Gorgeous! I have no place that would look appropriate for them until my trees have grown....I think....or room...lol..

Did you find the variegated acanthus locally?

I got my new penstemons in the ground...I think everything looks better with grasses....

Looks good, Sherry. Everything here is stressed and hunkering down... even the Penstemon and Salvias. My poor hummers are back to depending on feeders, but at least the Orioles have gone wherever they go. Do you have many year round hummers there?

I'm only noticing the one type of hummer and I did look it up and have forgotten already....they hit the penstemons as soon as they saw them yesterday..I just moved them out to the front his afternoon and I was sitting where the penstemons in their pots had been and watched one hummer look around in confusion when the penstemons weren't there. I notice that it did not take them long to find them out in the front though.

I'm able to water, our well is holding up....that's one of the main reasons for moving up here...I'm getting old...lol..I do not have a lot of joys left and I will not willingly give up my garden...lol..

I hear that! I'm willing to pay for the water, but I won't let everything die. I cut back where I can.

The orioles are still here. I think it won't be too much longer until they leave.

This just opened it's a gorgeous deep orange, not red like it shows:


I got it from Flowers by the Sea but it looks like they are out of them right now. It's their own cross.
http://www.fbts.com/

A true attention grabber!

Over on the edge of our yard, it zones into "wild" and that's where I built my sod mound to get certain things through the winter, to have good drainage so I would be sure and get seed from them...so that's where my echium wildpretii went and over in the 'wild' there, there is a huge buddleja and bracken ferns and brambles, etc...so I'm over there watering my echiums....and....this place never fails to surprise me with the things that pop up here....there is a fuchsia magellanica in there, never saw it before...









I have another one of these in 15 gallon that I brought home from Rebecca's, but haven't planted yet, now I think I know where I will put it.

Every day's a new adventure...lol...

What a sweet surprise! Reminds me that I need to get some cuttings from Zuzu's large plant.

My little Plumeria yellow is on the rebound, blooming and able to make its new leaves finally! Took its sweet time to behave!

Taken early evening 22Aug.Just trying a night time shot


Taken the next day, for a better daytime view:

Got an amaryllis blooming out of season again.

Are the plumeria thriving in the heat? Years ago in FB, we had a patron who would make me leis from her plumeria...love the scent. I think she's in Santa Barbara now, probably still growing plumeria.

I'm not that familiar with the various fuchsias, but I'm thinking that what I have may / must be 'Alba"? Sue, Zu?

Look like Hardy Fuchsia (Fuchsia magellanica 'Alba')
Zuzu's get 6+ feet tall.

These both have more pink than mine, but I read that it can vary some. Thanks for the pic of Zu's...it helps to envision its placement. I think it may get bracketed by a couple of leycesteria.

wcgypsy said:Are the plumeria thriving in the heat? Years ago in FB, we had a patron who would make me leis from her plumeria...love the scent. I think she's in Santa Barbara now, probably still growing plumeria.

In my area, once awake from dormancy, they thrive better in part sun-part shade. Heat is okay for them, as long as I get to water the root zone often, especially when daytime temps hits over 95F and higher. I only get to see the blooms in late August to September.

hmmmm.....in FB they did well in full sun and gravel, south side.....

Yes, they will do well in full sun, when fully awake, leaves fully sprouted, and quite thirsty once at that stage. But if our overnight temps still hover in 55F, it takes its sweetest time to wake up properly even if our daytime highs are over 80F. I was once tricked by one of my earlier plumeria cuttings, made a tiny bloom no leaves, being a newbie with plumies I thought it is ready for watering, later on, it did not make it. Checking the root zone below, no roots. So had to wait for those leaves to show to be reassured it is indeed awake.