GardenBook

   I've acquired a modest collection of Mangaves over the last few years-most of them are still in pots  but I am slowly transitioning some of them to the ground. The advantage with pots is that it's easier to move them out of harms way in winter, which as it turns out is a must-do for some cultivars. Some are also apparently a gourmet treat for snails. I bought most of those that I have collected from the UC Davis Arboretum plant sales-they had them back when nobody else did. This year though I opted to hold off buying any more until I  have a better plan for winter . I saw inconsistent reactions to rain and cold  so a year to just to shift plants around and  observe the results seemed like a wise choice.   The rainy season of 20-21 has featured (so far) only 8.19 inches of rain (season normal in the 25" range) and lots of frost with typical early morning temperatures in the 29 to 32 range. The coldest temp I registered here was 24f . It's not un...

 There is always lots of bloom action going on in the garden in June, and I didn't even try to capture everything. This is a selection of those I am particularly enjoying.   I have no tag for this Lily, but it was the first to open. I planted it because it looked like Regale , which at the time I was unable to find. I planted three Regale this spring and they are budded up. It will be interesting to compare. This Lily is very upward facing, it's a trumpet called 'Silver Angel' . The blooms are just about at eye level . It almost disappeared last summer and I thought it was a goner but it came back strong this year. I count 15 buds after a count of maybe two in 2019.  A newcomer to my garden this spring, Scabiosa caucasica 'Perfecta Alba' . I think I can plant a couple more of these in close proximity for a nice supply of summer cut flowers. Angelica stricta pupurea , a plant that is very popular with pollinators.  The bloom of...

 This is actually Bloom Evening-I'm a bit behind schedule . It's still the 15th at May Dreams Gardens , where Carol provides us a platform to share our flowers on the 15th of every month, but I'm right under the wie for midnight on the east coast. Here is a small sample of what I have going on in zone 9, Northern California.  This has become one of my favorite Lilys, Carte Blanche, an Orienpet from the Lily Garden in Vancouver Wa. 6 to 7 ft tall in my garden , which allows for easy viewing of the slightly down turned blooms, unless you are in the NBA. All Fuchsias are in full bloom, but I only took a photo of "Winston Churchill a favorite I have grown for at least 20 years. You can see the damage from one of the few hot days we have had this summer .  One of my fave Sanguisorbas, my un-named seeding from Far Reaches Farm.  This patch of Eucomis is scheduled for removal  this fall-it takes uo way too much space and in a small garden 3 big cl...

  The possibility of rain is on the agenda  in the next few days , so it was good to get some photos of the roses while they still look good. I welcome the rain  even if it turns some roses into  blobs. Hopefully it's enough precip to allow  me to skip watering chores on the upcoming weekend, and the forecast is promising in that regard. Whatever the rainfall numbers this could easily be the end of it until fall. Of course it means more weeds-always a trade-off.  Bloomday is hosted by Carol over yonder at May Dreams Gardens ; be sure to visit to seek out more floral action .  Passiflora 'Blue Horizon' has exceeded expectations after failing to die back over winter. It's moving steadily into this NOID bush Fuchsia (that also stayed green all winter) and might be headed for the Birch adjacent to my front porch. Diligent observation and and possible intervention is called for.   This has been the very best year ever for Madame Isaac Pei...