Love

Coyote mint is an innocuous little herb until it flowers. Then it goes crazy. For the last week or so, I've been sitting on the patio just staring at it, trying to figure out why the hummingbirds haven't discovered it yet. Aren't they sick of their boring old Salvia leucantha? Aside from the drama, the flowers are surprisingly long lasting -- some of these are two weeks old.

I first learned about it from this excellent book which every California gardener needs to have. It's called Monardella villosa macrantha cv. Marion Sampson -- apparently the species plants succumb to root rot instantly in the garden, so you need to track down this cultivar if you want to grow it. And I wouldn't bother in summer rainfall areas, sorry.

Oh. Yeah. That's a grevillea in the background. I bought it last weekend at the botanic garden. Where I went to avoid spending money. Didn't work out so well.

One of the most beautiful roses at the botanic garden was a huge rambler that turned out to be Félicité et Perpétue. How I wish I had space for one. I'm half tempted to sink a 30-ft. I-beam in the front yard and train one up it instead of a tree.