Hopes (and Fears) for July 2011

My June 2011 Hope Grows post gave voice to my hope that my direct-sown California wildflowers would grow.

Gilia tricolor and Gilia capitata

Well, they did! They're not blooming yet, but they've sprouted, and I hope by August they'll be blooming.

Collinsia heterophylla

Clarkia elegans

The ones sown under cloches are blooming profusely.

Five-Spot and Penny Black

Some of the leggy seedlings from last month's post are also blooming.

Five-Spot

 

 

Penny Black

Phacelia campanularifolia

Gilia tricolor

 

 

 

Fried-egg plant/Limnanthes douglasii

I have a number of hopes and fears for July 2011.

I hope that whatever is eating my honeysuckle stops. Just in case it's slugs, I sprinkled Sluggo under it.

 

I hope that the barley straw that I bought to prevent the growth of string algae in my stream works.

Barley Straw bale in the left corner

I've already pulled a lot of string algae out of the stream this year. I've cleaned it out thoroughly three times already, and it keeps growing back. I've dumped hydrogen peroxide into it. Finally, it does seem to be turning brown, and dying.

Maybe the water hyacinths that I bought to put in the waterfall will help by stealing nutrients from the algae as well. They don't seem to be thriving, though. They like heat, which is in short supply here in the PNW.

Finally, my biggest hope (and fear): I hope the raccoons that left these footprints on my new fence...

...Don't discover this on the other side of the garden.

 

They've sampled several other items. They pulled iris seedpods off.

They only took one bite, so I guess they weren't as delicious as they'd hoped.

They've also been eating the water hyacinths.

One more reason why they might not be thriving.

I sympathize, I really do.  I garden for wildlife, I love the birds and the butterflies, and I even like the squirrels. We've actually seen the raccoons out in the daytime, which according to research on the web, does not necessarily indicate rabies. Apparently, raccoons are known to come out in the daytime if they are starving, to hunt for food.

Well, I hope they don't find my food.

You can read what lots of other bloggers are hoping for in July at Sweet Bean Gardening.