It was HOT over the weekend, 100's. Yesterday afternoon I ran to the grocery store, as I left the store I was shocked to feel rain, real RAINDROPS! Although Livermore is fairly close to San Francisco (44 miles approx.) we have drastically different weather. No June gloom, barely get morning fog and can easily be 30° hotter than the Bay cities. It couldn't have amounted to anything but was still very exciting. I thought I would take advantage of the kooky weather for some pictures. Here are some long shots of the garden this morning, under the nice protection of some rare summer clouds.
My hope with the back garden is to someday walk out, and not be able to "see" everything. Hopefully to make a person want to walk down the pathways to check everything out.
Sorry for the almost duplicates, this shows the side of the house to the left is part of the veggie garden (behind the sunflowers). You can see haphazard shade cloth to protect the 2 remaining Phylica pubescens- which seems to be working! And yesterday I noticed the Hakea petiolaris was struggling and added shade on it as well, this is the first year so I should've protected it sooner. Fingers crossed.
The tallest sunflower hasn't started opening yet, I think it must be 18' tall.
And greenhouse. Dr. Feelgood is following the rules and staying on the path. He will give himself a good scratch on some of the cacti - but in a gentle way. All those years of medical school have really paid off.
From the other end, you can't really see the "beds". Cousin Itt have little umbrella hats to protect them from getting scorched (hopefully).
I have some golden barrels to get in the ground.
And a few fun things. Peeling bark, love.
From Arbutus unedo, strawberry tree.
Lilies blooming here & there.
with a cool fern I can't remember the name of.
Gazania from seed this spring.
Hanging out on the porch.
Love this begonia.
The annoying and beautiful pepper tree is so full of bees you can hear the buzz from across the yard. *Look at that detritus it drops, weekly clean-up situation.
Platycerium superbum apron is growing daily!
Delphiniums back for a second round.
Dahlias, so much earlier than last year.
Lobelia aguana attracts hummingbirds, and really handles the heat.
And the crinums are starting to send out their blooms.
As I'm finishing this post up, the raindrops have started again. It's sunny and going to be 90° today. I feel like I'm in the tropics! Do you usually get June rain where you are and how much?
Raindrops! RAINDROPS!! It's been overcast here this morning, and for a while it looked like we might get some rain, but now I don't think it'll happen.
ReplyDeleteYou've laid a great foundation in your garden. Now all you have to do is wait a few years. Although that's the hardest part for any gardener :-).
I wondered if it moved your way. It really didn't last but a few minutes but I was thrilled nonetheless. Tom Petty was right, the waiting is the hardest part!
DeleteRain after April? No, not really. It has happened on occasion, but it's so very rare. I hope your rain didn't just make it muggy. You've really got quite the garden.
ReplyDeleteIt was short lived, it is hot & sunny again. I don't think I remember getting rain in June here before.
DeleteAs I recall, your back garden is relatively young - give it time and I'm sure your dreams will be realized. 100+ in June is brutal! We peaked at 94F this past weekend but yesterday was about 10 degrees cooler and the wind picked up in the afternoon so it felt cooler still. It had a Hawaii-like feel but there wasn't a drop of rain. We don't generally see any rain during the summer months unless a stray monsoonal event in the desert area to the east goes astray, in which case we generally get hail!
ReplyDeleteIt is young, I ripped out all the perennials and went dry garden in the back about 3 - well, seriously 2 years ago. So yes, I need to let it grow. Hail! That's nuts. 84 sounds like paradise, I do think we'll be back around that soon, thankfully.
DeleteGorgeous...everything you've shared here! I always forget that it's hotter and drier inland from San Francisco. Love that city, but I wouldn't want to live there for various reasons. We've been humid and in the high 80s and low 90s lately. Looking forward to high 70s and low 80s in the 10-day forecast. That Strawberry Tree is really nifty.
ReplyDeleteThank you Beth, 70/80's sounds just perfect to me!
DeleteI love the pepper tree. I'm assuming it sheds? I hope you got more than a few drops of rain!
ReplyDeleteOh, it sheds! You can't really stand under it without something landing in your hair. I think our bit of rain is over but I thoroughly enjoyed it.
DeleteOh I remember that feeling! Waiting, waiting, waiting for the back garden to feel enclosed, not so open. I'm finally there, and you will be too. You have so many gorgeous plants! I love your covered daybed, I don't remember seeing it before. Re: rain in June, not so much anymore. I guess it used to be the norm in Portland but these days summer starts earlier.
ReplyDeleteI told myself today, enjoy the waiting. Thank you, I just moved that daybed and it is SO much better where it is now. I think so, and the cat completely agrees with me. I remember Rose Festival being drenched a few times growing up.
DeleteTracy, your garden is wonderful and seems so large in your photos. It's too bad that the rain was short-lived. Your flowering blooms are all beautiful as are the porch blooms.
ReplyDeleteoh, thank you Beatrice :)
DeleteThe garden is looking great. I am surprised you can grow lilies there. I love the Strawberry Arbutus and have never seen one. I thought it was a Eucalyptus with the bark. Our rainy season has just kicked in and it is thundering right now. Amelia
ReplyDeleteRain and thundering! Wow! the Strawberry tree was one of the first things I planted back there, I'd always wanted one.
DeleteJudging from your gardens, I had thought you were farther south.
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DeleteOh, interesting! We are zone 9b, very hot and dry -but do get a few hours of freeze on some mornings Jan/Feb. About 14-15" rain annual.
DeleteThese photos are gorgeous! It looks so nice and fresh after a bit of rain!
ReplyDeleteThank you honey!
DeleteI enjoyed the long view of your garden; it gives me a better idea of its layout and size (Big!).
ReplyDeleteI have to admit, once I saw that very cool lounge bed, I (almost) forgot about the plants: it would be a favorite napping spot for me.
Your staghorn fern is gorgeous! A runner up: 18' sunflower. Wow.
Chavli
Thank you Chavli. Moving the bed there has really increased the amount of use it gets. The cat really prefers it, too. That sunflower is on steroids!
DeleteI enjoyed the walk around. :-)
ReplyDeleteI think I have the same greenhouse as you.
Amazon? it's better than I thought it would be for the relatively inexpensive price.
DeleteNo rain for us again until fall. It's been hot and dry, in the 100s during the day. The new normal for the PNW, I guess. What type of cloth did you use for your temporary shade structures? I've already lost several plants to scorching. Just wasn't expecting this kind of heat to last for days. It is interesting to see which plants take it in stride even though they are new. Oh, and your fern is Asplenium scolopendrium 'Cristatum', a hart's tongue fern.
ReplyDeleteOh, thank you on the fern ID!!! I got a big roll of shade cloth in the middle of winter. I wanted to switch to the lighter color which Home Depot always seems to be out of when I need it in summer. I probably got it on amazing? I believe it's 40%
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