While the Sun (heat that is) is Away...........

[Scott]

Hello everyone,
Nothing much but a quick update from California.  It looks like my 34 year old 'Black Tartarian' cherry has given up (ach, just before harvest this May!).  I see some sap oozing so it looks to be the result of borers.

We've had a few warm spells of course which helps us to have fabulous tomatoes, stone fruits and other vegetables.  It doesn't always produce great (or large) fuchsias but I'll paste a link here to an article that I was surprised got the interest of our local paper (my intent was to only mention fuchsias and promote the show & sale).  We have been close to 10 degrees cooler than normal in recent days so it should be appreciated by the fuchsias.  Anyway, here's the article and the focus on summer shade and color:

http://www.sacbee.com/2013/06/07/5471377/shade-loving-plants-can-brighten.html

The e-format of the article isn't as great as the hard copy but click on the photo arrows and you can see a few more images.

Watch the blight and enjoy your summer!
Scott

[ideasguy]

Hi Scott

Nice to hear from California! We've had a heatwave over here, but the rain returned here in Ireland last week and temperatures are almost back to normal for this time of year in these parts.

Nice to read about you and your achievements on the internet!
I'm very fond of Fuchsias. Some of my winter hardy varieties (in the ground) start to put on their best show in a few weeks time and continue to frosts, so they are valuable plants for late colour in the garden when some of the summer bedding starts to throw in the towel..

How did the 71st SACRAMENTO FUCHSIA SHOW AND SALE go?
I'm sure you enjoyed that!

Fuchsia 'Genii' is my favourite fuchsia and I see it gets a recommendation in the article.
Its winter hardy here in the UK and a real beauty. My oldest specimen has been in the same spot in the garden for years.
The trained eye will spot in in this photo:-
http://www.flowergenie.co.uk/forumImages/2013-06-15/IMG_3848.JPG
Its left of photo, in front of that Cotoneaster on the wall.
I take cuttings now and again to "preserve the species".
 

[Scott]

Hello,
Hopefully some of the Forum folks will enjoy reading and seeing a wee bit of California gardening (you can see the more typical Sacramento plants in the background of the article photo- vegetable garden in the background!).

Your garden has that moist Irish feel/look!  You mentioned Contoneaster and that is a shrub here that is not used much (like oleander, pink indian hawthorn, bottlebrush and others of a few decades ago in popularity) but there are many varieties and some splendid foliage and berries!

The 71st show/sale for the club was grand!  We tried to meet the need and not be sold out in two hours by ordering 300 more cuttings that we potted after our St. Patrick's celebration.  The plants were large in 4" pots by the June sale.  We also brought in 100 more plants from the Bay Area and sold out in 3.5 hours!  We need more members and/or trucks!

Speaking of Irish fuchsias, I'm still trying to get a replacement "Tinker" if ye know what I mean:-)