Yes, we sweltered up here on the ridge yesterday and for a few days before. It registered 109 on my dad's thermometer! But today was refreshing with a cooler breeze -aaaaah! I revived and got a lot done today. The garden has not been my focus of late - been volunteering my time elsewhere. I've been missing mucking about around the property to be sure. So, here's the first view of October on the Country Mouse place, in beautiful coastal central California...
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| A shady spot to get out of the heat - some succulents and things in pots. |
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| Quite green, looking down the driveway. Coast live oak, and some ceanothus. |
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| The steps down to the chaparral |
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| The coyote brush I cut back is resprouting (in the foreground)- it does that! |
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| I love the huge coffeeberry volunteer (on the left) - the greenhouse is empty at the moment - it's an oven in there. |
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| A swimming pool will keep you fit. You brush it, vacuum it, sweep it, clean its filter - and occasionally even swim in it. |
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| Above pics were yesterday - this is today - Duncan greeting the sunrise with a downward dog pose |
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| I just like this photo - the funky ornamental fruit tree catching the first rays |
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| The much appreciated bird bath, with manzanita tomentosa behind and coyote brush in front. |
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| OK these don't look THAT great - but I want to point out that Encelia californica, coast sunflower stays green without water and has flowers in October. It really needs a good cutting back, though. The dead stuff on the left is long gone Clarkia. I'm letting the seeds fall before giving it the chop. |
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| I'm so happy the California fuchsia - Epilobium canum - is blooming! I couldn't resist a close up. The flowers are about an inch to two inches long. |
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| Last and not least, the madia in the pool garden is blooming its heart out. Yesterday in the heat it puckered up all its flowers to conserve moisture but today they were all on show. I like how the rambling rose on the fence catches the early sun, too. |
So - now I'm off to link my post to
Ms Town Mouse's post. She hosts First Views - maybe you'd like to join in this meme -- we step back and take a longer look at the garden, rather than of focus on individual treasures. Hope you'll enjoy some of the other posts too.
Comments
I have to agree on the Fuchsia front. If it wasn't for those, some parts of our garden would be completely devoid of bloom. Nice close up too!
My Encelia didn't bloom this fall. It did last year, but I've been really miserly with the H2O, and it's on a sandy slope. So crossing my fingers for some real rain too...not that I'm not enjoying this extended summer!