One advantage of early morning work is actually watching the irrigation line in operation and repairing it as needed. The main line at the sweet pea in the upper border garden was gushing water like a severed artery. Amazing what a little duct tape will do. Finding leaks is as easy as following the plants that look a bit too lush for the dry season.
The calibrochoa and gazania in the containers are responding well to irrigation lines and bubblers. They are now in bloom and spreading. The trailing petunia is unstoppable and keeps spilling over the sides of the container and onto the sidewalk.
The euonymus at the far end of the slope garden died while I was away. Only ten days. With regret I sent it into the high grass. Mike and I discussed the sprinkler system, and the difficulties sending water to the far edge of the front slope garden. He spent the day on a systematic review of all lines, feeders, bubblers and stakes on the front slope. The bubbler at the euonymus was closed or clogged but now has adequate water.
We moved the work table to the front porch where it fits perfectly. I bought a storage cabinet at Mike’s suggestion that fits under the table. The cabinet has drawers for storing fertilizer spikes, spare stakes and bubblers and miscellaneous tools and fittings. I will need to sort through the tools and store the lesser used ones in the corporation yard.
The ceanothus nearest the geranium in the narrowest part of the front slope garden is struggling in the heat – I will increase its supplemental water. The correopsis is blooming on schedule. The largest crape myrtle has buds, but Mike tells me that the bubbler in that planter box was giving almost no water. Mike installed a new spread sprinkler for the area with the aptenia and the Mexican daisies. I am still astonished at how well the aptenia has taken to the spot.
The bulbine does not have an irrigation line because I eventually expect to move it. Lack of an irrigation line does not appear to slow it down however. My kind of plant.
A Year at the Snake 