This morning I pumped up 500 gallons of water from our stock tanks into the garden. I am banking on the fact that they are promising rain. The sky is dark and when the wind blows you can smell the rain. Most of my beds are bone dry even though we had 3" of rain 2 weeks ago. The dark skies are adding depth to the color of flowers in the garden.
The pink knockout roses along the back of the pool were the recipient of some of that water. As I held the hose in one hand I snipped off the dead flowers with the other. They are mostly self cleaning but those flowers that got the soaking when it rained were just glued to the sepals. Untidy as I am I just didn't like seeing it.
It's the norm after an extended trip for my garden to get very untidy. I let plants grow and seed in the pathways and there is a price to be paid. That price is hours of pulling out. A few select plants will get to stay. This blanket flower,
Gaillardia pulchella, on the corner, is one. Please watch out as you turn the corner!! There is the return of the flame acanthus
Anisacanthus quadrifidus, right there between the two beds. I hacked at the root last year but there was one piece I couldn't remove without disturbing the pavers. It's back again but I have pruned it back so it will not be the monster of the past by the fall.
Verbena bonariensis wafts among the blanket flowers in the herb garden. How could I pull them out. Maybe in a few weeks when the narrow leaf zinnias arrive.
We just had a quick shower. The tanks are starting to fill again.
Your garden looks wonderful even under bone dry conditions. I'm glad you got some rain. I can only wish (probably from now until October) that we'll get some but we do have a heavy cloak of fog here along the coast this morning - moisture in all its forms is welcome.
ReplyDeleteWe had rain just before we came home and it worked wonders. Everything responded just as we would expect. It is amazing the benefit of fog and dew. Better than nothing.
DeleteYour blooms are gorgeous, in the paths or out, and as I've spent days bent over a tip bag, pulling out primroses I let take over all our spaces out back? I believe I know how to ask if not how to answer that question, "how could I pull them out!?". (We got a half inch of rain yesterday - hope you got at least that much.)
ReplyDeletePulling out primrose? Send them over here. I would love to have more of them. Mine don't seem to reseed. Can you save me some seeds?
DeleteI've followed your blog since I visited with the Shady Hollow Garden Club. I really enjoy it and it is the only blog I continually read. Thanks for sharing, Jenny!
ReplyDeleteThank you Rita. I'm glad you enjoy reading my blog. Please keep coming back.
DeleteThank you so much for sharing your blog.
ReplyDeleteYou are welcome David.
DeleteI love that last image especially -- a new perspective, and I don't remember seeing the Verbena bonariensis there before. Is it a new addition?
ReplyDeleteYes, Verbena shows up every year, mostly in the wrong places but I let it stay because I love the purple flowers and the goldfinches love the seeds.
DeleteI hope it rained for you and filled up your tanks! I would hate to see such a lovely garden go dry.
ReplyDelete