189/365 (July 8, 2010) – I hate short transitions in weather…gradual is so much nicer. Three days ago it was 15-16 degrees. Today it was 34 out in Surrey and again, I spent 5 hours clad in leather boots, jeans, a black jacket and a black helmet. Oh yes, and I was sitting on a hot motorcycle through it all.
By choice.
I think I’m stupid or something.
185/365 (July 4, 2010) – The weather can’t make up its mind. It was cloudy here all day, but sunny elsewhere.
According to the newspaper, gardens all over BC are suffering (Worst Year Ever For Plant Diseases). Mine is no exception.
My Hellebore is covered in aphids and scaly bugs, and the aphids are starting to migrate to my newly planted herbs (was too cold to plant them earlier). The Bay Laurel has something going on, leaves are curling with some strange creature I’ve not encountered before inside the folds. I’ve been plucking off the affected leaves in hopes of containing it. The sage has powdery mildew attacking it. And because the aphids are so plentiful, so are the tiny little ants.
So, everything has been getting a healthy dose of Pink Solution in an environmentally friendly attempt at holding things at bay until the sun arrives…..
“They” say that will be tomorrow….
169/365 (June 17, 2010) – I’m ready for SUmmer, really. It’s been such a hideous spring, cold, wet. Of course…February was pretty awesome, so I suppose this has simply been payback.
But I’m so glad to see the sun, even if it isn’t going to last…
162/365 (June 11, 2010) – The forecast was for rain early in the morning, then drying and clearing up as the day went on.
WRONG!
It rained late into the morning, then appeared to be breaking up, so I went out on my scooter. As soon as I was beyond the point of no return, it poured.
As soon as I got home, the sun came out.
Then the clouds came back.
Typical West Coast weather. Never does what it’s supposed to do.
(June 4, 2010) – The sky is grey and cloudy, the weather forecaster says sun, and the barometer indicates storm. Your guess is as good as mine.
I do know when my Hoya is crying out for water though, it flowers because it thinks it’s going to die from lack of moisture. Neat flowers, but that sticky sap is messy. That sap probably helps them with distribution. The flowers stay on when they dry, barely clinging to the plant until something brushes up against them. I imagine they would stick to thick animal hair and be carried away. For size, each flower is approximately 15mm across once in this fully opened stage. And the scent they give off in the evening…heady!
I ended up with this plant more or less by accident. I was after a rope hoya, same family, but strange curled leaves. When the plant store called me to let me know they had one in, this was what they had, wrong plant, but I bough tit anyway. I’ve had several rope hoyas since, killed every one, but this thing just keeps on surviving. It likes where it is and I for one wont’ move it or it will probably die too. It is still living in whatever soil was in the pot when I bought it some 15+ years ago, I wouldn’t even know how to repot it since it has wound itself so fully around the wall hanger. So, here it stays. I probably should see if I can get a little bit of dirt in there though.