Finally Somethings look good!

My brugmansia has been trending downhill for over two years now. Something keeps sucking it dry. I managed to keep it alive but not much more by spraying it when I spray the roses. When I finally discovered that spider mites were destroying the roses this year, I treated the brugmansia as well and look at the result. The first leaves after treatment were quilted even though they were green and healthy and the second phase of leaves look like they should, green and smooth. No flowers or buds yet but with growth like this I am optomistic that I will see it covered before winter arrives.

It can't get worse.

Despite a mild summer, my garden has gone to pot. This year I discover I have spider mites - never a problem before. They hit all the roses except Mutabilis and nearly wiped out my new bedding roses in their first year. I got some stuff that is supposed to kill them systemically. I can't really tell if they are dead yet but there are healthy stalks that give me hope. Never got a tomato or a zuchini from my raised bed. Only green beans - and they were very good. Everything in the bed is dying with some kind of white stuff - well the tomatoes are not dying - not that it makes any difference.
Well, moving right along. Maybe I have learned something and next year will be better.

It am hot!

Even with the heat, I have a few flowers. The crocosmia are looking quite nice although the leaves are beginning to brown and this is the only clump from the three or four from last year that survives.

Graham Thomas rose is blooming although the flowers are small and turn crispy after opening. Also this year the flowers are turning apricot rather than bleaching white like last year.

Perking up in July

A few more flowers this week. The white verbenias in the planter are starting to bloom nicely. I just have to remember to water them every other day.
Next is gaultheria. I planted two dozen of them last year with the hope that they would like it here and multiply. Most didn't make for this season but this one is looking good. I don't know if they didn't like the winter or they need more water.

Next a closeup of mutabilis showing the color range. They open yellow and turn pink and then fushia. Finally another shot of my purple shrub rose. This week it is looking pretty showy with the full range of color from purple through red to lavender.

Happy Fourth - No Fireworks here

Havn't got much more to show this week. We are still pretty much in between something. The first picture is something I regard as success. It is a small part of the bed area between my lawn and the retaining wall. It is the closest thing to my hopes for luxurious flower beds. I will give credit to Digging Dog. I think all the plants came from there and they suggested the combination of the yarrow and the aster. (You can see the yarrow just beginning to bloom and the aster is the tall, dark leaved plant in the background). The other plants are euphorbias who seem quite happy.
The other picture is my 'purple' shrub rose. It is a deep purple in the spring but not in July.
I would have more roses if I could persuade the gardeners that roses are supposed to have flowers. They want to shape them. Sigh!

As June goes out with a blast

The green beans are beginning to form. We should be picking them in a week or so.

Next is the Sea Kale (statice) which is beginning to look like a keeper this year. (The definition of keeper is mostly survival. If it survives, I keep it.)

Finally two pots on the patio. The sweet potato vines always look great. It's the other stuff that is the problem. The black one is overwhelming the flowering ginger in the first one but the second looks alright.

Another week like this one and who knows.

Just a Few Gems

It's slow in the garden this week. The beans are just about to flower and look much better than last year. Not much action with anything else in the raised bed.

Over in the other part of the yard we have a salvia blooming its little heart out and finally the lavender looking good and smelling better.

With all the wonderful coolness, I expected more from the garden. Oh well, maybe next week.