Thursday, July 29, 2010

It's Too Hot to Bloom!

Summer in the Central Valley of California is hot.  Did I say hot?  I think I meant to say SCORCHING!  

 Needless to say, all the flowers are in survival mode.  Not much blooming going on, plus I've been out of commission for about 2 1/2 weeks with this illness.  Things have been a wee bit neglected.  I've even lost a few container plants, but I still have a few. 
Wanna' see?
Ivy and coleus that will go back and live at my school when it starts again in about three weeks.
Asparagus fern and verbena - not blooming I'm afraid.
Yeah!  Blooms!  This is lantana near the kitchen garden.
Yarrow in the kitchen garden.  Isn't this a gorgeous color?  I picked it up at Walmart.  
Cosmos and zinnia and you might be able to see the asters too.  These are also in the kitchen garden.  I can't believe how crazily these have taken off.  (Hey, don't look too close - they need some deadheading - BIG TIME!)
Nasturtium - I know these are edible but I've been too chicken to try them yet.  They've also been grown in the kitchen garden organically.  Have you ever eaten these?  They are supposed to be kind of peppery.  What did you think?  Did you eat the leaves or blooms or both?
Purtiful! (I do like to make up my own words.)  This is a lemon sunflower.  
I kind of like it - A LOT!  Can you tell?
This is our lemon tree on our back patio.  It nearly died this past winter.  It's now starting to thrive and the crazy thing just bloomed.  Don't know if we'll get any lemons this year, but is sure is getting healthier.  It's sibling the tangerine tree isn't doing nearly as well.  I put variegated vinca minor in with the lemon tree.  It looks so pretty cascading out of the pot and has such sweet little purple flowers in the spring.  
And here's how my cherry fairy garden is doing.  Our two other fairy gardens aren't doing quite as well.  I think I might need to move them - too much shade maybe.  

I hope you enjoyed your little visit to the parts of my gardens I'm not too embarrassed to show you.  :)

I hope you can come back and visit another day.   Please feel free to buzz on in any time!  



Oh dear!  I got my post and linked and I forgot to link back to Tootsie Time.  Boy I am out of practice for blogging! So here goes.....

Please come join the party over at Tootsie Time and show off your bloomers - um, I mean blooms!

16 comments:

  1. You are so funny...I know it gets hot, but you want flowers in trouble???? Look inside my trash bin! All of my pots bit the dust....I have one left and I hope to get it thru the next three months....thank goodness most flowers are cheap! I just love how you plant things...they way yo put them together! I am going to keep your combos in mind for next fall....and start looking for some fairy garden containers!

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  2. At least you have some flowers..after last years drought and severe heat I lost everything in the flower dept.and this year..I just didn't care to plant anything.I think they look fine!!

    How are you feeling?

    Cindy Rick-Rack and Gingham

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  3. I love the coleus flower. I have planted them a few times in my own garden. I love that red chair. I really love your Fairy Garden and how you have it in the enamel ware. What a great idea.

    Just wanted to let you know I've asked others to pray for you on my Fearless Friday post. I read your post yesterday and felt led to share you blog today for others to wrap their love around you!

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  4. Sweet Bee,
    Very pretty. I love your little fairy garden, too! Hope you are feeling better :)

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  5. Your flowers look great considering you said they have been neglected. I still have not done a fairy garden, must do...yours is too cute.

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  6. I am growing nasturtiums for the first time this year and no, I haven't tried eating them yet because too many other things are beating me to it..such a 'chewy' year in the garden! How neat to have a lemon tree, what do the blooms look like?

    I hope you continue to feel better each and every day!

    Karen

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  7. Hi SweetBee! Hope you are feelin' better. I love my apron swag...how about yours. Where will you put it?

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  8. Sorry you have been unwell. Hope you are better soon. The flowers you have saved through the heat look wonderful. Love the friendly faces of nasturtiums.

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  9. The sunflower is my favorite! I can so identify with your heat. Today (here in GA) the heat index has been 116!!!! This has been the hottest summer I have ever seen and I hate, hate, hate it! I water my pitiful plants everyday but some are barely hanging on (if at all). I am so very thankful that you are on the mend and that it sounds like you have nothing too serious. Enjoy the rest of your summer...this retired teacher is envious that you will be welcoming a new crop of students very soon!

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  10. For not having much blooming your garden is still looking very pretty. Love your lemon sunflower. I have nasturtiums growing too. They pretty up my veggie garden. I don't have enough cosmos this year. They are so photogenic...its hard to take a bad pic of a cosmos.

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  11. Glad to have you back! Yes, it's hot...my flowers look tired and have no blooms also! I transplanted some Gebera Daisies last week and they are barely surviving!

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  12. Janelle, I LOVE your fairy garden! I have a bowl like that and should make up one. Thanks for sharing your beautiful garden flowers.

    xo
    becky

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  13. That's the best thing about small fairy gardens. You can just move them! I love that sunflower. The ends are so curly and cute!
    Brenda

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  14. Hi Sweet Bee,
    It is good to see that your creativity is flowing and that you are feeling better.
    As to the Nasturtium: my flowers are not plentiful yet to pick them and mix them in with the salad. The friend who gave me this plant has eaten them though, and says it is delicious. In time I will let you know my own experience with the first bite! It is very decorative in a salad. Do you use borage flowers on ice, etc.? It is such a pretty blue flower and has a mint type taste. A miniature violet (viola cornuta) is also something so nice to decorate food with.
    Enjoy! Stay well!
    Greetings from a sunny Holland,
    Jacoba

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  15. I bet there's all kinds of things that a California gardener has to deal with! But I'm so glad to hear that you're feeling better Janelle! Everything looks good, but I know that no one takes as good care of our gardens as we do, right?
    Take care of yourself, so that you're 100% for when school starts!
    Happy Sunday!
    Carol

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  16. for a neglected garden...they sure are pretty! thanks for linking in this week!

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