Tornado cuts swathe of destruction thru local garden

That handsome tornado’s name is Dash, and he is 1.5 year old Australian shepherd who has taken a great delight in mowing over plants in my backyard. Several bulbs and tender shrubs have met their demise under the paws of this stampeding ball of fur. The most recent deaths included a healthy thriving purple salvia as well as my most mature white salvia. No fence can keep him out, and I’m at my wits end trying to find some way to deter him from entering the beds. I purchased 6 planter rings from Home Depot this weekend and hopefully I can protect the remaining fragile salvias, including the 2 salvia chamaedryoides that were cut low by this Texas twister.

Meanwhile, I’m way behind on purchasing my white daffodils for the 2008 show. I’m looking more into salvias to fill the bare spots in the garden. A few that have caught my eye: Salvia greggii or jamensis ‘California Sunset’ (orange) , Salvia greggii or jamensis (?) ‘Sierra San Antonio’ (coppery peach), Salvia greggii ‘La Encantada Peach’, Salvia jamensis Moonlight (yellow) , Salvia greggii ‘Yellow Cloud’, and any more orange, yellow and peach variants I can dig up.

Salvia in the ground

9/20/07 The Blue Flowers of Salvia ChamaedryoidesThings are a little shaky with the new salvia I received last week and planted according to instructions, post 3-day-hardening period. Much of the leaves of one specimen wilted and/or dropped. Not sure if it’s the climate shock or too much water. I neglected it over the weekend and started delivering liquids yesterday. I’m hoping it will have plenty of time to settle in before the winter season finally arrives.

New salvia coming soon

I received an email today regarding my Salvia chamaedryoides order from Lazy S’S Farm Nursery. The 2 plants I ordered should be arriving the week of Sept 17. Incidentally, the bill totaled 34.18, shipping charges exceeded the price of the two plants. 🙁

Replacing irises and another salvia purchase

My replacement irises arrived yesterday, and I was happy to receive two Zzzanzibars from Brad and Kathie. With Dash wreaking destruction on the iris bed, the replacements arrived just as I assessed the damage. It appears one of the Blueberry Fillies got partially chewed, and an Alpha Gnu got dislodged. I replanted everything and put the Zzzanzibars in their new homes.

Also yesterday, I put in an order for 2 Salvia chamaedryoides from Lazy S’S Farm online store. I can’t wait to get these in my yard.

Dog-gone!

09/07/07 Dash Professing InnocenceIt always seems that when a new plant finds its way into my flower beds, a mischievous puppy manages to rampage through: uprooting, trampling, eating and mangling all the newcomers.

For example: barely a week into the ground, the new irises I obtained from Zebrairis.com became victims of a stampeding fur-nephew. If he wasn’t such a cutie, Dash might have gotten more discipline than he received. It’s a sore reminder for us pet-loving gardeners to take extra precautions in securing plants from rambunctious puppies.