Has this been an amazing spring or what? Everything is so full of promise in the garden, and we've been having one of those “long springs “.
Usually on or around May first my garden goes from spring to summer overnight; yes, it is always nice to have night-time lows above 50 for setting out summer vegetables, but I don't really need or want so many days above 90. This year, May daytime temperatures seem to have remained in the 70's and 80's, allowing me to enjoy sugar snaps, fava beans and sweet peas for several weeks! My tomatoes are still setting fruit, rather than dropping their flowers, which they often do when temperatures stay above 85 degrees.
Yes, the aphids and their “honeydew” are as annoying as ever, but the lady bugs and their spawn are keeping them in check, and where they are not, I have been able to do the same with thethrips and spider mites, spraying insecticidal soap and neem oil without fear of it being too hot. I see green lacewing larvae!
And yes; the hills have gone from an especially verdant green to “golden,” but the potatoes have had a chance to flower, the garlic has had time to form nice bulbs, and my perennials still look good, without a lot of irrigation.
Speaking of perennials, fires have few things that are good about them, but one of the good things may be renewal. I have learned so much about my gardening space since we moved here 30+ years ago, and I was fortunate enough to be able to start anew after theLNU fire in 2020.
One of my favorite Manzanitas should have made it, but did not, I think because it was right where fire fighters needed to secure the fireline. I still have images of being awakened by the heat that night, looking out of my bedroom window and seeing fire. I didn't realize until later that my fence, and that Manzanita were already down. Thank you fire fighters!
Seems like I put salvias in the right places this time. Still mind boggling to me how members of the same genus can be so different.