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 A quick post - I've been away from the garden for a few days.   I know hollyhocks are basic, I've always loved them.  Flowers all along a stalk, and the nice height what's not to like?


 I drove to Santa Barbara, packed up my  daughter Olivia from college and we are back home in Livermore for the summer.  It was 85 all three days I was away, so I did a good watering before leaving.  Now we are weirdly back in the 70's, but sunny so no complaints here!
The tomatoes are taller than me,  I have good intentions every year of keeping them pruned and tidy.  Life happens, I'm gone a few days and they take off.
Although they are unruly, I usually have more tomatoes than I can handle.  I noticed there is a tomato volunteer between the 2 raised beds.  Likely from feeding the chickens an overripe tomato last year (their coop was here until last spring).
More hollyhocks, the fluffy double apricot.
All of the various penstemon are so full, will need a trim soon to stop their flopping.
Echinacea are opening up here and there.

Baby dragonfly!

I don't remember throwing an Amaryllis apple blossom in this bed, but it sounds like me.

A pretty combo of the not quite open trachelium caeruleum 'Hamer Pandora' and orange gazania.
And Delphinium Cobalt Dreams (now I see the unsightly stake) and gaura.  

A too mid-day picture of Eriogonum grande 'red buckwheat' mixing in with some lavender, smokebush (needs pruning so I can see the sidewalk when I pull out of the garage), calendula and gazania.  Thankfully the calendula is simmering down, the color doesn't blend so beautiful with the buckwheat.

And in cactus news, a new stenocereus beneckei.  A replacement for a larger one I dropped on it's head 3 too many times.  *I really did.  I'm not touching/moving/watering this one.  It's just going to sit here and develop roots while I ignore it.  A nice spot by the house, sun from morning to about 2pm.  And we're low 70's this week, so I think that will feel perfect after living in a box for a week.

Found my lunch!

Time to get some chores done!



Comments

  1. Kris PetersonJune 19, 2023 at 12:20 PM

    I love hollyhocks! Regrettably, I've never succeeded in growing them here, where they're magnets for rust. I gave growing veg in favor of flowers several years ago but I do miss tomatoes and sugar snap peas. I wish I could curl up and shut out the world like Dr Feelgood - my cat Pipig, now nearly 16, kept me up half the night but is now sleeping blissfully on her heating pad.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. tz_gardenJune 19, 2023 at 1:12 PM

      hahaha, Pipig - of course she's sleeping now! You know, I thought this wet year would increase the rust and I didn't even treat the front one time this year. Usually I spray copper fungicide in March/April but there were zero signs of rust. I didn't even think of that until I read your comment. I think the Spring of 2023 will be one to remember, garden wise.

      Delete
    2. tz_gardenJune 19, 2023 at 1:15 PM

      *Theres not much better than a garden tomato! I didn't do peas this year, which would have probably been a stellar year for them with the cooler temps.

      Delete
  2. Beth at PlantPostingsJune 19, 2023 at 12:29 PM

    Wow, very impressive with the Tomatoes and the Hollyhocks (and everything else!). I'm glad you've had some beneficial rain. We're down about 7.5 inches from "normal" for May and June here in Madison. :( Your garden looks lovely and the kitty is so cute!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. tz_gardenJune 19, 2023 at 1:16 PM

      Thank you! You are missing quite a bit of rain over a relatively short period of time. HOpefully you get a nice 1-2 day downpour to make up for it. I love that darn cat!

      Delete

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