Surviving the heat

 No need to comment on the oppressive heat this week. Scorching. Apart from how it impacts other parts of our lives, it certainly is tough on our gardens. It's at times like these that the value of mulching is brought to the fore. Mulching protects roots from burning and it also preserves water. It also helps to diffuse the heat, even absorbing some of it. All of which protects our plants.

Okay, enough. Hope you're staying cool. Here are some recent garden photos. Enjoy.

Cypella peruviana. One of the most gorgeous of all bulb flowers.

Erica speciosa. This heather blooms nearly year round.

Calibrachoa variety. Million Bells are always a great way to add color to a sunny spot.

Oregon White Oak (Quercus garryana). Still small but already displaying handsome leaves.

Rudbeckia Indian Summer. This variety has especially large flowers.

This mixed succulent bowl is coming along nicely.

For those of you who grow Eriogonum species, it's a good idea to leave the flowers on the plant. This allows seedheads to form and they will attract a variety of smaller songbirds interested in that seed.

Here's a new Calluna (C. Amethyst). As you can see, it's in full bloom, attracting both bees and hummers to its flowers.

Not the best photo but wanted to share the lovely butter yellow flowers of my Mimulus 'Lemon Yellow.'

Speaking of seedpods, here are the curious ones on my bottlebrush shrub (Callistemon viminalis).

I'm not sure which Oxalis this is, other than it's one of the shamrock leaf types.

A new addition to my garden, this Agave pygmaea offers up a lovely steel blue color.

Meanwhile, this Echeveria species showcases lovely red, orange and green tones.

Though not showy yet, here's the developing fruit on my Buddha's Hand citrus tree. It will double in size, develop more pronounced 'fingers' and get a bright yellow.

Chamaecyparis variety. I can't remember now which Chamaecyparis this one is. Perhaps 'Snow.'

My young Japanese Black pine (Pinus thunbergii) has produced its first tiny cone. Here it is. I have begun to collect pine trees, especially any dwarf varieties.

There are a number of plants called 'plumbago' but one very popular ground cover one is Ceratostigma plumbaginoides. Here is mine, showing its brilliant blue flowers.

Here's another photo of my floriferous Snapdragon Chantilly Peach.

Today's 'name that plant' quiz is the plant pictured above. Any guesses? If you thought it to be a Salvia you are close. It's a type of Pitcher Sage, this one Lepechinia bella. 'Bella' indeed!

Lantanas are common but that doesn't mean they aren't pretty.

Begonia odorata 'White.' Though it's not fragrant like many B. odoratas, this variety still produces a large and lovely flower.

Pelargonium 'Claire.' A gift from a friend, this flower features two luscious shades of red.

Coleus variety. A real workhorse, coleus will often last until January in milder zones like Oakland.

Begonia rex Festive Celebration. Like many rex types, it features a curving pattern and a darker center mirrored in its edging.

Asplenium trichomanes. This dwarf fern seems happy in its shady location.

Here are three recent tiles. The two in the back are Turkish Iznik tiles and the front one is of a Celtic knot.

My Firewheel tree (Stenocarpus sinuatus) is healthy but I'm waiting on the showy flowers to appear.

Neoregelia 'Pink Debbie.' Pink indeed, the new leaves on this bromeliad are a vivid orchid pink.

Begonia 'Irene Nuss.' Sought after more for its colorful scalloped leaves, this begonia's flowers are nonetheless a lovely light pink.

Ruth Bancroft Garden

 For those of you who are familiar with Ruth Bancroft Garden out in Walnut Creek, I don't need to convince you of its considerable charms. It has one of the preeminent collections of dry garden plants in all of north America. A friend and I revisited the Garden last week and I took a few photos so I could share them. One of the odd things about this first rate botanical garden is that there is very little signage to indicate the genus and species of any particular plant. For plant geeks like my friend and myself, this is kind of maddening. But it was Ruth Bancroft's wish that the plants not be 'spoiled' by any signage and the current staff is continuing to honor her wishes. It means sadly that I don't have botanical identification for a few of these photos so please pardon that omission. Okay, here are the photos.

This is one of the mysteries but I love how it creates a dense spilling mound of finely textures slender branches. Clearly a drought tolerant plant.

Other than the obvious - this is a cactus of some sort - I don't have an ID for this stately denizen.

Ephedra species. Yes, the same Ephedra that is used in herbal supplements and has been used in traditional Chinese medicines.

We're both at a loss to identify this lovely shrub with feathery foliage. It was one of my favorites that day.

The Garden has many Agaves and neither of us knew which one this was.

Ferocactus pottsii. These are the little yellow fruits that follow blooming on this charming cactus.

Dyckia species. Dyckias are famously thorny and this specimen is no exception. Lovely - at a distance.

Euphorbia echinus. As many of you know, the Euphorbia genus has many succulent species. Here's one of them. It's formed a nice low colony and looks very healthy.

Mangave species. This cross between a Manfreda and an Agave has in recent times become popular in the nursery trade. They notably feature heavily speckled leaves. Here are two fine looking specimens.

Here's another Euphorbia, though we're not sure of the species.

The Garden has a number of wonderful caudiciforms. Here's one - Cyphostemma. Not sure of the species but you can see the well-developed caudex at the base of the plant.

Yet another Euphorbia, with my friend guessing it's E. horrida. That would be perfect. Look at how spiny it is!

Grevillea 'King's Fire.' The docent who showed me this Protea family member said it blooms nearly year round. It's one of three so far in the King's series. I have another one in my garden - King's Celebration.

Brunsvigia species, most likely B. josephinae or J. orientalis. This South African bulb makes a striking flower before the leaves appear, looking for all the world like an exploding star!

Lastly we have a variegated Dasylirion. It isn't obvious here but one of the distinctive features of this genus are the very fine hairs that offset the thick branches.

To Labor or not to Labor

 Labor Day is almost upon us and while the weather may be cooperating, albeit a bit smoky these days, with the coronavirus still going strong, we're needing to reassess any parties that day. Perhaps a cookout with the family or a close few friends. There's always the garden of course. Always pleasant work to do there and we're nearing the point when we can add fall annual color or fall perennial stalwarts like Salvias and Rudbeckias. Here are a few recent photos of my garden in transition. 

Calibrachoa Diva Orange. My latest 'Million Bells.' Very cheerful.

The last of my 50 variety of lilies to bloom, L. Bombastic has an appropriate name. Nothing subtle about the color, size or scent of this beauty.

I'm not 100% positive which species of Oxalis this is but my best guess is O. latifolia. It's one of the so-called Shamrock oxalis, this one with vivid pink flowers.

Speaking of vivid, I love the bright oranges and apricots of my Tecoma x smithii. The hummers do too.

This photo was taken with my Cistus McGuire's Gold in shade so it's hard to appreciate the golden color of its leaves. It took awhile to establish but the last two years it's been full and glorious.

That's a Fuchsia Autumnale on the left and a Mimulus 'Valentine' on the right. Both are out front and enjoying the sun.

Calylophus drummondii. This has proven to be a tenacious and long blooming ground cover. Nice!

Gloriosa lily. I love these flowers. They start out pure green then mature to the red and yellow you see here, followed by an all pinkish-red as they fade.

This Calceolaria Tiger Balloon Orange has proven resilient. It's on its second bloom season, after I cut it back following the initial bloom.

Not the best photo of my new Dianthus Rosy Cheeks I'll admit but wanted to show off its lovely salmon-colored flowers.

Crassula falcata - better know as the Propeller plant for its wide thick leaves - is a reliable bloomer, putting out sprays of bright red flowers 2 or 3 times a year.

Plant nerds may recognize this Salvia as a S. patens but be a bit confused as to the color. It's S. patens Patio Light Blue and I love the icy blue color of its flowers.

Helenium Mardi Gras. This plant is on at least year ten of its life, probably more. I love the range in color and pattern for the individual flowers and its a real bee magnet.

Hibiscus Adonis Pearl. This is one of the HibisQs series of Hibiscus, bred to have the flowers stay open much longer. It's true. Where most Hibiscus flowers are open only for a day or two, flowers in this series stay open and beautiful for 5 or 6 days.

I love Justicias and this J. fulvicoma is probably my favorite. Love those colors!

Here's a new Salvia, just brought home yesterday. It's S. azurea 'Mesa Azure.' Lovely!

Asclepias curassivica. This species has a well-deserved reputation for self-seeding. This one was a volunteer that popped up in one of my pots.

Abutilon Tiger Eye. This is the favorite flowering maple for a lot of gardeners, having the most prominent veining of any variety.

Hibiscus rosa-sinensis 'Cherie.' Love the color and it rebounded nicely from a tough winter.

Iresine variety. This is a great plant for shade and especially valuable if you want something really colorful.

Here's a new Buddleja davidii variety called Santana. Most notable for the variegated foliage but wow, that color has lots of pizzazz!

Whenever I take a photo of my Hibiscus trionum the flowers always come out looking very white. They're not, being more of an alabaster or cream. Ah, the mysteries of photography.

This shot and the one below are of my new metal stepping stones, in the shape of Ginkgo leaves. Perfect for my gravel path!

Lace fern. One of the prettiest of ferns and a real workhorse to boot.

I was able to get a shot of my Begonia acetosa with the sun shining through the leaves. Very pretty!

And my Begonia Autumn Ember has made a nice recovery after being given a haircut in late winter. It too is nicely shown off by the sun.

This Begonia 'Frosty' photo is a bit overexposed but I include it anyway, to show off the nice veining in the leaves.