Monday Miscellany

Time for another catchup post of randomness from the past couple of months. Maybe I'll go in chronological order, at least roughly.

That lets me start with the clematis, which are so great for a couple of weeks and then turn icky.

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Another:

And a third:

I've started growing other things on the trellises that holds these vines. I won't remove the clematis, but at least I'll have more than just a couple of weeks of interest!


Also at peak at the end of May were the alliums:

I wish these bloomed all summer! I suppose if I had more varieties I could extend the bloom season, but I can't seem to find the bed space that I want to give over to more bulbs. They need a fair amount of sun to grow too -- I've had several that have disappeared due to being smothered out by other plants (like bamboo).


Speaking of bamboo, late may is almost the end of the shooting season for me, but Phyllostachys atrovaginata is still doing its thing:

I still love looking at fresh bamboo shoots!


My hand-me-down wheelbarrow -- which I've had for at least 12 years and I don't know how old it was when I got it -- has suffered a severe injury:

I've already cut a replacement piece, but I don't think any of those bolts will be easy to get off. This one might be destined for the landfill -- we'll see.

Common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) is taking over my garden:

As usual I will wait until it stops blooming -- such delightful scent! -- and then start yanking it out. Not like it's attracting any monach butterfiles at all.


One happy surprise after the harsh winter:

The voodoo lily (Amorphophallus konjac) I planted in the ground survived the brutal cold! Yes it had the protection of the house foundation, but this still makes me happy! (Keen-eyed observers will notice the unwanted cape honeysuckle vine that just keeps resprouting!)


Finally, spiders. Baby ones:

The tallest culm on one of the hellstrip bamboos looks strange because it contains this bundle of spiderlings. Spiders are one of the most beneficial predators in the garden, so I'll let them mature -- then I'll prune that tall culm because it looks weird sticking up there.

That catches me up on the tidbits. Some of these -- like the milkweed -- will get posts of their own soon.

With highs around 90ºF (32ºC) the whole week, I should be getting a lot done out there! Upper 90's doesn't seem much worse, but it sure is for garden work!

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