Reeses - what a cute kitty! My neighbor rescued an orange cat and found out his name was Cheetoh. He was a great gopher hunter. Except he'd leave the gophers on her front door mat. She found out the hard way a couple of times to look before stepping outside! Carol - what an interesting fact about the orange cats! Thank you. Sultry - wow. I guess all the people wanting to see their animals on "farms" have really got to re-think their strategies. Peacocks are beautiful but can sound really creepy! What tore up the rooster? Another rooster or something else? Do you still have him?
Jim - hope your mom is feeling a bit better every day.
Svetlana - Vejles has the sweetest face. I can see why you just want to take good care of him.
HalloBlondie - I grow a lot of different salvias. Many of the European varieties do well in colder climates, but I find that slugs and snails tend to go for them more than the ones that are more Mexican/Texas kinds of sages - -which may be annuals for you, but are perennials for me. And the CA sages nothing really bothers. Most of mine are low water users, but can take more water. There are so many salvias from all around the world -- you are sure to find at least a dozen that you like and will work for you! My Salvia Greggii and Salvia Microphylla are super easy low water users that bloom their foolish heads off and can get huge. In the winter I use a weed whacker to take them all the way down to the ground. This is new for me -- I used to trim them -- time consuming and now my elbow hurts when I prune, so last 2 years I did weed whacker and was very happy! About mid-summer I dead-head -- which is tedious, but gives me a lovely fall bloom. If I don't trim or take them down they tend to get woody at the base, which results in fewer flowers and makes me nervous in fire season. My hot lips (microphylla) and raspberry delight make the hummers go absolutely nuts. And they are just gorgeous. I also have Salvia Clevelandii (A CA Native), Salvia Leucantha, Salvia Spathacea, Salvia Royal Bumble, Salvia Radio Red, Salvia Azurea, Salvia Mystic Spires, Salvia Amistad, Salvia Apiana, Victoria Blue Sage (farinacea), Salvia jamensis full moon, Salvia Dara's Choice (CA Native - gorgeous ground cover), Salvia Melissadora Grape Scented Sage (really does smell like grapes, and pretty, too!), Salvia Subrotunda, a Salvia that's like Dancing Dolls, but a different D, can't remember...plus so many varieties that are blue, purple, pink, red, white, yellow, peach... Anyway -- obviously, I'm a huge fan of salvias. so are hummingbirds. I don't put out feeders because I provide the plants! Try them - you'll like them. AND -- what a great problem to have -- too many roses! Hope you gave your hubby a big smooch. Love your plans for garden and fire pit.
Ann -- what a lovely yard and thank you for the mouth-watering photos. You must be in rose heaven. I'm esp. loving your Neptune and Koko.
Trish -- Maybe you'll have to join a rose society and be a volunteer at a public garden to get your rose fix. So sad to give up what we love...
Kristine - can't wait to see a pic of your newly painted house and newly planted flowers. I'm hoping our roof repairs don't demolish the garden. I'm glad your clompers are being respectful. that just reminded me of Romper Room. Anyone remember that show? Romper Stompers??? Oh my goodness -- pardon my flashback, please!
Lisa - please don't apologize for your garden. I love the cottage garden look. I think we are garden-soul-sisters. I don't plant the annual salvia anymore because it came up everywhere. But when it's not taking over, it is just gorgeous. I was tempted again just this last week, but I resisted. I love your CdTG rose -- and do you have these wonderful tags on all of them? I had no idea sweet peas could be that fun and beautiful. I must have dropped some seeds or maybe birds stole them and replanted them -- but now I have some kind of funky sweet peas in the back of my garden twining around other plants. I think I will have to pull them. Have you ever grown the oak leaf hydrangea? I have my eye on the peewee version... Love your Joan Fontaine in the Felicia -- that is one lovely little plant, isn't it?
jjpeace -- good luck with the rest of the pruning. What a chore. So glad that's behind me, though this year I still have a painful elbow after all my pruning. Anyone know how long it takes tendonitis to go away?
Thank you for the gorgeous bouqets, Fragrance. All are beautiful. Say more about the middle one, please!
Here are some photos. We've had significant marine layer and drizzle yesterday. I'm worried my Yves Piaget buds are going to ball up and give up. Phooey.
A cool bee in a cosmos. I think it must be a native bee.
This is my mystery rose - I think it was the rootstock that my French Lace reverted to when I moved it.
And here is more of the foliage/buds on the mystery rose.
Here is my Queen of Sweden looking lovely.
Here is a geum, totally tangerine, with the victoria blue salvia (looking a bit past its prime at the moment)
Love Song is being shy.
And a salvia clevelandii -- such a pretty (and ultra fragrant) drought-tolerant native.
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Salvia
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