Hardy Fuchsia "Genii"

Day 329: As with human beings and other creatures, perennial plants have a lifespan which varies with the individual. Some species are known for being longer lived than others (think of ancient trees), and even within a species, different varieties may live longer than others. Several of my large-flowered hardy fuchsias expired almost simultanously, and although I don't know whether that can be attirbuted to their natural span or whether our peculiar weather conditions caused their demise, I'm sure one or both factors played a part. My only two surviviors are Genii (above) and similar Riccartoni, both of which are the ones most commonly seen in PNW gardens. Even the small-flowered varieties are a guaranteed lure for hummingbirds, and Genii has come into bloom just in time for the returning Anna's who have been nectaring at them for the last week or so.

Summer Blues

Day 267: I get the blues when it rains. Or rather, I get the rain when it blues. When the delphinium spikes open fully, it seldom fails to either rain or blow or do both at once. At four or more feet in height, the inflorescences are particularly vulnerable to inclement weather even when staked. I keep mine in tomato cages, sometimes tied to the rings to prevent them from being toppled. Although it's not easily visible in the photo, each flower has a spur similar to that of a nasturtium in which the nectar accumulates. The hummingbirds love them, hovering at each individual "bee" (the white center) and working their way from bottom to top as they sip the nectar. Bumblebees are drawn to the flowers as well, so that there is often a bee in the bee, buzzing happily as it gathers pollen. Delphiniums do not re-seed easily and thus are easy to maintain in their appointed spots. Mine are right outside my window where I can watch the hummers and buzzers in comfort even if it blows or rains.

Honeysuckle, Lonicera Sp.

Day 259: If I'd taken a minute to think about it, I would have realized why the nectar level in the hummingbird feeders wasn't dropping as rapidly as it was two weeks ago. The Honeysuckle (Lonicera) had come into bloom! My plant climbs up one corner of the garage where it generally goes unnoticed until some point when I step out in the back yard and am assailed with a waft of sweet scent. It's leggy and ragged, but then, I knew it would be like that when I planted it, and it should be noted that I did not plant it for myself; I planted it for the hummers. My "landscaping" (a term which is laughably inappropriate when discussing my yard) is like that: tatty, not structured in the least, floriferous but undisciplined, yet purposeful in its chaos. Call it my botanical "junk drawer," filled with useful things all tangled up with one another: cabled shrubby habitat, nuts-and-bolts nectar producers, twist-tie pollinator attractors and the occasional "why did I save this" item which never seems to get tossed. There's probably something in it which would suffice to patch a leak, connect two parts, fill a gap, take care of any except the most major repair. And there are even some things in it which improve on the existing measures...like Honeysuckle, drawing the hummers away from the sugar water in the feeders.