Mid-year reality check

Gardening is fun, at least most of the time. But many things are out of our control, and we simply have to accept the fact that s*#t happens. Especially in the year 2020 which seems doggedly determined to wobble from bad to worse. 

As if COVID-19 weren't enough, we just went through the most oppressive heat wave in years. And now California is burning: 300+ wildfires caused by lightning strikes combined with extreme dryness. Davis is not in any danger, but a pall of smoke has been hanging in the air for almost a week, leading to apocalyptic-looking skies and very unhealthy air.

Early evening sky from our front yard

The heat wave I mentioned—daytime highs of 105°F or above combined with hot nights—took its toll in our garden. The loss I mourn the most is this monkey puzzle tree (Araucaria araucana). I bought it as a small seedling at the UC Berkeley Botanical Garden many years ago, and it was perfectly healthy until the heat came. Now it's toast, literally.

Some other crispy critters:

Grevillea petrophiloides 'Big Bird' didn't even make it into the ground. There is a slight chance it may recover. Since I really want to plant it, I'll be patient.

Patience won't fix this. These are goners. Top left: Bossiaea linophylla, a small shrub from Australia; top right: Grevillea ‘Poorinda Royal Mantle’; bottom: Gnidia polystachya, a rare South Africa shrub

LEFT: Grevillea ‘Poorinda Royal Mantle’  RIGHT: Gnidia polystachya

Many echeverias tolerate heat until they decide that enough is enough. Most of the plants you see below should recover. However, I don't want to look at ugly echeverias all summer so these will go back in nursery pots and be moved out of sight. Maybe I'll rehome them.

I've been a lot more successful with dudleyas than in the past, mainly because I know they need to be kept in the shade and on the dry side in the summer. But I wasn't vigilant enough and mealybugs did a number on this Dudleya farinosa. It may bounce back, but I'm not sure I can stomach looking at this for more longer:

Some aloes play dead in the summer but bounce back when the weather is cooler and more water is available. I'm hoping this Aloe 'Hellskloof Bells' will, too. My two other 'Hellskloof Bells' are green and healthy, but this one—not so much:

Heat damage is bad enough but OF COURSE there has to be more! Want to guess what caused this?

Here are the missing pieces, piled neatly on the ground behind the pots above:

RATS, my enemy #1!

Sometimes they eat the entire plant so it looks like it never existed. But just as often, they simply chew off leaves, as they did with the cycad seedlings above. They also mowed down all three of my renga lilies (Arthropodium cirratum), probably to the point of no return.

I was so pissed off when I saw the chewed off cycad leaves above that I finally sprang into action, getting out our old Rat Zapper and loading it with fresh D batteries. The Rat Zapper electrocutes rats and mice, and all you need to do is dump the corpse into the garbage without ever having to touch it. Fortunately, the Rat Zapper still works: I caught a big rat last night!

But there have been moments of beauty, too. I've been trialing some hardy hibiscus for Walters Gardens this year, and while they need a lot more water than most other plants we have, it's been worth it. Just look at this flower! It's from a variety called 'Holy Grail', and it really is special:

Hibiscus 'Holy Grail' from Walters Gardens' Summerific Collection

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