Random Stuff

The temperature in Southern CA has shot up crazy. We were in 100s for straight 4 days, it's slowly getting better. Some of the flowers got burned because of the heat.

Sowed seeds for Lettuce, Swiss Chard, Onion and Indian greens last week.

Also planted 10 Iris tubers.

My Golden Dorsett apple tree has its first flower in bloom.

Watching the humming birds visit my Canna flowers make me happy. Before I run to get my camera they are gone.

Coleus

Coleus plants are eye-catching and so easy to grow. I love them for their colorful foliage, they add a splash of color to the garden. Bees visit the flowers often. I learned that the flower spikes should be nipped to keep them growing as a perennial. I am planning to grow them in a couple of containers.

Look what happened...

I do not know the name of this plant, but a terrible thing happened to it. Some creature chewed up all the leaves in a day! I was so shocked to see the leaves gone when I checked out the plants one fine evening. I found the culprit the next morning. A hornworm was wandering in the pot, they are notorious for eating tomato and pepper plants. It was looking for more leaves. Hornworms are these disgusting creatures who can devour plants in a very short time. You know that they exist on your plants by the trail they leave behind (black poo on the ground). Anyway I killed it. I thought I had taken take of them when I removed my tomato plants. Here is the poor plant :( All that's remaining are the stems.

Semi Cactus Dahlias

I Love these Dahlias.

This one is huge, bigger than my palm.

This one is called 'Western Spanish Dancer', so cute.

Here is my other beauty I posted earlier:
http://zone10newbiegardener.blogspot.com/2010/07/dahlias.html