It has been so hot and humid these past days that to see a little sun shining on anything was so nice. The days are gray because of weather systems and wildfires. I think we are all hoping things will calm down soon for the earth's sake. Mean while I try to do what I can in the garden with limited mobility and this wretched knee from hell ?
When you take a camera from a cool, dry home to a hot humid garden .. it complains and gives you some rather foggy excuses for photos ? The fence on this side is our neighbor's and she seems set on not repairing it. It is rather discouraging when we are so conscious of keeping ours in good shape. Could this be an episode of that wacky American show Neighborhood Wars" ? LOL
Every gardener needs a few plants that make them smile right ? Hosta "Twist of Lime" does that for me .. there is just something so cute about mini plants, especially hosta for some reason because my Blue Mouse Ears does the same thing for me.
I love a hit of white through out the garden, especially on dull days like these. It just seems to lift the other plants around it as well. Astilbe are a favorite of mine , so I have two of these types on opposite sides of the back garden.
Giant Fleeceflower aka Persicaria polymorpha is a great architectural plant for height and yes you can prune it to stand nice and tall without flopping flowers. I have two varieties of Dogwood shrubs to pick up that needed "light" in this darker area. Everything looks nice until the BUGS start eating them.
Sweet Autumn clematis is also another hit of bright white but it can be a monster vine so I really have to prune it back to tame it.
I have steered clear of bee Balm for many years because of powdery mildew driving me mad.
This is "Bee Mine" pink .. it is supposed to be quite resistant but the summer has really just begun so we will see. I don't want to like it too much ... but I think it is too late ?
My big beautiful gold hosta is "
Coast to Coast" from the Shadowland series. I like pairing that gold colour with the gold barberry on the other side.
The lighting this day is really poor and doesn't do the garden justice but it still looks fairly good for now from this aspect. I haven't been in the front gardens for ages .. ugh !
The view from the opposite direction for perspective .. I have tried to pack too many trees here and that is going to bit me a few years down the road I am sure. Blue Mouse Ears mini hosta lives behind the curved stone.
Upper clematis (one I almost ripped out) is Warsaw Nike that "falls on my Japanese maple.. the bottom one that scrambles over Little Lamb hydrangea is Madam Julia Correvon.
The "allyway" garden is blooming ike mad .. the kiwi vine is unbound and reaching to grab both houses. Note to self .. get that pruned !!!
This should be taken in sunlight because that apricot/orange looks so much more vibrant in proper light
Golden Spirit smokebush (training to be a tree) has amazing "flowers" I am so glad to be in awe and curious about plants and animals .. I can't imagine not being this way. I am also so glad my garden provides me with those feelings .. even though "we" may not agree where a plant should be planted at times ? haha
So , I have cut down on pots for the deck.. a lot of my herbs are in the garden now, but I keep the dill , rosemary, and some new lavender on the deck to enjoy them and keep an eye out for caterpillars that I can help from the dill hopefully. I haven't seen any butterflies so far though but fingers crossed !
14 comments:
Despite the heat, everything looks fresh and happy. Like you, I love the golden smoke tree.
Your garden shows up beautifully in your photos despite the smoky haze. Oddly, both your sweet autumn clematis and your Monarda are well ahead of mine, at least this year. It's been an exceptionally cool and gloomy spring for us and, although Los Angeles County is experiencing its first heatwave of the year, our persistent marine layer is still keeping temperatures lower along the coast, which may account for the lag in our bloom schedule. I love your Persicaria polymorpha but, since my garden guide doesn't even list it, I expect that means it won't grow in my climate. I adore hostas too but they definitely hate it here.
Your garden may look hot but visually it's cool and refreshing.
We've been reading with dismay about all the wildfires up north--we know what it is like--bad.
Best wishes for better weather and rain enough to put some of the fires out and clear the air.
it looks lovely.
So sorry about your knee. Hubby did his in last week.
Hello Phillip ;-)
Thanks very much ! Yes the smoke (trees) are very special to me, I have the dark Winecraft smaller cultivars and they make me smile a lot. Your Wolf Eyes and Redbud Flamethrower are STUNNING ! .. I just gasped when I saw Flamethrower my absolute favorite of trees now. I doubt I could ever get it here or that it would be hardy enough but what a gorgeous tree !
Hi Kris and thank you ! isn't that strange about those two plants being ahead of yours. Yes Persicaria is a big gal and needs moisture .. I think of it as a cousin ? to Goatsbeard. pretty soon my hosta will be fighting slugs and snails and looking a little sad, but such is gardening , right ? I love the thought of a marine layer .. brings me back to east coast fog when I was little .. loved that !
Hello there Hoover Boo ;-) thank you ! Yes .. it is overwhelming to think those beautiful forests are burning up .. so many, so much .. thank you for the best wishes, we need all the help we can get.
Jenn thank you ... we don't really grasp how much our knees do for us until the don't ? LOL
I hate being at a standstill with my two favorite activities gardening and yoga but this takes a long time to heal ... drats !
Once again I am delighted to see your beautiful photos of your outstanding garden. I had missed the previous post so I enjoyed a double dose. Thankyou for posting and keeping us keen and inspired.
Hello there WC ! Thank you so much for your kind comments ! .. it is going to be a little tougher with this intense heat wave ... and I am already looking forward to Autumn ? LOL
I'm keeping an eye on this new Bee Balm ... to see if it can survive me without going mad with powdery mildew .. I already had to pack in the sweet peas because of an aphid infestation that would not stop .. ugh. How is your garden doing ?
Oh Joy, I do hope you feel better soon and your mobility improves. I hope the terrifying wild fires die down too. Shame your neighbour doesn't sort her fence, so annoying....but....wow, your garden has burst into life and looks delightful. Oh, those climbers are to die for!!!xxx
Hello there You !
Yes these wildfires are something else , I don't think Canada has had a year like this ever .. we are so lucky not to be in any areas directly affected but the smoke turns our skies gray and you can smell burning wood at times.
This bloody knee injury started when I was 20 ... and every once in a while it gets tweaked, worse tweaking yet this time .. and my two favorite activities pay for it .. gardening and yoga. Can't do anything about it but ice & heat and elevation .. I might as well be climbing Mount Everest ? LOL
Garden fences, I had to laugh, I was banging on about this stuff in a reply to your comment on my post.
I am puzzled by your neighbour's fence. Now, we are looking at your garden and that's your neighbour's fence as seen from your side. Is it not normal practice for you to paint it.
You would love my neighbour - NOT.
Your garden is still looking great in spite of the lack of sunshine.
I hope your knee problem gets sorted out. Alistair
Hello there Alistair and thank you !.. Thankfully my neighbor on the other side is very nice , so it sort of makes up for the awkward one ? LOL .. I love going out to the back garden because we put in that 8 foot fence .. privacy is just one of my go to things to truly enjoy puttering around in my garden. Besides .. I look odd dragging my injured knee around, no one needs to see that circus ! haha
8 foot fence, we are only allowed 6 foot. We also have a very nice neighbour at the other side and the one over the back who worried over rose petals falling on her washing has redeemed herself. If I were on Facebook, I would even add her to my friends.
Yes ... we sneaked in our 8 footer and had one complaint (our back of the fence neighbor, who is ANNOYING anyways) but our nice neighbor worked in that city department .. got the actual call and told that neighbor it was legal ! LOL
I don't do any of those social platforms .. they are a mine field for nutcases to come out of the wood work .. LOL
It's amazing how dill grows in a pot on your porch, Joy. I also need to try. Beautiful clematis, I have the same ones and also bloom. My white astilbes also make a beautiful backdrop next to the lawn. I hope your neighbor improves the fence soon.
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