Dog Days of Summer

Brazilian blue salvia.

We're entering the dog days, so-called after the "dog star" Sirius, which becomes visible in the night sky at this time of the year. The summer has been quite dry; other than the occasional gully-washer, there's been very little rain. There's not much in bloom in my yard at this time--the annuals in pots are doing better than those I planted in beds, despite regular watering.

Above is a blue salvia I bought earlier this summer, a tropical variety known as Brazilian blue sage 'Black and Blue' (Salvia guaranitica 'Black and Blue'). I bought it because the flowers are supposed to attract hummingbirds, sightings of which are increasing as my garden develops. The deep blue flowers and the velvety dark buds of the salvia are unusual, but I've yet to see a single hummingbird in its vicinity. The plant is worthy of painting, though, and I've already started working on some sketches.

Black and Blue Salvia sketch

The front porch

Many of my house plants summer outdoors on the front porch and back deck, but my collection has expanded so much that I'm having a hard time finding places for them. I tucked in the beautiful red Mandevilla I bought last year amid the greenery below front of the porch to great effect.

Red Mandevilla

The back deck is more populated this year. The Australian red lime (on the right, behind the asparagus fern) has grown a lot, I can't wait until it starts fruiting! My begonia collection is also blooming well this year. I pruned my home-grown avocado tree (back left) to re-shape it--still hoping that it might actually fruit at some point--who knows? Here's the current ensemble.

Back deck

Coleus, red impatiens and purple sweet potato

Herb's bed of sunflowers got attacked by the deer while I was away in June--I returned to find the tops of the plants chewed off and Herb ready to give up on his plot. I thought the plants might still bloom from side shoots so we fenced around them and yes, we have some flowers--smaller that what they would have been if not eaten back, but still a bright addition to the yard.

The chiggers and biting insects have been savage this year, to the point that I'm afraid to go out there unless covered in bug repellent from head to toe. Herb has been attacked by a mysterious gnat or midge while mowing, and the bites are really painful. It's really difficult to enjoy the yard under these circumstances, so we confine ourselves to the safety of our deck most of the time.

Herb's sunflower bed

This spring I planted four artichokes in the new bed on the west side and these have been growing much better than last year's plants in the raised bed. I don't know that I'll ever get any edible chokes, but the consolidated bed looks much better now. The Caryopteris' (blue mist shrub) airy blue flowers should start opening soon.

West bed with Caryopteris and artichokes

My Venus flytrap plant is also doing great outside on the deck, watered with distilled water--it seems to be catching its own meals too, judging by the one half-closed trap on the left.

Venus flytrap

I wonder when the bugs will start to die down and I can once again enjoy wandering through the yard...