Mockery

In brief: No longer able to bear the mockery of our three cats, I removed our useless cat fence today. Does anyone need three dozen wrought iron plant hangers?

Also pictured below, grasses: Little Bunnies, Zebra Grass, Japanese Blood Grass, and, um, something that reseeds a lot.

Helianthemum

For at least three summers in a row after I moved into this house, I would buy annuals to brighten up the very front, only to have them die from heat and lack of water. Annuals seem to need a lot of water, and I am rather miserly. I tend to buy drought tolerant plants because they are usually Catniss tolerant too.

That is why I was glad to learn about the species Helianthemum, which is notable for surviving in hell strips – that space between the sidewalk and pavement that typically has trees or grass. Although one died last winter, most fare well enough under my care as shown below. The orange and red ones will likely come into full bloom while I am gone in China. (Yes, I am going to China!) Although this species doesn’t bloom in the Oregon summer, it does survive it.

California poppies, Jupiter’s Beard and catmint (also shown below) are also Catniss tolerant. Their blooms also come back the same year by reseeding, in the case of poppies, or a shearing of the stalks.

I finish with a photo of Greywacke, meditating perhaps or more likely contemplating the murder of some small critter.