Garden Pics: Braving the HEAT to Save our Blooms!!

No, I can't make it, wish I could. But I hope you keep posting so we can enjoy it too!!

Took this before the big heat. Not so pretty now.

Your hydrangea is breathtaking. Which one is it?

It was there when I moved in 11 years ago. I didn't know how to prune it correctly at first so it wasn't so pretty, now it's been like this for the last four years. Afraid it's alittle crispy now though.

RJ.... Thanks! I'm glad that folks miss the water shots. Really! I like them, but I sometimes feel as if I get a little too repititious with them. I love your psycho coreopsis from seed. What a great name for it. But, even more so, I love that whole area there in your picture! it's lovely and so serene. That's good to know about the coreopsis that you lost. I will try to keep that in mind when I'm planting them. Precious says thanks!

Thanks Pam! happy to see you chiming in again too.
For Pam and others.... this is sort of what I've gathered over the last few months on the new echies, based mostly on user reviews on here, google, and a couple other gardening websites. .....
I don't think that these new colors have really been out long enough to say for certain that they are as hardy as their predocessors. But from what i've heard so far it goes as such: the green colored (green envy, green jewel, etc.) ones are seemingly just as hardy and robust in most respects, same with the white ones (coconut lime, and ???) and dwarf purples. The hybrid yellows, oranges, red, seem to be as hardy but take a little longer to get established and to bloom profusely. The same thing can be said for the Salmon, corally-pink, and other similar colors except they don't seem to have as much vigor and they don't tolerate poor drainage very well at all. So that's what I've heard. I think that once those salmony pink ones get themselves established in folks's yards, they'll probably do ok. It's just that they've only been on the market a year or two, same goes for the red ones. The ones of those coral colored ones that I have (which where just planted within the last 4-8 wks.) and that were in bloom when the heat wave hit, almost immediately dried on the plant. so, I wasn't too happy about that..... initially! Now those dried blooms have set a lot of what appears will be viable seeds. And... they've already put out new blooms that are very close to opening, so I'm still happy with them and trying to decided how I want to keep the seed heads until fall.

Sally.... beautiful hydrangea!

Lynn.... unfortunately I'm in the same boat as Sally about not being able to make it. I'm pretty tied down given the fire season. If winter rains were to suddenly hit, it may work. But, that's not looking likely! So, I hope that everyone takes and shares their wonderful pictures!!

Jan... I agree completely. I feel as if I almost need to designate a little spot in the garden to "hot" colors. They're beautiful, but not the easiest to match up with some of the more common colors in the garden.

Nice pics RJ and Sharon!


RJ... here's a couple of water shots for you from last week.

I really wish that I had noticed that my lense had fogged up before I these two, but oh well.



This message was edited Aug 9, 2009 3:35 AM

alchemilla



This message was edited Aug 9, 2009 3:34 AM

a dahlia

acanthus

and a close up of it.

and the last for tonight.

redchic01
Thank you for the info on the echis - since I have a new flowerbed (the only bed, so far) I need all the help I can get
Your info on the salmony-coral was good for me to know because I have clay
When I visit PNWMtGirl and Rarejem, I always go back home with "great" enthusiasm to plant
The pics are beautiful - I especially appreciate the water droplets and dew as I am literally sweating over
this computer - think we may be getting a touch of your heat except we do have rain for relief

Red I love the water shots. I think they are amazing!

The water shots are totally cool, Red!

I'm finally getting some blooms on my MGs, though they're paler than they should be. I'll plant them in a different place next year, I think they just don't like where they are.

Heavenly Blue

Lousy rotten thrips got to my glads, and I didn't know it til too late to save them from being damaged. So they're blooming now, but look really ratty. :-/

I just looked out the window and saw a balloon flower blooming. Funny, I didn't plant that... *snicker*

Funny Pony!

I want one....but my granddaughter would never come over again..She is TERRIFIED of balloons...

Ginger

Beautiful rc.....you know I love the water shots. And the others are gorgeous too. How goes it with the fire season?

Love you 'balloon flower', you may start a trend here. LOL

Ginger.... That's too bad. That balloon flower is pretty!

Pony.... Love the balloon flower!

Thanks Portland and Pony!

Thanks Pam! I would go home with great planting enthusiasm too after visiting their place! lol. I think so long as you amend well and give them drainage, the salmony ones will be OK. I can't say for certain as I haven't had mine in the ground through the winter! However, so far so good. I went so far as to put a little sand in the amending mixture with mine even though I have good drainage there in spite of the clay soil.

Thanks Sally. And thanks for asking. So far, ok. I didn't go back to that job in my normal manner this year. That's because I decided to stay try to make it work with the job that I took up in the winter, that was initially just to tide me over until I went back. And given the weather this summer, I don't regret that decision on bit!!! I'm solely contracting back on an as asked/needed basis, which I really like doing! The down side is that if I turn them down more than once or twice, they wont call back. So, I feel that I need to take most requests. I've been able to be a lookout on most assignments, which is great. But, some of them, I've actually been able to be a lookout from an office watching many different camera angles. That's great. However, I still don't feel that it's as adequate as the real thing. Neither do the higher ups, which is good.

This message was edited Aug 9, 2009 11:18 PM

So, here's my water pic for today.

This isn't my plant. My deer would never let something like this survive in my yard.

Ooooh. Nice one.

My maters are all still green green green...

But.... at least you have them!!! So that's good!

close up of a hibiscus

it drives me nuts when "it" thinks that I need to put more words on a post in order to post a picture!

another dahlia

a bee

imagine this... another dahlia! lol.

Spidey

sort of reminds me of Spidey.

Loooove all those reds and oranges. *happy sigh*

Got a nice shot of a bee on the pond today:

Pony.... Thanks....if it helps..... only one of those dahlias is mine! lol. the others live in a friends yard. That's a great bee shot!!!

Ahh.. you need to stage a plantnapping. No ransom note, though.

Yeah! wouldn't that be fun. Unfortunately, I'd probably be at the top of their suspect list when they noticed!

Yeah, and I guess it would be hard to explain how you just happened to have all those freshly planted flowers...

^_^

All I got to say is great Pics from all as always 'LOVE O LOVE' (LOL)

If I ever got caught up I think I would scare myself ^_^ Life in the fast lane Sucks.

Any way I want to know the names of those Dahs, love em.
And to all of us that are lazy about digging them up for winter> I agree I was so worried about mine that I got from Cocajuno (Carla) before she moved to ARZ. Brat.... out of the 10 she gave me, I only lost 2 which where a little iffy to start with. But I have learned in are zone its not the winter that will kill them, its things that eat them.
I had Pooh for 6 years never dug him up, then I notice he was not coming up, so I dug him up. some thing thought he was very tasty.
I would recomend to dig and check on the taters every couple years. Okay I'm done LOL

Pony I think you will like this one, love the color
'April Heather"

"Crazy for Love" One of the new ones

" Procyon Colossal"
Can't wait to see it fully open

They're all gorgeous, Tilly! The Procyon Colossal really looks like my cup of tea color-wise, though... I love big bold colors! I hope you can get a shot of it in full bloom, I'd love to see it. :)

Beautiful Tills and rc!!

Nice bee pony!

rc....somehow comforting to know you're looking out for our beautiful trees.