What's happening in your early summer garden #2

Thanks Rob, you are right about the ground thing, but they would have to jump around to fend off the dreaded gophers. I think the gophers are ticked about my NOT planting any new stuff for them in the ground and so now they are eating things they have left alone before. The planter next to the house is starting to look bare, I will need to start arranging pots in there. I don't have the uniformity of nice or similar pots, but if they are close together they make a nice arrangement.

Whew! Was going to work out in the garden today and try and get a few last things in the ground before it started to heat up, but by 8 a.m, it was already too late. Already in the 80s and climbing. A bit unusual for 2 miles from the beach in mid-July...

Hey, KaperC, your matilija poppies are amazing! So bushy and full. Do you pinch? All the ones I see around here are rangey and ragged. I've wanted to try them, but the ones I've seen, except for yours, aren't very motivating.

wcgypsy and ducbulcn--your hollyhocks are amazing, too! I got a few more this year because I got one last year that I never actually planted but rooted through a 4-inch pot and was over 8 feet tall, up the eaves of the house, this year. (I should have taken a picture of my never-planted hollyhock when it was in it's fully glory. Unbelievable.) I don't even remember watering it. I'm beginning to understand why they're an old garden favorite. Geez, you don't even have to plant them and they grow!

We cut the Matilijas nearly down to the ground (with a chain saw) in late winter, Surf, that's all - seldom even water them. Right now we are having to cut them away from the path to keep it clear! They really like it here, along with our Toyons, which are also huge - other things, not so much. :-)

Cocoloba, I didn't know there was a list! LOL! But you are welcome to have some seeds of the cup and saucer too! I'm sure I'll have plenty, this guy is blooming like crazy!

Quiltygirl - try planting allium bulbs in your garden. Gophers are known to stay away from them!

Ka, I think I cut my potted one too late. I'll have to cut it back in February next year. I didn't get any blooms....sniff...

You've got a Matilija in a pot? Wow! Is it a big pot? How cool - we're lucky to have enough room for them, but I'm glad those who don't - or don't want them so big - can still enjoy them.

It is a VERY big pot (about 3 ft tall and 2 ft wide----probably 25 gallons). And it sits on a concrete paver so it stays in the pot. I know how invasive they can be in the ground, and much as I love them I don't want my entire yard to be Matilijas. I bought a 1-gal in the fall of 2007, and it bloomed last spring. It looked pretty healthy this spring till I cut it back in about April. It's got new growth, but clearly has no immediate plans to bloom.....

We don't find it difficult to control ours, since all the little 'pups' come up early in the year. The darn things have no roots - one reason why they don't transplant well, I guess. We just pull them out when they are tiny. We've only had success with one transplant out of maybe ten.

I'm starting a new thread all of you Matilija growers!
The new thread is here:
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1014457/