{"id":646,"date":"2015-09-02T05:37:56","date_gmt":"2015-09-02T05:37:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/gardenescapades.com\/blog\/?p=646"},"modified":"2015-09-02T05:37:56","modified_gmt":"2015-09-02T05:37:56","slug":"crazy-end-to-august","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/gardenescapades.com\/blog\/2015\/09\/02\/crazy-end-to-august\/","title":{"rendered":"Crazy End to August!"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>March may come in like a lion and\u00a0go out\u00a0like a lamb, but August 2015 came in like a firecracker and left like a nuclear bomb!\u00a0 We had a surprisingly big storm on Saturday, with many snapped trees and branches, lost power and closed bridges.\n

The happy news, though, was that along with the high winds, there was a fair amount of rain.\u00a0 Cool temperatures have arrived on the heels of the storm, so we went from summer to fall in a blustery blur.<\/p>\n

There has been little time to work in the greenhouse or garden.\u00a0 Just keeping everything watered has taken up all my time the last few months.<\/p>\n

We stopped on Bainbridge Island on Sunday to visit the art museum gift shop there and I saw some interesting plants.\u00a0 There were quite a few interesting plantings around the museum.\u00a0 Check it out if you are ever in the area:\u00a0 http:\/\/www.biartmuseum.org\/.<\/p>\n

Large pots featured full grown crepe myrtle trees in a garish pinkish red shade.\u00a0 In Seattle, I like crepe myrtles more for their form than for their flowers.\u00a0 The trunks and bark are wonderful.\u00a0 I don\u2019t mind the very light pink and white flowers, but most of them are awkward shades that somehow don\u2019t fit into late summer.<\/p>\n

Other interesting plants growing in planting beds around the museum:<\/p>\n

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Tulbaghia violacea, the society garlic, loving the sun and warmth this summer provided.<\/p>\n

$\"3D5183F5-1085-45C8-9191-BAE4E2443254_zpsdwktcy47\"$ <\/a><\/p>\n

Here is a crinum hybrid growing near the museum.\u00a0 There were others in another spot, but I failed to get a picture of them.\u00a0 Again, I believe the dry, hot summer enabled magnificent bloom from these bulbous plants.\u00a0 They are rare here in the area and I am trying to get some established in my garden.<\/p>\n

To give a sense of how hot and dry this summer has been, check out the current wildfire map of Washington:<\/p>\n

$\"690B547E-25FE-4294-A6B1-23DAE804ACC2_zpsyqbqsb1f\"$ <\/a><\/p>\n

Close to a million acres have burned, and our little cabin is just a mile or so from the Okanogan Complex fire.\u00a0 We check every day to see if the fire has spread to Bench Creek and engulfed our cabin.\u00a0 So far, the amazing fire crews have kept the fire at bay, and it is about 40% contained at this point.\u00a0 We are hopeful we\u2019ll get through this season, but feel awful for the people and animals affected by these massive fires.<\/p>\n

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