I’m sorry it’s been so long! I’ve been away on a short vacation and quite busy. (Getting a visa to the UK is more involved than I thought it would.) Here in Seattle we are going through our first heat wave of the year and it’s definitely earlier than usual. (Usually those hit in late July and into August.) Day time temperatures have been reaching from the mid-80’s well into mid-90’s. All this glorious heat and left over rains from a typhoon that broke up over India has caused plants to grow, flower, and shatter all too quickly for the Northwest. One example is Primula florindae which has rocketed into bloom in a few short weeks. This primula is quite the graceful giant. I wish I had more room otherwise I would plant at least ten more of these primulas!
Primula florinae a few days go when it was cool enough for dew drops to form.
Here they are today. I love how the tall, graceful and slender stalks gently hold up the delicate bell flowers.
Oh I wish you could smell its soft, powdery fragrance rich with smooth nutmeg. Mmm!
With this early hot weather Crocosmia ‘Gerbe d’Or’ is very confused. These perennial bulbs (corms, really) typically bloom mid summer through fall here in Seattle, but many crocosmias throughout the city are starting to bud or are in bloom – everyone is a month early!
Seriously, buds already?!
My Fuchsia magellanica ‘Aurea’ has also started to bloom and she has overwintered very well and grown considerably from her initial 4 inch pot. I love her burning red sepals and black-purple petals against the cherry stems and chartreuse leaves – such a delicious combination! The hummingbirds in the the garden think so too.
I love simple design of species fuchsias; easy to mix with other plants and the colors can shine center stage.
Oh goodness, already out of time. Sorry for an uneventful post, but preparing for my fellowship to the UK is taking much more time that I previously thought. I promise a new post next week. Enjoy the sun, folks!
Here is a small section of the long plot this week that survived the deluges, the heat, and now the dry.
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