Sweet June Rains

[summer_jackel]

It rained today---a beautiful, warm rain that will keep everything green for some time now. The quality of light and color is just gorgeous, so many shades of green accented by occasional flowers, and I spent as much of my day outside in it getting as wet as I could---the morning in the garden and on the bike (inside), a beach trip in the afternoon and a bath on my deck in the evening. Photos won't capture it, but I had fun trying.

















Potatoes are very pretty plants. If the vegetation gives good indication, I should have a nice spud harvest this fall.




This is my new Japanese maple, varietal 'waterfall.' It's probably last winter's graft, so it's very small yet, but it will grow, and it has a pleasing shape to it. This is the first laceleaf I've had, and I'm excited.














Every puppy has to destroy at least one precious thing; Bliss teethed on this maple. Unfortunately, it is my favorite, the one that flares an unreal lacquer red in the fall. Despite the damage, it's grown back, and the biggest shoot is creating a lovely curve. A couple more years should make this tree really impressive.





Avocado tree that will never fruit, but it's pretty!








A garden needs a cat.

Comments

[summer-jackel.livejournal.com]

Sadly, avocado needs a lot of heat and sun to fruit, and my Pacific Northwest climate is pretty much opposite. I think that tree must be about ten years old, though---the frost kills it off every few years (which is about as often as it frosts here), but it comes back every spring. I suspect that the canyon microclimate, which shields from the frost that comes much harder elsewhere close by, allows it to continue existing. That avocado tree is a survivor.