What's Blooming Outside Your Door, Part 2

Sofer, put your mind at rest. Those are not opium poppies. Sue is correct. Opium poppies are annuals. They are supposedly illegal but so far the opium poppy police have not come knocking on the door. Then again, no one I know of has recently run naked through them to collect the residue! LOL!!

Yes Susy mine are Per.
Any one want some? They are huge. Geting ready to pop.

Rach, If you find that, I want one, so buy a extra, I will pay you back, that is to cool. Watch out Gordon will want one too.

Will do Till's!

OOOh I just love you.

Murmur ~ Where in Orange County is your daughter? That's my stomping grounds. Grew up in Huntington Beach and DH and I retired from Orange County Fire Dept.

Outta, my daughter is in Trabuco Canyon - one of those "gated" communities with nice houses and NO - and I do mean NO - yards. They were on watch for evacuation one time during those last bad fires. They moved there almost five years ago due to her DH's job, thinking they'd be back up here within three (he works for Coca Cola and they "almost" promised him that - NOT EVEN GONNA HAPPEN). Though we talk and e-mail all the time, I miss her so much. And I missed some important growing up years of my two granddaughters (one of whom is back up here now, married with a baby). Sorry - I didn't mean to get on a "poor me" road there!!!

According to the weather analysis, the hot weather is blowing up from California to those of us farther north. And then there are winds coming from the NE that will meet the warm weather and "cook it up" a little hotter.

Sue, I'm thinking that you might be a little far south for that to affect you. But that's why my temps are supposed to be so unusually hot. The prediction last night had come down a little bit for the Seattle foothills - "only" 85. Still 10 degrees too hot for me . . .

A little too far south for what? It's certainly breezy enough here right now, breeze from the NE, and it's currently about 81' according to weather underground about a half-mile from my house.

A little too far south to be affected by the weather pattern (NE air meeting air from the south) that I was talking about. Steve Pool was focused on the Puget Sound area - or that was what his picture showed.

I'm sure we're all going to feel the air from the south, just don't know who-all will get the extra effect of the NE air cooking it up.

81 already!! Whew. That's way too hot. I'm inside in downtown Seattle, but I'm sure it's heating up at my house. Time for lemonade and green tea iced tea.

Murmur ~ What a small world! I lived in the old canyon down by the Trabuco Canyon Steak House. I started as a volunteer firefighter in Trabuco Canyon and that's where I met DH. He was a full-timer at the station. I became full-time career after one year and that was my first fire station! I also worked at Station 45, which is the Rancho Santa Margarita station, for one year. That is truly my stomping grounds! I know what you mean about the NO yards. Everyone there has an 8 x 10 patch of dirt which they attempt to make into something unique but it just ends up looking like everyone else's ~ red brick and Queen Palms. Tragic.

90 deg here in Silverton OR. Too hot for me to be out in the sun!
Darn.. Working on some stuff in the shade...but it is still pretty hot..
On a break for a cold drink.. Just talked to my cousin in the SF bay area..100 + there. I guess we are lucky...

Outta, that is amazing! I can't wait to tell my daughter . . . she's flying up tonight to spend a week at my brother's house and making a daily visit to her grandparents - my parents - house) while he and his wife are in Africa (visiting their son in the Peace Corps). How long have you been here? I think you've said in the past, but of course I forget!!! BTW, my daughter hates those palms with a passion! And she told me - if you didn't know where Trabuco Canyon was (lol) to mention Rancho Santa Margarita! Small small world!

Bea, you poor thing. It sounds like you guys in Oregon and Southwestern Washington are getting hit pretty hard. We’ve had a little break up here in the Puget Sound this afternoon and it looks like we may stay in the 80’s.

Stay cool (wait, didn’t I sign that in my yearbook?)

Yep it is still hot. 6pm and 93 Deg. Need to take the dogs for a walk and get the mail, but I think I may wait until morning. It is only a few blocks..but I could bake cookies outside!! Running the drip system again as all the flowers look a bit droopy tonight. They are not liking this heat. I may do some additional hand watering later..
Ice cream sound real good right now!
My hosta's were looking great yesterday...hope this heat does not hurt them. Gave them an extra drink earlier .

That's a beautiful hosta pic. It's back down to about 78* here at 7:30

It's 73 here and the highest we got today was 83. I did alot of watering! Everything is holding up well. I just planted some celery, cheddar cauliflower, red cabbage, broccoli, dill and taragon starts in the garden from the greenhouse. Now I'm going to plant some of my tomatoes I started from seed. I'lll check back in about an hour or so!

I think it only got to 76 here on the island, but it sure felt warmer than that! I managed to spend several hours in the yard and still "take care" of Steve and run some errands. I'm doing the altar arrangement at church this week and the daughter of a woman who is having her 98th birthday made a donation and requested red and pink roses. I ordered them from the florist, but didn't really give them enough time so I'm not too happy with the pink (so dark they're almost red). But they had six lighter pink ones so I have 12 red, six dark dark pink and six light pink. It should be okay - I hope I hope I hope. And boy do I hope the temps don't get too bad - I would hate to see them wilt between the time I do the arrangement tomorrow morning and the services on Sunday!

Hi All, 830 PM and we have cooled down to 88 deg. Woopie! Just had a power surge and the A/C stopped working. Talk about panic!
Checked the fuse box..that was fine then realized that I need to reset the power on the big silver monster in the garage. Yeah!..A/C back in action. Also lost my internet connection..but after several tries to reconnect ..I am back in action.
Took an assestment of the yard..the last of the tulips/daffodils are toast! So sad! Now I will have 4-6 weeks of ugly until I can cut them down.
Did find this pretty dutch iris braving the heat!

This message was edited May 16, 2008 7:47 PM

The allium made it through our hot day!

We had the effects of the NE wind and only reached about 76F. Quite nice for my maiden voyage in my canoe. Lots of problems with leakage through the fiberglass work I did this winter. I am somewhat mad at somebody but I cannot be mad at the one who did it because that was me. The boat only filled up somewhat with the ice cold water from the lake so I went out anyway. Had a whole bunch of people taking pictures and they will email them to me. Can't wait for the pictures and the holes to be figured out.

Well, Ice water sure sounds great to me! LOL!
I remember kayaking on my sisters river (Black River I think?) outside of Olympia and my lil 2 yr old son kicked as my sis pulled him off my lap.... kicked the side of the kayak and I went over and under... Now that was some cold ice water! LOL! so cold it stung! sure could use some now!
100+ today... I stopped looking at the thermometer cause as it went up, my mood went down :o(
Was a little cooler today than yesterday but not much. I just potted up my new rooted Brug cuttings and I'm hoping they survive this heat! When I got home tonight only one of them looked wilty, the rest were still okay.

Hope tomorrow cools down for all of us... I really meant it when I sais send me SNOW! LOL! We are mixing and pouring cement tomorrow and that is NOT a fun job in the heat! :o(

........back to drinking my milkshake-dinner :o)
AnjL

Yep, my tulips just went, too. Most everything else is looking good, though. I watered a lot last night and again this afternoon. I did see something I'd never seen before, though-a drooping Autumn Joy Sedum. I've had it for years and years so I probably didn't give it the water all my new plants are getting, and it drooped. Guess it's just not adapted to summer yet.

Seems like a few things are really liking this warmth-hope they don't dislike it too much when it drops back down to the 40's overnight next week...

winter to summer back to winter again? what ever happened to spring?! LOL!
I'll take winter over this heat any day!

The weather is so unpredicatable I am finding here in the PNW. Just a few weeks I was complaining how cold it was. Now it's to hot.
I would be pleased with about 70 deg every day. Call me "goldilocks"but 70 would be just right!
Hate to see my next water bill. Just did a full pond clean out (3200+ gal and all the extra watering and cool showers to beat the heat!
It has cooled down now to 77 deg so we are head in the right direction.
One last photo of an interesting hosta I have. Now time to fold laundry & catch some news...

Hi Bea, this spring in particular has been rough. It's usually a little more consistent. Cooler than today, but consistent. The average for now should be mid-to high 60's.

That is a beautiful Hosta-which one is it?

Yes, the hosta is beautiful.

My stuff fared very well here, but I am in the foothills and I do have a forest to the west of me. I watered well tonight, anyway, as I'll be away from home all day tomorrow.

It seemed hot on the way home, but when I got here, it was only 72 inside and there was a nice breeze outside. Shorts and tank top weather, but not too hot for me at all. We really lucked out.

I took this about 8:00 from my deck - it's further away than it looks here as the lens I had is a telephoto and I was too lazy to go back in the house and change it. It seems like the purple rhodies and the yellow azalea just popped overnight!

wow! your garden is absolutely beautiful!

Your yard is beautiful! Great color and texture! Are you growing anything up the trelis tower? Or is that where the naughty gnomes stay?

Thanks!

There is a climbing rose inside the tower - this is only it's second year . . . we'll see what happens. In the meantime, the little gnomes stay there. This garden was formerly called "The Elm Street Garden" (as in "Nightmare On"), but last year DH gave me a dozen rose bushes for our anniversary so I had to finally dig in (literally) and clear it out. I'm still not really done, but it's doing well all things considered. The roses are all looking quite healthy and if Bambi doesn't get ahead of me, should have some nice blooms.

LOL@ Nightmare on Elm street... that was my oldest sons nickname... we lived on Elm Street when he ws born ! LOL!

Here's what I did today :o)

Have you tried the cd trick? Tie a few cds to a tree or bush so they swing and reflect light around. It works at my fil's house and he lives in Granite Falls surrounded by woods. They had a bad problem with Bambi, but the cds scared them off.
And set the gnomes free! lol


Heres a little color in my shade garden!

Hey anjl, that is going to look so cool when it starts draping down! It looks cool now! I need something like that to display my begonias.


This has nothing to do with anything, but pretty funny and pretty cool. My son works for an aviation co. He runs shipping and receiving, and recently was told to scrap these seats. Leather first class seats! So he asked if I would like a set. Why not? Now guest are served first class in my house! That's my son and his girlfriend trying the trays out!

Mummer your garden is beautiful.
Anjl, I love your tower. What do you have going up the holes?

Carole - that's beautiful. Hard to believe it was ever a 'nightmare'. There's no evidence of that left.

I'm afraid there's lots of nightmare evidence left, but happily it didn't show up in the photo. The rhodies and the azalea were basically the only plants here when I moved in - and they sure do provide a nice backdrop. They are on the edge of the property - the trees in the background are actually across the street.

Gordon, you've got some great choices in your shade garden!! And the airplane seats make me smile big time!!! If I am consistent with my use of Liquid Fence, Bambi minds his own business - but I do forget so like your cd idea! I certainly have enough oldies that are either scratched or I no longer listen to!!!

Oneanjl, I love your tower - I've seen those in photos and impressed that you not only built it, but have it planted already!!!

I Love those first class seats! I need a set of them!

the tippy tower is really simple :o)

1/2 inch rebar stuck down into the ground about 2-3 feet. Then you just stick clay pots thru the drain hole and lean them alternately. so really I just potted up some plants and then stuck them on a pole! LOL! Now my neighbors KNOW i'm crazy! LOL! lil five yo next door was watching me build it and asked...'why you doing that?!" LOL! I just love to be different :o) now I need to find some silver falls seeds or plugs to grow down and spill over the sides :o)

Yes, oneanjl. Love your tower. How did you do it, pretty please?

Well, we cross-posted. Thanks for the instructions, but I don't quite get it. What do you stick through the drain hole in the clay pot?

Like shish-kebob on the rebar. Just thread them on.