But it lives on, and on, and on. I cannot get it to leave me alone! Now I dearly LOVED the flowers, but the vine all by itself, without flowers, is just a thug. But you have flowers, and fruit! How wonderful! We've been beyond dry here, but over the last few days we've had about three inches of rain, and I am THRILLED. Even without rain, you've made your garden look fabulous. But I see you have a watering system, which sure helps.

Optimistic Existentialist said...

I absolutely love that stone walkway :) you have your own personal paradise

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Hello Robin .. This May Pop passion lower vine is just an annual I do when I can find it .. not planted in the garden but in a pot .. AND WE HAVE BEEN VERY SURPRISED ! with the fruit forming .. it has been a good year for it I guess .. we have had more rain in August so far than in the last 4 or 5 months but yes .. I am VERY grateful for our sprinkler system too!

Thank you so much OE : )
It is a paradise for me ... I appreciate it every day !
Your question on your blog has me still thinking .... hum ....

GRACE PETERSON said...

I hope by now, my friend, that the heat has abated, permanently. Funny though, your garden looks absolutely fabulous despite the weather. Fancy that. You are so freaking talented!!! I'm the same way with the heat. I can't function in it and do my gardening in the mornings and evenings. But now it's getting dark way too early. What happened to those evening putterings? Fall comes way too quickly. ... By the way, I purchased an Ostrich Plume Astilbe recently. I've always wanted one but wasn't sure where to put it. I finally told myself, "a pot, you dummy!" So I bought it and several other pot contenders. And now, I say, "amen sista" about the words on your right-border. I'm incurable. :) I hope you're doing well. I'd like to slap some sense into that Chloe. I never liked her character. But her little girl is a jewel. Poor kid. :) Write when you can. Hugs.

CanadianGardenJoy said...

This post was from Aug 2nd Gracie ... so the gardens were still looking "not too bad?" haha
The sprinkler system really has saved it .. now I am constantly thinking about Fall clean up which is going to be a real piece of WORK .. but Garden PA always helps me thank goodness.
OMG ... I can not take Chloe NOT getting caught for all she got up to .. it is hard to watch the show with STUPID beaten down story lines ... now Jack knows Billy & Phyllis have been at it ? DUH ??? hahaha ... I will try Gracie ! I am on a second round of meds to try and knock out another uti .. I am drained ... zzzzzzz !

Barbarapc said...

Your garden is looking absolutely fantastic - and it was a beast of summer, so give your self and big pat on the back - just marvellous. Haven't had passion fruit alone, but have had p.f. jam - anything with sugar named jam is generally a.o.k.

HELENE said...

Hello, I had a passionflower in my previous garden here in London, Passiflora caerulea, and it produced fruit every summer – but my variety of passionflower does not produce fruit that is particularly tasty. I did taste the fruit once, just so I could say I had tasted it, but although perfectly edible, it didn’t taste much at all.
If yours is called maypop, its full name is probably Passiflora incarnate ‘Maypop’ – and that is a passionflower grown for its fruit so you should definitely have a taste, they are supposed to be delicious when properly ripe.
Great to see you had lots of flowers still in your garden in beginning of August, I suspect now, late September, autumn has started in your garden?

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Hello Barb girl ..Yo are so right about this whole season being a beast .. just too much for me to handle properly this year, so my gardens have had to care for themselves ? good lord I never thought that would happen ! haha
I am totally with you on the bit about anything with sugar named jam or just about anything ? s AOK with me too ! LOL

Hello Helen .. thanks for stopping by .. I just skimmed through your post and your pots and gardens are amazing ... the plum glut with the liquor making has me so curious ! I hope it all turns out well for you ... it may be great medicine for your back when it complains ? LOL
Here is hoping next year won't be so hard on us eh ? LOL