I drove up yesterday from Oakland. Wednesday is my turnaround day during the hottest days of the year. So far the struggle to keep the plants in the garden alive is succeeding. The cream colored marigold is flourishing and appears to have the right amount of water. The cilantro will survive for this season. Only the calendulas have failed to thrive in this heat despite, or perhaps because, of supplemental water.
I trimmed back the salvias on the narrow angle of the front slope garden. The hope is to stop sprawl and encourage fuller growth. Both the blue and the red continue to bloom profusely. The salvias are a major draw for hummingbirds, particularly the crimson salvia outside the breakfast nook window.
MJ was up at the end of last week to attend a memorial service for her longtime secretary. After the service we went to Lowe’s for the clearance sale on patio furniture. She bought two chairs and a small table for summer house, and we scrounged up matching turquoise cushions for the chairs. All at a steep mark down. The chairs fit perfectly in that space, looking west over the most beautiful corner of the property. I am grateful that MJ had the vision that I did not have. The chairs also encourage to sit for a minute and look out on land. Cup of coffee in the morning and a glass of wine at night. The pale pink carpet rose is thriving in the planter boxes on the western facing wall.
A meadowlark on the planters and on the window sill chirped hello to me.
A Year at the Snake 