Been hot enough for you lately? At Weedy Acres here, even the squirrels have been slowing down. I do not know about you, but when the temperature starts getting close to 90 degrees, this gardener heads for the house and overhead fans! The front yard has gone from a lovely green area to a rather interesting California “golden hills” hue. Even the calendulas (Calendula officinalis) have decided to call it a day and turn brown. However, there are some plants out there that luxuriating in the heat.
I have several varieties of lavender that are bursting out in both size and flowers. One which I planted YEARS ago and has become woody in stem (or should I call it trunk) has expanded to 4 feet, in length, not width, and is blooming better than it ever has; more and more bees and even the occasional hummingbird has been visiting daily. The only surviving ‘Munstead' (of the original 3) has decided that being next to the stucco house is wonderful and dramatically taking over the strip bed between the front walkway and driveway. “Looking good there, kid!!”
My all-time favorite that I spotted several years ago at the UC Davis irrigation trials, though, is ‘Meerlo”. This lavender with variegated leaves is amazing. From what I've both read and heard, this one does not bloom very often, but the plants grow so beautifully in their ball shape and have such wonderful scent from the leaves alone, that I do not begrudge them not blooming. I planted 5 about 3 years ago (lost 1) and plan on getting more to plant along the driveway where the Plumbago (Plumbago auriculata) was. I tore that out when I got tired of pruning it away from the driveway so that I could exit the car; I kept trying to root prune the portion that kept growing right up to the concrete AND losing that battle.
How are your tomatoes doing in this heat? Folks I have talked with are either having a bumper year OR (like me) are not. I planted a cherry tomato variety that was guaranteed that when I planted it “would grow like a weed! Stand back!!”, yet it has grown a total of 9 inches and produced 2 tomatoes total! I also planted an heirloom variety, a “pink” something or other which has grown to about 3 feet tall and produced 8 tomatoes which are sun-scalded since it put out tomatoes BUT very few leaves to shade the fruits! Even my favorite ‘Sweet 1000' has not grown the way that variety has in the past! The vine looks as though it is already late October but is producing rather well. At the farmers' market, if anyone asks about growing tomatoes, I know nothin'!
Right now, my big project is moving river rock from the pile in the backyard (where we put them “temporally” about 8 years ago to restock the dry creek which starts off in the backyard and goes continuous under the fence and then out to the sidewalk in front to help drain the “marsh” that appears when the rain comes down (hopefully this year). Even with the weed cloth under the rocks, it is sinking down, and the chip mulch is covering the rock. Where the rock is residing now will then become my blueberry bed.
Well, off to my labors! Take it easy in the heat and remember to take rests throughout the day. Also, be sure and stay hydrated and use sunscreen!