Rain's a-comin'

A Dahlia, earlier today

On Tuesday or so we're supposed to get 1/2" of rain, and I for one would be delighted. Especially if it rains from 10am to 4pm. Or from midnight to 8am, for example... as things are so dry and all.

Today Matt and I went to the garden for the first time in ages - we got married (!) and went on honeymoon to Thailand, so it was quite a treat to see how much the garden has grown under Emily's watchful eye since we were away.

We decided to fix up an area on the lower path side of the left bed, where a previously lush clump of Bulbine had failed to look good at all this year for reasons unknown.

Before and after

First we ripped out the Bulbine, then we rearranged the Agave attenuatas that were there (two) and added several more, including a large one from the middle front bed that was getting overgrown with Aloe.

Matt moved two large clumps of Lamb's Ears (Stachys byzantina) up-slope, as they were encroaching on the pathway, and we took out a big clump of Naked Lady (Amaryllis belladonna) bulbs that need to go in the brights bed instead. Next we planted 16 small pots of Graptopetalum paraguayense "Pinky" around the base of the Agaves, and half a dozen cuttings of Finger Aloe (Cotyledon orbiculata var. oblonga) along the front slope to hopefully prevent it sliding downhill.

The whole lot got watered in heavily, and it was done!

The middle back, middle front, and left beds also got a load of water. I weeded the middle front bed, and Matt transplanted some volunteer Euphorbia characias from the middle front bed to the front border. Emily, Ryan and Bentley popped by, and all in all, it was a productive day.