Garden Blooming Blog Day GBBD- June, 2011

The fire season broke out today at 2:40 pm today, Flag Day. It had warmed to 83.7 with flags whipping about in the drying breeze when the helicopters started circling not far to the south of here. Kudos to Darren Fishell over at DiamondbarPatch.com  for swift and accurate report. I swear he must have police and fire notification implants. He is everywhere breaking news is. And he prints my local history column. This week on the earliest days of education

Thanks to the swift action of the fire department, I am able to keep my monthly date with my fellow garden bloggers. Without further adieu, WELCOME to my garden. This month's highlights

 The Fuchsia continues to go for the Guinness record for continuous bloom. Today it got fed a banana peel (for potassium) and egg shells (for calcium) tucked into a few shovels of potting soil for nourishment.

Carnation  D. caryophyllus and Graptopetalum paraguayense ‘Pinky

The fuchsia is planted in this Vietnamese glazed pot set within a minimal planting area the builder provided for a long ago discarded poodled- plant. At its feet there is barely enough space between it and the hardscaping for the dianthus (carnations) and succulent cuttings to be tucked in.

However, what this slim edging cannot offer in mass is made up for by scent. Walking up to the front door as the sun lies down for its evening nap-the spicy fragrance of the pinked-edged carnations is magnified in the tight space, offering a welcome that bids the biding of time.  

Time + Trees = Dappled Shade

The flat space that is my front garden may be minimal in size, it is not minimalistic in style. When Gerry and I first moved in with our sons, this area was regularly scorched under summer sun. Now that the trees have matured- both ours and our neighbors- I am  pleased to find the sun-loving sea lavender (Limonium latifolium) and  coral pink Peruvian Lily ( Alstromeria) bloom despite the changes in their micro-climate. 

The slightest turn of the lens focuses on this angel wing begonia. I forget her name, but never that I planted her the day before my niece Alison died in an accident. It is impossible to see these dainty flowers without thinking of the tragedy that befell the family. Nothing is so tragic or of comic senselessness as the death of a child.

Begonia close-up. A reminder of our angel, Allison.

The reflected sunshine on driveway is put to good garden-use

Visitors chummy enough to come to the back door pass where red Valerian self-seeded with lemon verbena and nasturtium...

Ripe snack-style tomatoes ...

underplanted with a rose related to the romantic 'Renae'

There are many more flowers blooming which I could drop here, but I think you'll find these more interesting.

In a few weeks strawberries may be plucked while enjoying a hot soak in the spa.

The trumpet vine and I are in a battle for dominance as she tries to wiggle her way through the lemon-loaded Meyer tree.

There is much more to share, but as Aussie cum California transplant Jamie Durie teaches, the best garden experiences do not come at once, but reveal themselves a glimpse at a time.

So I leave you with a scene that is quintessential California. The June gardens here celebrate flower and fruit. Here,  exemplified in this side yard- where the bougainvillea and ripe kumquats embrace.