The calm after the storm

The view from the
middle front bed

Today we had no plant sale, no volunteers, no rushing around from the crack of dawn... just a nice, sunny day in the garden, mostly alone - relaxing!

I pruned the Fuchsia boliviana "Alba" as it wasn't done last year and it was starting to get very leggy. I also whacked back the Buddleja x weyeriana "Honeycomb" in the left bed, which, just like the other Buddlejas suffers from insect attack and always looks miserable. I might just yank it out...

I also thoroughly weeded the back half of the middle front bed, carefully removing that umbrella sedge weed (Cyperus involucratus) we have there. It's a soggy spot, which makes that weed really happy and the Leonotus leonorus in the same area miserable!

Got aphids? Get ladybugs!

I need to think about what plant would be happier there - who always looks miserable by late summer, desperate for a drink of water? The Brugmansia is one - we cut it to the ground but of course it popped right back up in the left bed.  And the Lycianthes rantonnetii (Blue Potato Bush) at the top of the steps is another shrub that's much happier in our wetter winters than in our dry summers. I think the latter might be the best choice.

Yesterday I rescued some plants from the vacant lot at 100 Texas Street. There used to be a garden store there years ago but they were kicked out when the owners wanted to build on the lot. No building happened, and whatever plants where left over started to enjoy the peace and grow. I noticed all sorts of bulbs and unusual things growing there each year, and yesterday, seeing a work crew in there, I walked over and asked them if I could rescue some plants before they were crushed in the chipper. (All the trees and shrubs got chipped - a real shame.)

Unknown bulb!

A small Agave americana "Medio Picta Alba" was saved, and the bulbs of two large clumps of Chasmanthe floribunda var. duckittii - the yellow cobra lily - as well. Sadly all the leaves and flowers were weed-whacked off, but I planted the Chasmanthe bulbs in two spots in the left bed, and Matt put the Agave in the cactus wall to recover from minor crushing. I found a large bulb with strappy leaves that was about to flower as well and put it in the brights bed - who knows what it is!