We have unseasonable high temperatures here in San Diego this week. Our normal 67 degree weather has been replaced with hot dry 90 degree days. Despite the heat, the rain we had a week ago has spared the landscape from disaster.
We don't have an irrigation system, so if I don't have the time to stand and water for an hour or two, the plants go without water for a week or more. Its a bit of balancing act making sure we get out there and water before damage is done.
I love the Centaurea gymnocarpa "Velvet Centurea" I picked up from Annie's Annuals last year.
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| Annie's Annuals |
I now use it as my water indicator plant. When it gets really hot and or dry it starts to droop its leaves just a bit and reminds me to water. It never drys out completely though and as soon as I water it pops right back up and looks fabulous again. Love this plant and can't wait to see it bloom!
The protea seem to be enjoying the weather we have been having. One week its cold and rainy and the next its hot and dry. All the plants I got from Resendiz Brothers Protea more than a year ago are now bursting with new buds.
All the one year old protea seedlings are starting to look good. None are showing signs of blooms yet but all have fresh growth which is promising. Right now they are in the shade house because I lost so many when they dried out and burnt in the full sun spot I had put them. I wasn't able to water as often back then so I will soon transition them back into more sun so they can grow better.
The rest of the garden is also looking splendid. Aeoniums which have been overlooked and ignored all year are getting their time in the spotlight as they all burst into bloom.
My newest addition is a Psoralea pinnata “Kool-Aid Bush”.
The local college propagates these, but they sell faster than they grow. They are usually sold out long before I get there. This time they had five so I was able to pick out the best looking one. Since moving up to a five gallon size I swear its grown a third of its size in a week and the BLOOMS!!! The flowers have an aroma very much like grape soda or Kool-Aid. Its another wonder from South Africa, no wonder I like this plant.
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| It doesn't look like much yet but soon this will be a towering beauty |
They grow up to 12 feet tall and it just so happens that Annie's Annuals also carries them here.
And for your viewing pleasure:
More of whats blooming in the garden today....
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| Dendrobium speciosum |
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| Asclepias curassavica |
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| Salvia grown from cuttings- only six months old |
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| Why you shouldn't grow leucadendrons near shade. |
This branch started growing towards the porch then reversed course and started heading back towards the sun creating a corkscrew branch. This was my first intro into the world of protea and I planted it before I knew they needed sun. The plant has established itself and seems to grows fine so rather than risk loosing it by transplanting I have opted to let it stay. Because of the shade it stays a brilliant light green color that pops in the landscape.
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