What's happening in your late summer garden?

This is a pic of macrophylla (upright form), growing in the shade...the flowers may be just a touch darker...

I planted macrophylla last year, but it didn't make it through the winter.....mexicana "Limelight" seems to be making it in the ground. I have sagitatta in a container in the sheltered courtyard, and it's survived for 2 years. I think it would bloom more in the ground with more sun, but I'm afraid of losing it. Sigh.....

Pigeon, do you want seeds of macro upright form? Or Cabrillo Blue? I started with the salvias after we had record highs on our property several years ago, so I've been erring on the safe (shade) side with a lot of the salvias that are more often planted in full sun and gradually moving some out as they seem to be able to handle it, but this week makes me glad that I've opted for more shade as we're 105 here today and if I weren't watering yesterday and today, I'd have alot of dead stuff. I'm lucky in that we don't really get frost on our property, so I don't worry about that aspect much.

OK, the blue above is from Piergrossi's and it is labeled "S. macrophylla" - Big leaf Peruvian Blue Sage.
Due to the weather, the flowers are now completely shriveled, so I'm glad to have that photo, SWbea. I've also lost two of the other Salvias I just planted and several more are in danger. Where is that dang beach umbrella? And will it stay up on our windy lot?

It was 98 here when I got home about 3pm, Sherry. (We're a lot closer to the coast than Sherry). Tuesday, when I came out of my pottery class in Fallbrook, it was 105.
Smelled some smoke early this morning, but it disappeared fast, thank goodness, so maybe it was from something benign. Though I can't imagine anyone allowing a spark to escape in this weather. And I'm soooo glad to have my Internet connection back - I felt lost for a couple days! LOL

The coldest we've gotten in 22 years is 18, but we've hit it twice. Highs of 105 to 107 are pretty routine here, but my weather system topped out a couple of years ago at 114.

I would LOVE seeds of both blues if you have them to spare. I haven't started salvias, but I've done lots of other seeds.

The only thing you have in your want list is something I've never heard of....I've got several varieties of cannas if you'd like some? Or I will have shortly some seeds from my pure white 4-o-clock if you'd like some of those. They have just come back from being cut to the ground and started blooming again this week, so they'll have seeds in a couple more weeks probably.

Pigeon, you have d-mail.....

I really enjoyed all of the photos. SW your new camera does a fantastic job! I just love Fallbrook....our friend has a gorgeous piece of property and I'm always saying I'd like a nice piece of land their sometime. It's too hot and windy where I am!

Woohoo! Drought tolerant and native plants really work...in spite of the heat! I just got back from a 2-week vacation (in Jackson, WY and Yellowstone--I'm going to have to post a couple of pix of a beautiful Rocky Mountains garden there...sigh...as soon as I download the 459 pictures I took) and everything wasn't dead and brown! In fact, if I say so myself, everything looked pretty good, except for a few things needing a little deadheading and trimming. The gallardia, rudebeckias, pentas, yarrow, snow hills and blue hills sages, Rozanne geraniums, iceberg roses, and angelonia are all blooming their little heads off.

I've been working for about a year to make my garden more drought tolerant and it's paid off. (I'm tired of my No Cal relatives telling me how much water their So Cal relatives are stealing from them!) I've gradually been stretching out the watering because my daughter's friends were getting too old to water for me while we're gone (even if they were paid).

Woohoo!

Hi Erin and surf,

Have you seen the thread about our So Ca. RU that were having in Sept? Here is the link to it http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1028679/

It is going to be a small gathering this fall but we all still have a nice time chatting and trading for a few hours.....oh yeah, and we do eat some great food also. lol
Most of the people that you've been chatting with on these threads will be there . Hope you'll be able to come.

Donna

Surf, please come to the RU - I'll have someone else to talk natives with! LOL

I'll be there! It's on my calendar!

Hopefully, by then, I'll have been able to research the plants on that link you posted about the berberis alternatives (my third one bit the dust when I was gone, but it was my only casualty.)

Speaking of natives, I'm looking for an evergreen/evergray groundcover or group of plants to plant in the fall for dry shade (under my Western redbud and chaste tree) that gets 3-5 hours of hot afternoon (Western) sun (depending on what time of the year it is). Any suggestions? MUST look nice during the off season since it's near an entertainment area and people walk past it, but since they won't go traipsing through it, thorns are okay. I've always thought I had hard clay alkaline soil, but I recently put in a couple of ceanothus and although they're still small, they're not chlorotic and seem to be happy (unlike the berberis darwinii that died).

What about artemisia Canyon Grey?

That's nice looking - just be sure to investigate the scent if you're not familiar with them. I'm allergic as heck to Artemesias - some can be quite pungent.

We have Ceanothus all over our place, upright, ground cover, all kinds - some grow faster than others. You can't get clay soil anymore alkaline than San Diego, from what I hear! If you're good with cuttings, I can bring several varieties to the RU. If you want something colorful, there's a lime/dark green ground cover Ceanothus that is suffering here in full all day sun - it would probably be happy with a little dry shade (boy, I wish we had some of that!). I bought it from a local nursery, but I think it was grown by Native Sons Nursery and they list their resources on their web site. http://nativeson.com/resources.htm

Hey KaperC I just noticed today is your brithday. Hope you had a very enjoyable one.

Pegi

Thanks, I sure did, Pegi. The fun continues tomorrow at the SD Zoo.

Should be a fun day, haven't been to the zoo in years.

Happy Birthday KaperC! Sorry I missed it yesterday! I was in Sacramento all day, drove over 400 miles. I love the SD Zoo, I hope you have a most wonderful day there today ;-)

Happy Belated B'day K. Enjoy the Zoo. (animals and the traffic getting there)
Randy

My Jerusalem Artichokes are in full bloom now! I not only love to eat them, they make a great temporary wall of shade for my yard. I have a little "green room" made with a line of these, and an 8 foot high wall of Romana string beans. I tried to get a photo of it, but there was nowhere to back up to that would let me get a good shot of it.

This message was edited Aug 31, 2009 3:34 PM

Would love a crop of artichokes as we really enjoy them too.

They are supper easy to grow! Did you know they are a native and related to sunflowers? I didn't grow enough last year, but I made up for it this year. It's just like growing pototoes, eat the big ones and leave the little ones in the ground for next year.
This is the best shot I got of the "green" room, ha, ha ;-)

Thanks for the good wishes. Zoo was great - traffic not bad, as we went early A.M. Spent most of the time in the aviaries.

PC, that is some wall o'green!

CatSmiling, when do you think you'll have some Jerusalem artichokes ready for sale? I want to start some next year in my garden. I love their tubers. Kinda reminiscent of water chestnuts in flavor. Yummy!
KC has been after me to post some of my photos and since I didn't even post the last one, perhaps I should start there. The one I forgot the name of from KC's garden. The last one, that I also forgot to post. Okay, KC, what is it?
Thanks toots! ; - )

Wasn't that a beaut! I've since trimmed my potato bush, but it is a favorite hang out for the critters.

Spirit is peeking at me! : - )

Drat, I forgot to add the photo!

Yellow hibiscus.

My mini water lily in the above ground planter. Spirit hasn't gotten into this one for a while. : - |

A canna someone gifted me, (was it you ima?) Sure turned out to be pretty. : - )

The yellow hibiscus in the gh is very happy.

Bower Vine seed pods in courtyard.

The plumeria seems to like the heat, sure smells great too! : - )

Some wisteria seed pods.

A pickerel starting to bloom on Aug. 25th.

The last Jasmine? blossom before the heat knocked em all off.

No blossoms right now, but the foliage is real pretty on this bougainvillea.

Lantana seed.

Taj Mahal Geranium and some kind of blue/purple salvia? Looks nice together. :-)

Eyecandy!

KC's gift ground orchids in new home. :-)