Monday, 15 May 2023
at home
At least the temperature dropped to a tolerable 70 degrees. A day of weeding in the back garden ensued.
I was pleased to see Salvia ‘Amistad’ survived the winter cold and springtime slugs.
My banana did not scorch in the heat.
I thought I would have to do lots of remedial watering, but our delightful water table is still so high that the ground all through the back garden is still damp. Only one cardiocrinum had scorched in the heat. The transplanted-last-fall golden Japanese maple looked fine. The impatiens omieana had not flopped.
My first project was to address the horror of the ground elder that had mysteriously appeared.
It is mingling in one small area with other plants.
I chased it down diligently and I think I got it all. Not everyone is as horrified by it as me. Anne Wareham, one of my favourite garden writers, likes it, as described here.
My expensive (compared to white and blue) pink camassia is blooming.
I used to pull all the fringe cup, a native plant whose rampant nature annoyed me. I now leave it till it blooms, and then pull most of it, and it is thick again the next year. The hyancinthoides blue bells are a battle I have given up on, and it was comforting to read on Facebook that Scott Weber of Rhone Street Gardens has also given up, just enjoys them and then pulls them, knowing they will return.
There may finally be hope for a leaf on my new little mimosa tree.
I left the back garden for the driveway garden, having remembered what mess it was.
I had planned to dig all the potatoes out of this bed next to Alicia’s driveway and then only harvested a few last fall, having grown a lot of choice potatoes in big pots.
When I had it weeded, I mulched with rough compost.
I weeded the little corner garden, too.
And the narrow bed between compost bins and fence.
Meanwhile, Allan cut down a columnar conifer that had started to turn brown even before the heat wave. Sad. It is I planted years ago when Seaside gardener Pam Fleming suggested that my garden needed evergreen columns. All have now plotzed except for a columnar golden yew.
Some growth was green. But not enough.
I’ll plant some columnar Euonymus ‘Green Spire’ here and there.
Nickel appreciated that I had put the summer cushions on his couch.
In the evening, we zoomed the Long Beach city council meeting, and this wonderful thing happened:
Tomorrow, back to work. Annuals planting hell time begins.
Tangly Cottage Gardening 
Great news on the fireworks ban for next year, and I hope the state follows suit on the beaches. Sadly the excess of the few spoil it for the majority.
Good luck and good fun on your upcoming plant sale this weekend!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Next is the county, all the unincorporated parts of the peninsula, like Seaview and Ocean Park, Nahcotta, Surfside, Midway, Klipsan Beach, Sunset Sands, Oysterville and rural. The county commissioners called an advisory vote, with ballots sent to all in those areas, but the demanded sixty percent turnout and got only over fifty percent. The majority voted for the ban by about fifty one percent. The wording was not very clear that fireworks would still be allowed on the beach, as that is state land. So with less than sixty percent turn out (for a small election, over fifty percent is great) the county could ignore it. But wait…this morning we zoomed a commission meeting (the commission sits up in South Bend) and many pro-ban folks showed up in person and on zoom and many eloquent speeches were made and listened to respectfully.
If the county and cities all had a ban, the state would follow and ban the beach consumer fireworks, saving us tons of garbage and high fire danger. The fireworks garbage is huge amount that washes in and out all year.
>
LikeLiked by 1 person
Protocol in our cities for banning fireworks: “Meh, too many calls for city resources to patrol and clean-up. That’s enough of that. Banned.” Regional parks: “Whatever you say, it’s you guys who deal with the mess”.
Great system if it is something you want. But admittedly not very democratic if citizens want a majority say.
LikeLike
Yes, great news about the fireworks ban. Even better that the temp has dropped to 70 from 99, which is too damned hot.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I hope the city father’s stick with the fireworks ban. Fireworks always make me think of war. I don’t understand them. I can forgive the city exhibitions which are more artistic. But “boom crash boom” in neighborhoods…
harumph.
Another yew, green perhaps? I imagine Boxwood “Sky Pencil” would also be vulnerable? And the smaller Italian cypresses–“Tiny Tower” I believe? Your garden is looking just beautiful.
LikeLike
I have loads of Euonymus ‘Green Spire’ from cuttings. I would love more columnar yews but they are pricy if big and slow If little and I’m old! 🙂
>
LikeLiked by 1 person
The fireworks ban is very welcome but there do seem to be quite a few explosions to come.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes indeed, will be interesting to see what happens.
>
LikeLike