Kaseys Korner

Dahlia 'Cafe au Lait'

as July slips away.

How did that happen??

With the toes of August peeping under the door, thoughts of summers end start creeping in.

Wishing for a way to put time on "pause" and fling those thoughts far out into the universe.  

THESE are the days I want to "rest" in for awhile as long as possible.

Learning to live in the moment:  a constant work in progress.

Validating the direction of my thoughts tho ~ Mature Bullock's Orioles departed from the garden this week and started their long journey south.

This years young remain but even they will soon follow the path of their parents.  

Their three month residency, once again, over in the blink of an eye.

Clematis 'Purpurea Plena Elegans'

Tiny sweet blooms.

Majorly big impact.

Dahlia 'Big Brother'

Notice a theme??  

Salmony/yellow bloomers were on the brain when orders were placed this spring.  :)

 

Favorite Zinnia:  'Queen Red Lime'

Lilium 'Black Beauty'

Happy moment finding them blooming again.  

Last year, a late, late frost killed the new growth.  There was never any additional sign of life so obviously, no blooms.  I thought they were gone.  

Here's proof that one bad year does not mean the end....

Lemon Cypress & 'Cherry Star' Calibrachoa.  Another favorite combo.

Little Myrtle topiary

Lovely new annual:  Crazytunia 'Mandeville'

Water hyacinth ~ first year to bloom in my pond.  Not sure why but not asking questions!

The garden has changed since I last posted.

One of the Pinyon Pines (planted by the previous owner) along the driveway had to be cut down.  I knew the loss was inevitable ~ they are desert plants, not at all suited to the constant irrigation they receive from the neighbors sprinklers ~ consequently they've struggled the past several years.  At some point the other will have to go as well.  Their demise opens an opportunity for new landscaping.  Considerable thought will go into a plan during the upcoming months.

In the kitchen, I've been overcome by a cooking spree.  Fell in love with the above chicken/blueberry salad.  Recipe found here.  

Not necessarily the healthiest (i.e. dressing), but I'm making adaptations.  The flavors however, are fabulous.

I think the taste was enhanced because the salad was accompanied by my new April Cornell table napkins!!!  What do you think??!

Here's hoping August crawls by at a snails pace & that we remember to seize & savor every moment before the season truly is over...

 

 

Dahlia 'John F. Bloomquist'

The garden and I are having another year of strained relations ~ interspersed by beautiful moments like the one with Dahlia 'John F. Bloomquist.

It's been that way for us the past couple of summers.

If it were anyone/thing else, we'd be broken up by now.

But since it is THE GARDEN, I'm prepared to ride out the rough patch,

meet it more than half way

and do whatever work necessary to get back the passion we had when we first "met."

Committed 100% to following the sound advice of Julia Child:

"Find something you are passionate about and keep tremendously interested in it."

I have many interests but even with our relationship in a trough, the garden trumps all.  

 

p.s.  Should you find 'John F. Bloomquist' as fabulous as I did, and want one of your own, he was ordered here.

 

Plectranthus 'Troy's Gold' basket

my favorite container this year, although I cannot seem to photograph it properly to do it justice.

'Troy's Gold' Plectranthus is the star ~ it's absolutely smashing anyway but in shade, you could not ask for anything "brighter.'

I have about a hundred photos of it, I like it so much I can't keep myself from pointing the camera in its direction.

It was luck that brought it into my garden this year.  The greenhouses do not always carry it (for some unknown CRAZY reason??) but shopping with a friend, we came upon a huge mass of it sprawling around a water feature at a greenhouse that was going out of business.  Because they were closing, they dug us each up a generous piece.

I am hoping to take cuttings come fall so I won't be without it next summer.  The texture, the color, the burgundy stems, etc., etc. all make it a knockout container plant.  You would think such a plant would be a nursery "staple," wouldn't you??!!

 

It's combined in the basket with (1) 'Cherry' Double Impatien, (1) 'Lucky Strike' Begonia and Coleus 'Marrakesh.'  

'Marrakesh' had been planted in it's own pot until 'Troy's Gold' came along:

I bet you can see why I thought they'd be good together?  

However, despite it's striking coloring, it's been an underwhelming companion ~ everything else is out-competing it.  

Notice how it's almost "buried" under the growth of the other contents.  

I think I will remove it & let it go back to shining alone.

The same friend I was shopping with when we found 'Troy's Gold,' brought me  'Lucky Strike' Begonia.

Thank you Dana ~ I LOVE everything about it but especially the color!!!

I've been calling it my "garden candy."

Each bloom a little piece of yumminess.

Okay, maybe that's enough??!!!  I get carried away with myself sometimes...

In case you thought I'd abandoned my blog, I've been immersed in a whole house "purge."   I had to go with it so that I didn't lose motivation.  I hope you understand how that goes???  Hopefully it won't be so long before my next post now that I'm making a dent in the clutter.

 

 

 

Miniature Rose Standard 'Salmon Sunblaze'

July 4th was a good one here considering it was chased the next day by what would have been my brother's 48th birthday.

Thankfully, I was pretty successful in putting thoughts of him aside for those 24 hours in order to participate in our neighborhood traditions ~ starting with the morning parade.  

Anyone and everything can be in it, the guidelines are loose.  The local fire station sends an engine to start it off then, if we're lucky, we have a few decorated floats.  Otherwise there are always lots of kids with their bikes/cars decorated, dogs dressed in patriotic scarves, moms pushing strollers & four wheelers zipping around, etc.

This old truck was one of my favorites & it just happened to park afterwards under my Bur Oak tree.

Our Cul-de-Sac had a barbeque later that afternoon and we lucked out with perfect skies & weather conditions.  The day ended with our own little fireworks show (emphasis on little!) 

As with any holiday, what would it be without flowers??  

'Salmon Sunblaze' miniature rose standard was the standout on this day.  Underplanted with Euphorbia 'Hip Hop' and Diascia 'Flirtation Orange.'  Remember last year I had it combined with French lavender?  I think this combo is better.

I was going for an "orange & white" theme on the front patio, inspired by the pillows on the lime green Adirondack chairs.

 

The standard is planted in an old terra cotta pot, one of several in my collection.

Unfortunately, not much of the Diascia was blooming on the 4th.  It sort of blooms in waves & at this time, was in a lull.

Another Terra Cotta pot acts as the base of my Begonia Bossa 'Nova Red' & 'Tecno Heat' White Lobelia container.   Years ago I stenciled ivy around the pot never realizing how well it would stand up to the weather & repeated use.

This combo is doing exceptionally well together.  It contains two 'Nova Red' Begonias and two 'Tecno Heat' Lobelias (along with one Gerbera Daisy which may or may not stay!) 

I'm thinking the Geraniums & Lobelia alone are enough.

July 4th also marked the first sightings of fledged baby Bullock's Orioles.

It's so poignant to watch a baby being fed by it's parent.  There is so much care & tenderness involved.  Notice how far the male Oriole has his beak inside the babies mouth.  I guess it's to ensure the food (in this case, grape jelly) stays where it's supposed to!?

Sorry for the inferior quality of these photos, I took them thru the screen window. 

Even tho the photos aren't crystal clear, I thought they were too endearing not to include.

Then, as if baby Orioles weren't blessing enough, I'm fortunate to have a pair of Western Kingbirds nest in my Bur Oak tree again this year.  

The nest is even visible this year (as opposed to last year) although it's too far up for very good photos.  Both parents are now regularly feeding the babies so it won't be long before they'll be in the garden too.  

Hope your holiday was every bit as eventful?  

The garden is so full of life now, it's hard not to be uplifted by it and I am grateful for that magic.  Next on my "watch list" ~ the arrival of hummingbirds!  Any day now....

p.s.  This is one smart toad:

He sits right under the Oriole sugar water feeder ~ where it drips, it attracts flies so he's got a "built in" feeder of sorts & is getting fat sitting under it!  :)

What a chunk!