We're Having a Heat Wave

Yes, we're having a heat wave but it's not, as Marilyn Monroe sang, a tropical heat wave. Call it a dry heat. Whatever it is, all we have been doing is watering as we have an open garden on August 4th and are trying to keep things looking, well, alive. Facilities Manager suggested that for this week's post to show a photo of the sun and say "It's hot...we're watering...taking the week off" - but no, I have photos to share. I sneaked in a few between schlepping hoses around, so call this a "sit back and enjoy the purdy flowers" post. 

Phlomis russeliana or Jerusalem sage backed by the evening sun.



Flat cat didn't even TRY to outrun me this week. He has been an easy, melty, catch.


Fescue 'Beyond Blue' fronts Coreopsis 'Moonbeam' on the right and Mimulus auruntiacus on the left, which, by the way, was a self-sown seedling from the parent plant that has long since vanished. I am more than pleased. 


 Admittedly, this was taken a few weeks ago when the yellow flowered Sedum reflexum 'Blue Spruce' was still in bloom.


And the Stipa barbata still had seed heads on it.  


Verbena hastata has a gorgeous candelabra style flower head. These all have powdery mildew below, but I don't care...actually, I stripped off all the old, dead foliage and all that's left is a stem and these. 


 The edge of the labyrinth garden exposing the ever-more-brown "lawn".


 Another scene of the labyrinth garden. It has filled in nicely with many textures, forms and colors. All of the plant material in this part of the garden is drought tolerant; still, we need to water occasionally when it's been so terribly dry and the garden so new.



 Fescue 'Beyond Blue' in front of Ceanothus 'Marie Simon'.



 Monarda 'Raspberry Wine' in front of Miscanthus sinensis 'Cabaret'.


One of my favorite plants, and sorely underused, Teucrium chamaedrys or wall germander. This evergreen subshrub can be pruned like a boxwood and is, in fact, the original boxwood. That is to say it was used as a small border hedge in Europe (think knot gardens) for a long time before boxwood edged its way in to mainstream gardens. It blooms and a bonus - those black olive looking things all over are bumble bees. 


 I now have many of these plants in the garden, here is a stretch of the four oldest. They only get about 18" tall or so and are so easy, requiring little to no water and no fertilizer. At least I give them none. They take a year or two to fill in but it's worth the wait.


 Hobbes made friends with the bumble bees.


 Sedum 'Jade Frost' was given to me at a garden blogger's swap - but I don't think the name is correct.  I like its bright green color against all of these plum and silver colored shrubs.


 Allium sphearocephalum or drumstick allium in another dry area.



 This is another very popular plant with the bees, mostly the honey bees.



Salvia o. 'Purpurea' with Artemisia 'Powis Castle' play well together. Both are very tough, drought tolerant and good sized. The colors harmonize, too. This is the kind of simple but effective combination I appreciate so much with this much garden to tend to.


 Salvia spilling over the edge of a path. This is why I did not bother with edging all of my many miles of path, it would have been for nothing as the plan was for plants to spill over and soften the edges. Hooray for plants!


My Miss Lucy taking a walk through the sedums. This is remarkable in that she was recently diagnosed with congestive heart failure, which broke our hearts. She's taking it day by day and is on lots of medications. She hasn't had any energy for a few weeks, but she must be getting better as she was really cruising around tonight, enjoying the sights and smells of the garden. Go Lucy! We love her to the moon and back and are very happy she's feeling so much better.


Thymus 'Foxley' is preparing to overcome my little Agave parryi.  


The cardoons are blooming! I sowed seed collected at Joy Creek Nursery and three big ones took. At well over 7' tall, they stand out in the garden. 


Evening light. 


An interesting bee on Coreopsis 'Full Moon', a 4' coreopsis with larger flowers than C. 'Moonbeam'. 



 And the echinacea are blooming, too.


 The veggie garden is going strong, here's a sampling in a market basket we gave to my dear friend for her birthday. Sweet peas, tomatoes, peppers, beets, rhubarb, three kinds of beans, artichokes, kale, chives, tarragon, cauliflower, broccoli and eggs. The garden is mighty generous, we are most grateful.



Last but not least, Sedum 'Matrona' will be blooming shortly. Oh, and have you seen Hobbes?

We shall continue to water like crazy until August 4th for our open garden with the Hardy Plant Society of Oregon. If you are a member, look us up and come on out! We're open from 9 - 1, let's hope for a cooler day than what we've been experiencing. After the 4th, we're hopefully slowing down. Somehow I don't think that's going to happen. For everyone out there experiencing this crazy weather - be it fires, floods or inferno like heat, we feel for you. Hang in there.

That's a wrap for this week at Chickadee Gardens. As always, thank you so much for reading, visiting, commenting and being a part of the gardening community. I'd like to think that gardeners help make the world a little better. Until next time, happy gardening!


Comments

  1. Oh what beautiful things await those who venture to your open garden. I hope you have a great turn out.

    I'm so glad Lucy is feeling better and certainly you must have plans for rescuing your Agave parryi, yes? ;)

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    1. Thank you Danger! We do too, no idea what to expect this far out of Portland. Well, if even only one person shows up it will be fun.

      Re: Agave p., ....oh yes, he'll get moved after the open garden. In spring, he had about a 3' clearance but not any longer. D'OH!

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  2. Your garden is amazing, but you don't need me to convince you of that, LOL. Love the basket you made for your friend, so pretty and thoughtful.
    Connie :)

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    1. Aw, thank you so much, Connie! :)

      Stay cool out there!

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  3. Don't know how you manage to keep so much real estate looking so good! I hope Lucy continues to improve and enjoy your gardens.

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    1. Thank you Carol! Thanks for the well-wishes for our little Lucy, too. She's feeling better...thank goodness. Our furry ones are our family, so it's never easy when they become ill. We hope she has many, many more tours about the garden in her.

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  4. So sorry to hear about Lucy but glad she's feeling a bit better now. Your garden is glorious and your guests will be thrilled! I think you should don a Carmen Miranda-esque headdress for the open garden.

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    1. Thank you, Peter! Oooh...I must go build a headdress now. LOVE IT! :) Great idea!

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  5. It's looking good, and I'm sure will wow everyone who visits! I'm not a member of the HPSO, so I won't be down for the opening on the fourth, but I was planning to come down the week after to the Portland area, to shop and to drop off some plants that I've promised you. Good thing, cause then you won't have to hide the pots somewhere while people tour.

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    1. Oooh, come down any time. I have plants for you, too! And some seeds. Yay for seeing Alison and Nigel!! :)

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  6. Your garden looks stupendous despite the miserable heatwave. (I suspect you and the Facility Manager look more ragged.) I'm sure your HPSO visitors will enjoy their tours and only wish I could be one of them. I hope Lucy does well on her meds. I lost my Max, a Lynx Point Siamese, years ago to congestive heart failure at age 7, sadly diagnosed too late. Give her a pat for me.

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    1. Oh, Kris, my heart goes out to you. I will certainly give her a pat from you, thank you.

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  7. I can't wait to see your garden! Also, current forecast for the 4th shows a high of 82 (😍) if we can make it through this weekend fingers crossed you won't have to water so much next week!

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    1. Yay! Yay! Yay for all of it, the cooler weather and that it sounds like you're coming out! (just don't look down at the weeds when you're here)

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  8. best of luck with the tour, the heat wave, and Lucy's
    continued recovery -- the garden definitely looks ready for its closeup!

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    1. Thank you Denise, I hope everything is ready. Oy...just don't look down at the weeds and brown "lawn"..!

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  9. So sorry about your Lucy! Hope her upswing continues. It's hot here too. This week has been better, if you can call low 100's better. Monday is will be in the low 90's and I CAN'T WAIT! Hope your heat breaks soon.

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    1. Thank you, Rebecca...so far so good on the Lucy front. We feel for you - man...feels like we have nothing to complain about since low 90's are considered cool for you. I can't wait for it to cool off for you! Let's hope the heat breaks for everyone!

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  10. Your garden is gorgeous! I can't wait to see it. I'm so happy to hear that Lucy's feeling better.

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    1. Thank you, Laura! :)

      Lucy is mucho better, but still day by day. xoxo

      I can't wait for you to come out and see it and vice-versa, I need to see your gorgeous paradise.

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  11. I'm sorry about Lucy. I hope she continues to feel better!

    Some of the scenes from your garden are legitimately magazine worthy! Actually, quite a few. Oh my goodness!

    Phlomis russeliana is on my wishlist, and I've been thinking about adding germander for awhile.

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    1. Thank you, Evan. You are too kind, really!

      Phlomis is right up your alley...I highly recommend it and the Teucrium also. Stay cool my friend!

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  12. Your gardens are gorgeous ! .. I love the labyrinth especially, but everything is stunning, including your beautiful felines : )
    I was just over at Grace's place and remarked on how nice it must be to have allium blooming .. mine have been done for some time, even though I keep those crazy spherical skeleton heads up as long as possible.
    I really enjoy seeing such diversity yet common threads pulling the structures of the plants together .. well done !
    Could we see a full picture of the cardoon some time ? I know they are giants ! LOL
    Thanks for the tour .. wish I could see it in person !

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  13. Despite the droughty conditions your garden looks great. Any Gardener will understand any browning of the edges and appreciate your garden.

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