Hot in the city, hot in the city today...

If Billy Idol had been at the garden this week, he'd have joined me in a lip-curling snarl. Someone stole the dog poop trash can (a very large plant pot) and a few members of the local dog owning fraternity decided, as usual, to dump their dog crap bags either where the trash can used to be, or at the entrance to the garden. Disgusting.

It's not in my contract with Caltrans to pick up dog crap. Also, leaving your dog crap is against the law. So, if I see someone doing it they'll get one polite warning from me, face to face, and then a ticket. And that's a promise.

The crap continued to pile up this week, until, a little bird told me, lovely dog owner Diana cleaned it all up. And then another lovely dog owner, Dorothy (from Alterpop - or as she joked, Alterpoop) donated two wooden barrels to use as trash cans. One's in use as of today, one's stashed for the next time someone steals the poop can.

The generosity of both of these ladies is just wonderful. Thank you both so much for going out of your way to make the garden cleaner and nicer to be in. *Applause*

Anyway, with that annoyance behind us, I decided to spruce up the top area a bit today. I had been hand weeding the area (groan) but on walking out to the garden I saw Jim had beaten me to it - he was weed-whacking all the weeds for us! Thanks Jim - what a back-saver you are :)

I decided to add a Lavender hedge to the perimeter (left.) This will provide somewhat of a visual barrier to the traffic, will smell nice, and should be very easy to maintain. Today Matt and I planted/moved 7 assorted Lavenders, and there's room for about 17 more which I will buy or propagate as time goes on. They could not go right up to the edge of the kerb because there's about a yard wide stretch of concrete along the garden side of the kerb, but the placement is also good for the line of sight of traffic exiting the off-ramp.

We also planted the following:

2 Cuphea hyssopifolia (False Heather)
2 Iberis sempervirens (Dwarf Candytuft) (and moved another to join them under a cherry tree)
1 Opuntia microdasys albata "Angel Wings"

We moved a few crocus bulbs to the fronts of beds, mulched the bamboo area, weeded, and bought a manure fork for turning the compost heaps. Had a nice chat with Annelle and Gary, watered in the new plants, and called it a day - phew, it's hot out!


Above left: Malcolmia. Right: Flanders Poppy. Left: Dietes