I feel a little like I'm on pause. Maybe the daily news, perhaps just mid summer? Although the weather has been perfection this year - basically 80-85 every day. The most mild summer ever. Eryngium 'blue glow' (I think) is really showy this year, the thistle starts off silver and slowly turns blue-purple. The bottom of the foliage gets a little bedraggled, that's the only con.
I FINALLY saw one of the black squirrels! I'd heard of a family of black squirrels that live near the College Ave. neighborhood. A gorgeous neighborhood that once included the
Livermore Sanitarium, before it's closing in 1965 and then later demolished.
Years ago, Sophia and I were walking the Arroyo trail and popped in the "Sanitarium" neighborhood. An older feller stopped us to give us the history and that this building was part of the original Sanitarium - he said water tower. ? Who knows.
The cute little garage is round, maybe he was on to something. I love the wrap-around porch.
I've been removing crusty plants here & there, giving me some space for new & better things. This Boronia clavata (from UC Santa Cruz Arboretum) I potted up for the shade house.
The other plants from Santa Cruz are waiting in the wings, I'm very aware our weather could go scorched earth and don't want to jump the gun.
Grevillea 'flora gem', the eyelash foliage captured my attention.
As did the leathery dark foliage on Grevillea synapheae 'Picasso'. Ok, fine I also nabbed an Aloe polyphylla against my better judgement, I've killed one already. But the price was a steal compared to what they usually go for these days and I couldn't resist.
I planted this Mahonia eurybracteata 'Cistus Silvers' in the spring and it didn't seem to be doing much. Lo and behold when I walked by the other afternoon, it looks like it woke up!
I've been keeping busy taking out plants here and there, and weeding - I won't bore you with those photos. I added a baby Yucca rostrata in the slope from
David Neumaier. Hard to see, it's almost center, above the aloe marlothii with purple highlight marks.
The new growth on Eucalyptus macrocarpa looks almost lavender.
That dahlia is not supposed to be there, hahaha - clearly it survived the perennial removal and being buried with topsoil. I'm a sucker for black foliage, I'll have to move it to the front.
Orchids blooming here...
and there.
Coryphantha elephatidens looking like Heat Miser!
Her majesty, Dahlia cafe au lait finally living up to her fancy reputation.
Nice, but I still like the Dahlias from the wrong side of the tracks.
I guess that's a wrap on July. Hope all is smooth sailing for you, anyone taking a fun trip in August?
The blue thistles and orange orchids struck me.
ReplyDeleteThey would be nice together, actually!
DeleteIt has been a rather mild summer thus far. I say this at a whisper as I know as soon as we get complacent, the heat will arrive.
ReplyDeleteExactly what I am expecting. It's really been fantastic.
DeleteI think you're smart to leave your prized new acquisitions in the wings for now as summer is inevitably a tricky season (not that I don't sometimes ignore that warning myself). Your garden still has lots to offer, from orchids to dahlias. No trips planned here but I'm still puttering in the garden, taking advantage of the pleasant temperatures while we have them.
ReplyDeleteThe second I put those in the ground, the forecast will change, lol. So I'm waiting it out. The weather has been the best!
DeleteWhat an amazing squirrel! An entire family of them? No trips in August planned.
ReplyDeleteThe squirrel was so cute!
DeleteGlorious captures. Beautiful colours.
ReplyDeleteThanks Linda :)
DeleteI love the black squirrel as well.
ReplyDeleteI've never seen or heard of a black squirrel - very cool. We've had a mix of hot and mild so far. It was 90 today so yuck. It looks like your plants are happy though!
ReplyDeleteI'd not heard of them either, cute little nut zipper. I think we're starting to get hotter, too.
DeleteHa! I was startled by the black squirrel photo... I never seen one or knew they existed. (Sweet little terrors, I'll take them over rats any day).
ReplyDeleteThe potted Boronia clavata is a beauty; so bright and airy. What's growing in the small white pot to its right? (looking like a miniature 'elephant ears').
The wide shot (photo 10) is amazing. What a heavenly back garden you've created.
I share your love of black-foliage dahlias, the only ones I grow. It's like having a black fence... making the blooms stand out so well.
Chavli
I had never heard of them either. I'll take them over rats as well, even tho they can be a bit destructive. Yes good eye, colocasia I'm guessing since the leaves point downwards. Someone passed it on to me, so I don't have an id. Thank you Chavli, I've had to be patient - but that spot is growing in. 100% on the black, makes other things POP.
DeleteHi, we have black squirrel here, lots of them. We also have a squirrel that has a fox tail, it is a huge bushy orange tail!!!
ReplyDeleteYour dahlia!!! xx oo
What, a foxy squirrel -that sounds really cute. I'd be tempted to feed it to keep it around.
DeleteHeat Miser! Oh thank god someone else has now referenced Heat Miser on their blog. Andrew and I saw our first black squirrel when we were up in Vancouver BC. I had no idea such a thing existed. No August trips planned, unfortunately. On the other hand it's great to be home enjoying the garden.
ReplyDeleteHa ha, I probably unconsciously copied you. My husband loved that band too - such grungey memories. I've been keeping my eye out for those squirrels for a decade now. You've had lots of adventures this year, and August in your garden is perfect scenario!
DeleteI think you may have inadvertently mixed Eryngium for Echinops up at the top - something I am wont to do too, especially when the names start with the same letter. Grevillea Picasso is wicked kewl. Wishing my Cistus Silvers was as silver as yours, mine is more chartreuse! And, Heat Miser is a band?!?!?! I had to look it up! I thought he was just a character from Rankin Bass, but now there is so much to discover.
ReplyDeleteOh yes, thank you for the correction. I've been looking at it -waiting for a name to pop in my head and feeling confused. You've nicely solved the puzzle for me! My Cistus Silvers does have a bit of that chartreuseness as well, but it didn't show up in the photo. I wish I had kept my Heat Miser t-shirt, Pond and a host of others from that time period.
DeleteI don't know where to start with this post--you've shared so many wonderful things. Your Dahlias are incredible. Your weather sounds perfect (we've been high 80s and 90s and humid until today--perfect weather next week). I love your potted plants; it will be fun to see where you place them. A black squirrel--wow! It's been a while since I've seen one. Great post and wonderful photos!
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised so many have seen black squirrels, I was in the dark that they even existed. Thank you Beth, for the kind words. :) It does look like we'll be heating up for a more typical August.
DeleteHey, you're getting plenty done for a lull!!
ReplyDeleteThat black squirrel looks downright freaky. What's next? A black carnivorous squirrel? I bet it's out there...
Carnivorous! You're trying to give me nightmares ;)
DeleteI have never seen nor heard of a black squirrel but you did a great job catching his picture.
ReplyDeleteDahlias are some of my favorite flowers and yours look magnificent. They don't do well here in lower middle Tennessee. There seems to be too much humidity or something. They start out great and then the leaves burn in August. You seem to know the secret to growing them perfectly.
Jeannie@GetMeToTheCountry
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