Then I can think of a thing or three. :-)
Practical Matters for Physically Challenged Gardeners #10
Kay and I are both in better moods. She came home from the beauty shop with hair not much longer than mine and smiling. It must have been all that hair making her such a hot head. ;-)
Seriously, I think she went on line to try and grasp the rationale of the burn ban when everything was so damp. If she can wrap her mind around something, she’s okay. Irrational rules or rules that are in place for the purpose of empowering a select group bring out all her rebellious instincts. Evidently, whatever she found online satisfied her.
Until this year, I’d never noticed how spectacular the blossoms of plants in the cucurbitaceae family can be. (Squash, cucumbers. Melons, gourds, etc.) Staggering the planting of those has advantages other than not being hit with tons of cantaloupe or spaghetti squash at one time. Staggered planting also means their blossoms are around throughout high summer when few other things are flowering. But, it’s the largest of our sunflowers (over 8’ tall. ‘Russian Mammoth’?) that caught my eye today.
Nadine is busy with data entry work. I’m painting tires in pastel colors for the Cando Garden. I don’t mind painting stuff pink as long as it isn’t going into MY garden. :-) Kay is trying to keep up with the weeds. Working 15 minute stints outside, and then coming in to cool and dry off. It isn’t as hot as they were predicting (105), but, with such high humidity, mid-90’s is still tough. (Jim)
I've never grown a sunflower. Wow! Eight feet high sounds like a very tall shrub. Their stems, or rather, stalks must be thick and strong.
He's a handsome fellow.
I will take 105 if dry, over 95 with high humidity. Sounds like you guys are working it smart, though.
Debra, I hope you are not planning to do any work in the garden this weekend. I prescribe a cold watermelon and mindless entertainment until it cools off some. .
Humidity is at 72% now. I’m going to need gills soon. :-)
Sheri, those sunflowers have enormous flowerheads so I often end up having to stake them when they don’t have a wall or post nearby to lean on. Normally, I would avoid a plant I have to stake, but they produce a great crop of seeds. Enough to supply the birds AND us. That exempts them from the no staking policy. They also give trouble-free shade for the west side of the house in summer. In good soil they can reach 16’ making them perfect for the job. I think of those and the giant hardy hibiscus like ‘Crimson Wonder’ and ‘Plum Crazy’ as Alice in Wonderland flowers. :-) Not a bit of elegance or restraint to them. They are big, goofy smile plants. k*
Kay, I am struggling to convince myself to get dressed and go to the grocery before noon. Don't want to do ANYthing today. I know it sounds weird, but have been working Saturdays for so long that I am feeling withdrawals and deep anxiety at not being in the office for our event collection crews. Only second week they've been going on their own and all but one person went to the wrong site...sigh. Also, pretty sure the boss is trying to ease me over to a corner somewhere, if not actually out the door. Worsening MS symptoms have reduced my efficiency and such, so I guess I can understand it. And, after so long helping him build the business (eight years on July 5th), it's still hard to take.
Okay, enough wallowing. :/
I love sunflowers, all shapes and sizes. More of a tropical hibiscus person, though. I like the warm colors, and definition and character of the petal edges. Maybe I'll at least put on some shorts and go wallow in the flower beds. Back later. :-D
Not being wanted at work h urts. Period. I think one of the best things I do as a boss is to tell Tony haw grateful I am for his work. He was off three days this week working at is parents' rancho and I gave him his full pay today. He was a little surprised. I said, "No problem." He are so grateful for each other that it borders on maudlin.
I've had two nights of about twelve hours of sleep. Maybe finally shaking off the last of whatever bug I picked up in LA.
I'm watching George Carlin DVD's in my air conditioned bedroom and working on curtains. Turning my mind off to anything else
My first gac seed sprouted the other day and the plant doubled in size since yesterday. Now about four inches tall. It loves hot weather. Glad something does cause I wilt. But Tony and I admire it and tak about male and female plants and generally feel good about each other and our lives. I love sending him home to his family feeling good about himself.
We had a Hawiian papaya from the tree I gave the neighbors who are in Wahington for the summer. Tony brought it over and it was so beautiful and fragrant. I've been telling two friends who have grocery stores about them so we cut it in half and Tony took one half to each of them. I do love coming up with food that has not been grown here before.
One dragonfruit plant has a third flower coming but no fruit set so far.
hugs, katie
Katie, I try to tell my employees thanks or good job often, too. It helps both them and me remember what they do RIGHT. :-)
Okay, so I motivated myself to get dressed and go to the store. Running out of dog chews and toilet paper would have been baaaaaad. :-) Came in and out for an hour and a half, watering a little at a time. Settled back into house clothes--and get a call from the security monitoring station. The store alarm is going off. Get dressed, meet the police at the office, walk all 60,000 square feet of unairconditioned space with them, don't find anything out of place. The boss (who is herding a small gaggle of kids at Dave&Busters) calls our internal security weenie, thinking it's a wire short. Said weenie meets me at the building...and finds one of my bozos closing up the store last night didn't actually LOCK the front door. They locked the steel mesh gates that go across the door, but not the door itself. Wind caught it just right this afternoon and pulled it open enough to set off alarms...sigh...THIS is why I get the bigger bucks and company car. [Although, I gave the boss' daughter the Prius to go to Austin last weekend, and the AC went out on her Jetta. Soooo, I'm driving the company Expedition until it's fixed, which ALSO has a non-working AC. It's been a warm and "interesting" afternoon.]
On a less resigned note :-D: Jim, the When I Dream has bloomed. Looks a lot like the James Clark to me, but maybe will be different after it's bloomed a few times. Whatcha think?
New bloom on Darker Shade. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, this flower!!!
And, new bloom on Young Planet. The picotee rim is more defined and I think I like this one, too.
kay, is it time for a new thread?
Debra, you have some of the most beautiful lilies I've seen. Your yard must be beautiful.!
Sheri
It is developing. I'm a kind of "wait and see what happens" gardener. Most of the structures and such originated from what plants, found materials, and helpers were available at the time. Or from experiments with plants I like, but are not sure will do well here. Hydrangeas, for one. They require much more water than I am willing to give the majority of plants. But every once in awhile, I'll try one. This year, the photo of Wedding Gown was so beautiful, I spent the $35 to get it. Couple of weeks later, spent $7 almost as an aside for a sale variegated Hydrangea from different seller. The expensive one went in the ground, in almost full shade, rich soil, right next to two Hellebores and a June hosta. The inexpensive one went into a container, two to three hours full morning sun, then shade rest of day. Both bloomed well-I do like lacecaps!-and I had hopes for being able to keep them alive THIS time. Look at the Wedding Gown. It is only mid-July. It ain't gonna make it through these extra hot temps, even with daily watering.
This message was edited Jul 10, 2011 11:20 AM
Now, look at the variegated. Not only is it thriving in hot sunlight, it has a new, solid-green growth shoot that I am thinking might be a different Hydrangea (root stock, maybe? I dunno.) and it is sharing the pot with a rose shoot, a Blue Mouse Ears hosta, and a forgotten-name daylily little nubber. 'Splain that to me. :-)
I'm discovering I have preferences for old-fashioned, wildflower, tousled, airy, blowsy, and/or cottagey, kinds of plants. But set within a basic, structured framework. Contained chaos, I guess. Since I've gotten on this daylily kick, we are moving much faster. Out of necessity--so they don't all die, or I don't have 63 containers to water. [grin] Still have to really get to work on the side yard for the Green Amber Gardens project. Only now I have a lot more plant stuff ready to go in! LOL Think I need professional help in getting the Green Amber website seen. Been up for months and not a single entry beyond the two I put in. Might have to start researching newspaper articles and such for entries on my own. But that is for the hermit hours in mid-August.
This message was edited Jul 10, 2011 11:22 AM
Wow, 213 post! It is more than time to refresh this thread. Thanks for the reminder. I click "end" and skip to the bottom of the page, then, scroll UP to the newest post so I didn't realize how long this had gotten. k*
Practical Matters #11::
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1195873/