Changes

So much is changing at this time of the year. It is still full summer here, but the nights are getting a chill...they started that very early this year, before August 1. Sailing the bay area has been fabulous. We have had teriffic sunset sails with friends, a true blessing.

 Many plants are on their way out for the year. The Rudebeckia-Black Eyed Suzies have gone to dead heads, and not much is blooming right now. It could be because we had about five or six days of overcast skies and not much rain. It is disappointing to go from full flower to no flowers so quickly. The color of the flowers in the garden really lifts my soul and spirits. Guess I am made for a more tropical climate. I miss the flowers. I do have one very interesting plant this summer. I planted some Morning Glories from seed and their flowers have been disappointing...more leaves than flowers...they'd grow right around you if you stand still! Anyway, they have some pretty short lived flowers that last maybe four hours, and they are not very profuse. Their growth is damn impressive though. Look at the height they have attained on some bamboo poles put up to make a trellis for them to grow on to.

They grew alright and they just kept on growing, like Jack's beanstalk in the the old fairy tale. They are damn amazing. I can't reach them and I can't guide them onto the pole so they are in a completely natural state of climbing, fallling and intertwining. The pole is dancing in the wind so I expect it to come crashing down at some point. Damned impressive though. You can see it here in the photo far below. I planted these seeds all over the property and they have grown into different forms in the different locations. I suppose the light conditions, wind conditions, soil conditions and water conditions varied from location to location, and that created the different forms of the plant. All were planted on the same day at the same time. On the direct right here is one that grew up a Crape Myrtle tree after overcoming the trellis it was guided onto, and below is another on its trellis. It is planted in a windy shady spot in my herb garden. Some completely gold glittery beetle is very fond of this plant. It made me think of the Edgar Allan Poe story, when I first found him.

My disappointing dahlias have started to bloom respectably, but still not worth the garden space they occupy. They had sun, and water, and fertile soil. I can't imagine what their complaint is except immaturity from a difficult past garden planting last year.  The red has been even more disappointing. This is its first flowering since purchase.  Nothing to write home about. This was taken August 9, and it has improved a bit since then with two more flowers, but three flowers in a whole summer is disappointing to me.

So that's my story for today. The flowers seem to be recovering as the sun has returned. I think the cool nights shoud bring some more changes. Till then...