What's happening in your early summer garden #2

Sw, yes, that's my Brug! What nice roots you've got there! You can either keep it in water or plant it, but don't let it dry up! Warning: caterpillars love the leaves, so if it bothers you, you can use Bt on them.

SW, The folks on the orchid are very good at Id...try posting your new baby on there.
Carol

Samigal you were right! ^_^ Can you recycle some of your gray water? Leave a pitcher/pan to catch the cold water while you wait for it to get hot? Pray for rain? It's going to hit us too.
Sorry your DH wasn't feeling well. There is some kind of stomach thing going around right now. My patio is still in the process of being painted. Hopefully it won't need to be painted again for a long time.
Thanks for the identification Samigal and rob..
Mostly I've been keeping it wet and ignoring it, rob. Warning, my chickens love caterpillars! I figured it was about time to plant it. It's gonna be really happy on the courtyard. But if it gets as big as yours, I might have to move. LOL. Your plant is huge! Lovely, but HUGE! ^_^
Carol, when I get a chance I'll post another photo on the orchid site. Thanks for the suggestion.
WIB,
SW

Oh, I was finally able to help someone with ID on plant. My first brug came from a DG member in Lodi. I almost became obsessed with it, but have accepted the fact if I treat it nice it will give me lovely blooms. I did have one flush and it was a double pink, was so thrilled. Here is a pic I took of her.

Singingwolf - the leaves of your orchid looks like a bletilla striata, but the flowers do not. Did anyone in the orchid forum ID it?
some blooms in my garden - trumpet lily - Pink Perfection

a closeup

Dahlia

Alstromeria

Larkspur

The larkspur and the alstromeria pairs up very nicely.

soils: Your flowers are beautiful...especially those pink lilies. The heat doesn't zap them ???

Wow! Samigal, what a beautiful Double Angels Trumpet! You are very right, the pinks are gorgeous!
Soils, thanks for the suggestions. I love your pink lily. I will put one on my wish list since yours is so pretty. I also liked your cut flower combo of larkspur and the alstromeria. It is quite an eye catcher.
The things people have to do. I had a problem spot where the white sage I've been deliberately cultivating, was shooting up flower spikes in the path by the gh. So DH and I had to tie them back. Maybe this year I'll get some seed, since I've been thwarted in my efforts for the last 2 years. I want to reintroduce the white sage to our farm. It is a sacred herb to the Native American Indians. When the seed pods are harvested I'll trim her back.
Till then, it ain't pretty but it keeps my son from breaking off the flowering stalks.
WIB,
SW

The pickerel in the pond seem happy.

Here is a partial view of my b.fly/h.bird garden.

My white lilies are still blooming.

So are the poppies.

Another view of the poppies, and is that lupine?

The Mediteranean Sea Pinks, just before I dead headed them. There should be plenty of seed to share.

Last one for today. My gladiolus is so pretty. Every day I take a photo so I can watch it bloom forever. I am so "glad" that I gave into that impulse and bought them. Even though I planted them late, they've performed well.
WIB,
SW

Nice pics, everyone.

SW, I love the shape of your flutterby garden. My Salvia apiana, which has pinkish flowers, BTW, sprawls like crazy. In fact, all of native Salvias are sprawling this year. I don't know if it's their age, or lack of water... ?? I talked to a grower nearby who said he prunes his back three times a year to prevent the woodiness (and says he often gets a second bloom that way, too).

Soils, that's a beautiful bouquet.

SW, are you talking about the spikes coming up that you think are lupine? Those look like Liatris spicata aka Gayfeather.
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/86/

Sue,
Since they haven't actually started to bloom it is hard for me to say, but I'll get another photo which might show them better. If they are the Gayfeathers, WoWseR! I don't remember planting them there, but I may have. I just love these kind of surprises. Thanks for the link, by the way. If they do turn out to be the Gayfeather, hopefully I can add a photo of them just prior to bloom to help other folk like me. This is a photo I already have, but I'll go get a better one this afternoon.
WIB,
SW

Love that, Sue! Looks like lots of DGers have seed to trade, too. Hope that's what you have, SW - it would be great in your BF bed.

Will go get photo now, as I will unexpectedly be out of town the next few days. Will post when I return.
WIB,
SW

Thought I'd share some of my Hollyhocks with you all.

The pretty red.

another one

All my Hollyhocks have been in the ground for 5 years and I've never seen this deeper red. Must have been planted by one of my birds. I really like it.

I love hollyhocks but they don't like my sprinkler system. :-( Thanks for sharing yours. Gorgeous!

Anyone getting any rain? Big drops are coming down and hope it turns into a decent amount. Some places are having storms I hear, but we usually don't get much during these months. My plants want and need rain, natures miracle grow.

We got thunder and lightning last night but no rain. My irrigation controller broke and the ajuga complained enough that I noticed that nothing was getting water. Yikes! All fixed now thank goodness.

We had thunder all day until just a while ago. A few quick showers, but nothing measurable, I'd say. Darn power kept cutting out just enough to interrupt things. There was a small fire started by lightning not too far away, but they caught it real quick. It's been a VERY odd day.

I took a few iris from the ru in March and thought they were the Kanita "Monet" ones, but one is now blooming and it is a pretty yellow. First time I had iris in my yard, very nice.

A little rain now and then, but not much. Garage door broke last night so what plans were scheduled today had to be put on hold while we had it fixed. Good thing the man could come out today. Just seems my plans never do turn out the way I plan them.

Managed a few photos today. This is our Palo Verde (Parkinsonia). I got the seedling three years ago from drdon, who had grown them from Gourd's seeds! How's that for a real DG project? I thought it was Blue PV, but now I'm not sure. Perhaps DP has more experience with them and can tell the difference. When the leaves are out more, I'll have another look.

Here's the pond. DH needs to do some weeding, but it's looking very pretty just now.

Waterlily from SingingWolf - we just love this color.

A different pink waterlily. I couldn't get a close-up of the yellow, or I would have ended in the pond!

The Matilija poppies have now closed the gap on the path. Sadly, we'll have to take that one on the right out next year - it's just obstructing things too much. :-(

Beautiful pond and water lily showcase! How large is your pond?

Thanks, Bea.

I think the lower pond is about 20 x 8??? I can never remember numbers. There's also a stream and waterfall at the top. It's a very 'natural' pond - that means DH lets it go until I beg him to clean up the dead/overgrown plants. LOL I told him when he built it that I don't do water. I pick 'em, he plants 'em.