I was in Oakland for two days to service the car and deliver my ballot. Alameda County acknowledged receipt and counting of my vote within 24 hours.
My trip to the Berkeley Hort yielded a bonanza.
I was looking for an anchor plant in the Circle Garden at the barn and found a cerise and yellow trailing lantana. I planted it on the diameter the other side of the circle from the purple lantana. The California native iris in the Circle Garden appears to be thriving. The lime green ceanothus may be shutting down for the season. Nevertheless, I supplemented the water around the plant.
In the Dry Ideas section I found an enormous kangaroo paws. I have never bought a three gallon size before, sort of instant plant. I am hoping it can establish itself over the winter. The plant was already two to three feet tall with stalks and its signature paw-like blooms. I jammed into the front passenger seat for the trip to the ranch. The gooseberry went with gloves, and the kangaroo paws took its place of honor in the back porch garden.
In the Sun Perennials section I found a hebe with dark green foliage and raspberry brush blooms. The hebe replaces the pentstemon that did not survive at the west end of the front border garden. The label suggested well-drained soil, and I am not so sure that bed drains well. I filled the planting hole with Vitamin B-1 water that did not readily dissipate. On the way up I stopped at Ace Hardware in Jackson and found 1 gallon and 5 gallon gopher baskets. I wrapped the hebe in a 1 gallon basket before planting. I also added soil amendment around the planting.
I transplanted the portulaca to the back porch garden, added a new feeder line and soaked the ground with Vitamin B-1 water. The soil was dry, compacted, and poor and will benefit from soil amendment.
I found a New Zealand flax to replace the portulaca at the narrow end of the front slope garden. It is mostly a foliage plant with striped green, white, and yellow leaves. The pink geranium on one side and the royal blue salvia on the other makes a nice trio. I deployed cat litter around the entire perimeter of the new planting.
Mike and I worked on Spots’s new house, with a roof raising this afternoon. The hip roof over the patio also needs to be replaced. When I went to sand it down, it disintegrated – well weathered apparently
A Year at the Snake 