hummer

They like the crocosmia more than any other flower in the yard.

Banana recovery

This banana looked dead. The "dry overwinter" method was too much stress for it. "Yes, we have no bananas" this year. But it is recovering. I read that they need a lot of nitrogen and a lot of water. It got a dose of fish emulshion today.

Yellow Clivia

This yellow clivia was purchased as a SEED whcih cost about $8.00 via mail order. That was 5 years ago. This is its first blossom.

Lilies

Unknown varietes of lilies. Most of there are Asiatic hybrids, with one Trumpet. Ning bought these as "variety packs" so they dont have names.

More roses

"Peace". I had given up on this one. It looked "viral". This Spring it was cut back to about 1 foot, and it hasn't received any water. This is it's nicest blossom so far.
Beautiful in the garden and in a vase. "Fair Bianca." Very fragrant. The perfect white English Rose.
Symphony. This one is so-so compared to some English roses, but is reliable and hardy. This set of blossoms stuck up out of the ground about 1 foot from the main plant. It is own-root.

Scepter'ed Isle. Reliable, hardy, and very fragrant. There are a lot of pink roses around. I like this one a lot.

"Work life balance?" Opinions. Bike to work again. More.

 

Now and then I think about the concept of "Work / Life Balance". There must be a more accurate term. I expect for work to be hard. I expect for the hours to be long. But what I still haven't learned is how to draw the line. NOt only that, but instead of getting easier, it's getting harder.

OK, enough whining. Resolution: back into the bike-to-work mode. Last week I biked one day. This week, maybe back to 3 days. It is harder this year - hours are longer, more has to be done in those hours, I'm tireder and more stressed. Be that as it may, there will be days when I bike. Not every day (those cursed days when there are meetings on the other side of town), but when I can.

Today I tuned up both bikes, cleaned the chains, replaced a flat tire's inner tube. Lunch in the fridge - check. "Homework" packed to take back to work - check. Clothes laid out - check. Thermos by the coffee pot - check. Light charged - check.

Summer Ornamentals.

Ning's lilies, with lavender in the foreground, and a lupine in the background.Triteleia "Queen fabiola". These grow from little bulbs. Last year I thought that the grass-like leaves were weeds and cut them all off. They bloomed anyway. This year I was more careful.
Farfugium japonicum "Crested Leopard". What a great name - "farfugium". I'd want it even if the plant wasnt very cool. It likes the northern exposure. slugs love it too, but the "garden safe" slug bait (ferrous phosphate) is a nice organic way to handle the little pests.

State of the kitchen garden.

Aprium - sweeter and more 'apricoty' than a 'normal' apricot. Just now ripening. This is the first crop ever from this tree.
"Puget gold" apriocot - this tree was about 12 feet tall, full and luck, then the entire top died last summer. Never had a fruit. This shot started from what APPEARS to be above the graft. It's now about 5 feet tall. I pinched the top to make it branch. Will it grow big and luch gain, the die off again?
"Hardy Chicago" fig. Now at the "embryo" phase.
Tomatoes. All are in bloom. I've been pinching off side branches.

cacti

The new growth on the opuntias is a bit strange. Maybe they'll look better by the end of summer.

Roses in bloom

Backyard rose bed. The pink one is Gene Boerner.

Below, Fair Bianca

Below that, an unknown fragrant purple floribunda-type rose. This was an abandoned rose growing against a telephone pole on a Portland street. The last time that I was there, it was gone.
Unknown, rustled from a bouquet at work, yellow hybrid tea.