'Rhapsody in Blue' is a decidedly purple rosewith a to-die-for fragrance.
My garden buddy Carol actually rooted my plant
from a cutting.
Yeah. She's good.
It's heat wave time.
Oh Goodie!! [Not]
I like it mild. I don't like heat.
When it's above, say, 78.3F, I wimp out and bitch and moan
and ask God why he hates me and what I did to
deserve such ill-treatment.
But hey, I'm an adult. If forced, I can coerce myself to compromise and adapt.
Like, maybe garden during the mild hours of morning or evening.
Meander and putter along
my garden paths without an oxygen tank and portable mister strapped to my back.
[Do they actually make such things?]
Basically without keeling over dead.
This morning my lovable but obnoxiously demanding cat
wanted me up at 5 AM.
What the...?
Rising just long enough to form words that
Mr. Cater-to-me-now-or-I-might-have-to-throw-up-on-your-pillow
might not find very accommodating,
I saw it. Undeniably. I think.
I'd better get up and check.
Yep.
Blue sky.
Cat thinks I'm catering to him as I
saunter towards the kitchen, then out the door,
coffee in hand, kitty in tow, to my favorite spot on the planet.
Cat thinks this is all about him, because of course
this is what cats are wired to think.
And after three all-too-brief hours the
day's heat is accumulating at warp speed and bouncing off the deck
and outer house walls like a tennis ball on Ritalin,
and smacking me with a wallop that could rival George Foreman.
Grab the oxygen or go in.
There is no oxygen. I made that up.
Good-bye garden.
Hello computer. Go away laundry.
When it's above, say, 78.3F, I wimp out and bitch and moan
and ask God why he hates me and what I did to
deserve such ill-treatment.
But hey, I'm an adult. If forced, I can coerce myself to compromise and adapt.
Like, maybe garden during the mild hours of morning or evening.
Meander and putter along
my garden paths without an oxygen tank and portable mister strapped to my back.
[Do they actually make such things?]
Basically without keeling over dead.
This morning my lovable but obnoxiously demanding cat
wanted me up at 5 AM.
What the...?
Rising just long enough to form words that
Mr. Cater-to-me-now-or-I-might-have-to-throw-up-on-your-pillow
might not find very accommodating,
I saw it. Undeniably. I think.
I'd better get up and check.
Yep.
Blue sky.
Cat thinks I'm catering to him as I
saunter towards the kitchen, then out the door,
coffee in hand, kitty in tow, to my favorite spot on the planet.
Cat thinks this is all about him, because of course
this is what cats are wired to think.
And after three all-too-brief hours the
day's heat is accumulating at warp speed and bouncing off the deck
and outer house walls like a tennis ball on Ritalin,
and smacking me with a wallop that could rival George Foreman.
Grab the oxygen or go in.
There is no oxygen. I made that up.
Good-bye garden.
Hello computer. Go away laundry.
A view of the northernmost garden room.
The large leaf in the foreground is
Catalpa bignonioides that I keep pruned to shrub size.
The large leaf in the foreground is
Catalpa bignonioides that I keep pruned to shrub size.
Monarda didyma 'Grand Parade.'
I plucked the aging petals from the middle
of each blossom. I thought the green centers looked
kind of cool.
More Monardas because more is always better.
These are tall varieties, pink 'Marshall's Delight,
purple 'Blue...something.' In the back is
'Raspberry Wine.'
Last fall, I bought two 4-inch pots of
this Hollyhock, Alcea rosea 'Creme de Cassis'.
Often the flowers depicted on a plant's tag are dissimilar to the
actual living, breathing thing.
This plant is no exception. But I like it anyway.
Coreopsis rosea 'Limerock Ruby.'
Ask me how many times I've bought this plant only to have it
killed by Winter and I'll
look at you with a blank stare.
Neurosis keeps me coming back for more.
Believe it or not, this is ONE plant partnered with
a lighter colored Nasturtium 'Cherry Rose.'
Maybe if I keep the container protected I can
winter it over.
Ask me how many times I've bought this plant only to have it
killed by Winter and I'll
look at you with a blank stare.
Neurosis keeps me coming back for more.
Believe it or not, this is ONE plant partnered with
a lighter colored Nasturtium 'Cherry Rose.'
Maybe if I keep the container protected I can
winter it over.
Speaking of Coreopsis, I recently found 'Heaven's Gate'
at a K-Mart, of all places.
Again, maybe if I play my cards right
[How many times have I played this game?]
I can get it to winter over.
Please...
at a K-Mart, of all places.
Again, maybe if I play my cards right
[How many times have I played this game?]
I can get it to winter over.
Please...
It took me years to legitimize the merits of the venerable
Phlox paniculata. This is a division of my very first attempt.
'Red Magic.'
I swear the committee that is relegated to muster catchy monikers for these cultivars
has got to suffer a bad case of collective color-blindness.
Alstromeria psittacina
getting a foothold.
What's not to love?
What's not to love?
Lantana 'Fantasy' makes a valiant
attempt to survive the salient
notority.
Garden photos...
By the way, I wanted to mention that while I'm inside, escaping the heat, I've been
working an accurate layout of my backyard.
Garden Planner 2.3
is my loyal and helpful assistant.
For those of you who might be interested,
I'll be posting the finished project.
If I ever get it finished.
Actually, I'm thinking it won't be long because
this software is highly addictive.
And it's freaking hot out there.
working an accurate layout of my backyard.
Garden Planner 2.3
is my loyal and helpful assistant.
For those of you who might be interested,
I'll be posting the finished project.
If I ever get it finished.
Actually, I'm thinking it won't be long because
this software is highly addictive.
And it's freaking hot out there.
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21 COMMENTS, Click here to add yours:
Grace:
How wonderful to see more photos of the gardens...... always so thrilling to see what is in bloom. I adore Catalpa..... wish I had the sun and the room. We have one in the front garden of the nursery. Let me know when the garden layout is complete..... I'm more than curious! Sorry about the heat..... here, 20 mm of rain and mid 70's at best! Is summer officially on vacation in this neck of the woods???
Grace,
78.3 wow that is nice weather if you ask me! Here in Durham at 10pm it is 81 degrees outside, I found out when we were outside hiking with heavy cameras it got up to 99 degrees. I give up personally at 105 degrees. Enjoyed your post very much. My cat Grumpy does the same thing but at 6am.
I know what you mean about the heat. We ended up at the mall today because we knew it would be cool inside. As soon as we left we were hit with the wall of heat. It's supposed to get even hotter here this week.
Your garden is looking great! I love all the Monarda, I need some more tall ones. I've tried the 'Limerock Ruby' many times too and the only reason I didn't buy any this year is because I never saw it when I was at the nursery.
Oh Grace, that 'Creme de Cassis' is just beautiful. Love the watering can planter! Do you have a pot inside the watering can? Very cute.
Thank you for finally giving me a name to go with the Catalpa bignonioides, I've identified it before only to loose it again.
It's too damn hot...I can't get out of bed at 5 am because that's about the only hour it's cool enough to sleep! I am thinking of rigging up a head-lamp to garden once the sun goes down! What do you think?
You are too funny! The image of the mister strapped to your back cracked me up! :) I love the hollyhock and the lantana in the water can. -Jackie
You cracked me up with this one! Sing this to the tune of "Sunshine on my Shoulders": Cat barf on my pillow, makes me cranky... Well, at least you made good use of the early wake-up call! Yeesh, I wilt in heat too and I think my level is set even lower than yours for optimum comfort. This week is going to be a real trial for all of us. All I seem to be able to do is water in the dark, and then the mosquitoes get me. Ugh! At least you planted tons of lovely things to look at, if not actually play with, during this time. Coreopsis that comes in other than yellow/orange? I would keep trying on that one too, it's lovely. Is that the same Catalpa that gets to be a huge tree?
love the watering can pot. And again more pretty in pink flowers (plus other colours too). Not sure how hot 78 is in celcius, but sounds nice right about now (we are midwinter, but to be honest it isn't that cold)
Oxygen tank with a mister.....not a bad idea really, if only it were light weight...I'm guessing you don't have a lawn to mow....Your gardens are beautiful.. I don't think you would make it here in our summer heat.....I'm trying to update my blotanical info..
As always, I saw something new, as always, I admired the garden, and as almost always, I laughed. As for the heat, that is why I am up at 4 a.m. We don't have an air conditioner, our builder told us that we didn't need it. It looks like we need it for several days a year. And here they are, these days... Stay cool Grace!(ha-ha!)
Grace, you would definitely hate the temperatures here in Alabama. I don't think we get below 78 after June 1. I heard that Oregon had some hot temperatures on the news this morning and I was going "huh?" Are you on the eastern side of the state? Is Oregon like Washington in that one side is totally different from the other side.
Your Hollyhock is so pretty it looks like a Rose of Sharon bloom. Your phlox is pretty but I agree with the color naming fiasco. I wish they would call red, red and blues blue. I get so aggravated at buying a blue flower that is purple when I get it.
Hope you get some relief from the heat soon.
I think it's OK to grow coreopsis as an annual! Will your pink ones self-sow to come back from seed even if the big plant dies? Or are you too good about deadheading? Come by and see my pink daylilies post, part 1!
Grace, don't melt. Before you now it you'll be wishing it was warmer again. I swear it! At least that's what I keep telling myself everytime it hits 99. Winter is on it's way.
My goodness it's gorgeous over at your place!! I know you say you're indoors because it's hot... but I wonder how long you STAY indoors? What a wonderful variety of plants you have! :-) Happy Day!
What a pity that the heat must keep you from being in your beautiful garden. I love the clematis growing up in your shrubs... I have wanted to do that for sometime but must nurse them for a while in my jungle of a garden... they would have to survive the horrid bishops weed. A joy to see this garden!
HA! I know exactly what you mean about the cats. Throwing up on a pillow is exactly what mine would do to. Hope you're getting some relief from this heat. I think we're through the ridiculously hot stuff. I guess the benefit of the 107 days is that 98 doesn't sound that hot anymore.
Ohmygosh Grace, I couldn't stop laughing when I read about your day with the cat and the heat and the oxygen and and and...but I have to ask how you got your cat to let you sleep until 5? And ahhh, isn't it nice to have temps below 90 degrees? Never thought I'd be happy to hear a forecast with 'only' 80s in it!
Beautiful gardens. It's so cute that you picked out the centers of the Monarda! They do look pretty awesome that way.
Can't wait to see the finished project.
Hi Grace,
The heat has come our way, but it's 90s, and not 100s so far. Your garden is looking full and lush! I love all your blooms here, and like what you did to your monardas. My red Jacob Cline is sprawling, and I didn't even notice it was blooming at first. I tied it up, but it's not straightening up.
I don't know if I'm organized enough to do the garden lay out thing. I'm interested in seeing how yours turns out, though.
Hi Grace...we've had pretty nice weather here this summer--unusually nice, in fact. However, starting today, it's the worst humidity of the season, and temps in the high 90's into the 100's forecast from today through the rest of this week:-( I love your gardens. Just gorgeous! The watering can planter looks very sweet too;-)
Hi Grace, I am sorry I haven't visited for a while, but I am the loser as your garden looks really beautiful. I love your 'monarda didyma' (I want one now) and I saw the rose 'Rhapsody in blue' at the Hampton Court flower show in London this year and it's so lovely and your right it is purple, so why did they call it blue ?? I don't envy your weather, I don't think I could tolerate it that hot.
Happy gardening
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