Saturday, July 19, 2008

July Blahs


This is perhaps the most attractive corner of my garden this week and it underwhelms.

July is not the best of months in California's central valley foothills. It is hot. (Last week we had temperatures over 100 degrees) This week has been relatively pleasant with temperatures in the lower 90's. Nights are usually in the 60's.

My wife and I took two days to go the San Francisco during the 100 degree spell. It was nice to have the cooler weather and get away from the smoke from the 100's of fires in the state - from which all the smoke seemed to gather at our house. We visited art museums, rode cable cars and enjoyed some good food before returning to find the smoke even worse than when we left.

Taking those two days, I got careless about having our son water the plants. I lost one plant and severely stressed my three brugmansias that were just beginning to look healthy.

Anyway this picture shows my Graham Thomas rose (upper left) with tiny, nearly white flowers that turn crispy after they open. Agapanthus in the upper right and cleomes which happily reseed and grow ever since I planted some small plants my first summer in the house.

4 comments:

Julie said...

I am so sorry about all of the fires and heat there. Glad you got to get away for a while anyway!
I almost thought those tall flowers were Cleomes for a minute. They sure are pretty! Love them!

Ralph said...

I have to admit that the cleomes are winners. I havn't done anything for them since I planted the seedlings three years aga and they just come back.

Anonymous said...

Careless? Maybe if you told me what the hell a Brugmansias is, and how much each plant needs, and show me all the hidden plants you wouldn't lose anything. And by the way, those flowers suck!

Ralph said...

Hey. It was my call not to ask you to check the plants. I take all the blame.