Hello from the Pacific Northwest, where we experienced record-breaking high temperatures last week. I can practically hear all my plants breathing a collective sigh of relief now that the weather has returned to normal. There was some damage including scalded leaves and shriveled sweet peas, but everything seems to have survived.
I’m reuniting with gardeners worldwide, led by The Propagator, posting six things happening on our plot of land this week.
ONE – It’s fava bean time! The first harvest was delicious. Shelling, blanching, and popping the beans out of their skins takes time, but their deliciousness is worth the effort.
TWO – A few days ago, our first dahlia of the year opened. Hundreds more blooms are on the way, but the first is always special. This is a confusing dahlia, because all the tubers I planted in this particular bed close to this color were Senior’s Hope, but this is a collarette and Senior’s Hope isn’t. Oh well, it’s pretty. When I search for bright pink collarette dahlias, I’ve yet to find a match for these, but the closest is Bloomquist Sweet. UPDATE in August – Senior’s Hope tubers bloomed later and were beautiful!
THREE, FOUR, FIVE, and SIX – Peonies overlapped nicely with roses, then the heat hit! The roses went bonkers. As it’s year three in the rose garden, it’s definitely time for leaping. Throughout Coppertop gardens there are additional roses, but in the new rose garden , there are 20 bushes, 17 of which are David Austin roses. ALL 20 are blooming at once. Trios of Golden Celebration, Princess Anne, Munstead Wood, Gertrude Jekyll, and Lady Emma Hamilton form huge swaths of color and fragrance. Singles of Evelyn and Jude the Obscure mingle with floribundas Connie’s Sandstorm and Pumpkin Patch. One climber, an Iceberg, graces the obelisk. I can’t spend enough time enjoying all the beauty and making bouquets for the home and for friends.
Gardens at Coppertop 
Wow! Your Rose garden is spectacular! What a lovely show!
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Thank you!
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Love your rose garden, the perfume must be delightful! Your dahlia is rather gorgeous too. We have seen your high temperatures on our news here in the UK, hope everything is back to normal now and that you and your plants can breathe again.
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Yes, that heat was unusual and unwelcome, but the roses loved it.
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You have an impressive number of roses in bloom at the same time: it’s beautiful.!
I’m also pleasantly surprised to see so many flowers in your garden despite the heat wave. What was your maximum temperature at home?
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Here on the mountain (5 miles from the water) we hit 97 F, or 36 C. Whew, Fred!
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Already hot temperatures…. Good luck if this continues.
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Oh those roses are beautiful!
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Thank you, Lauren!
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A lovely selection of roses and I bet that part of the garden smells rather splendid too.
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Oh, yes! 🙂
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I can’t believe your roses not only survived but thrived in that incredible heatwave. They are gorgeous!
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They pretty much exploded. Some changed color a bit, too, so it’s been fun.
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Goodness! Broad beans AND dahlias, I’m jealous. Interesting Six-on-Saturday and clever labelling.
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Thanks, Granny. Sometimes I edit in iPhoto before uploading photos and trying to make captions.
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That weather was epic! Even by our standards, it was warm. The difference is that our landscapes are outfitted with automated irrigation, and those who dislike such warmth use air conditioning. I remember that such irrigation is not the norm in the Pacific Northwest, and air conditioning has likely been unnecessary.
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Yep, we’re glad it has passed, and we have a newfound empathy for those south of us! 😉
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Well, I would guess that it was much worse there, since those who live there are not accustomed to it, and were not set up for it. When it gets that warm here, it does not seem so unnatural, and there is not much humidity. Those who dislike such warmth use air conditioning. I think I would prefer warm summers to cool winters. I should be in Silverdale and Poulsbo this winter, so may get a few opportunities to complain about the weather there. I know it does not get very cold on the Puget Sound, but it is likely cooler than it is here, and likely stays that way longer.
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How breathtaking it must have been for you to have all those roses bloom at once! They look magnificent! Then again, so do the veggies!!
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Oh, Chris, I appreciate your encouraging words.
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Your roses are amazing March! Glad it’s cooled down a bit!
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Yes, Cathy, we are happy for the relief as well. Thank you.
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The rose garden has come along so well. The weather seems to be weird most places this year. We’ve just had two days of very heavy, frequent rain showers. The garden is looking very sad.
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Well, that sadness sounds plain unfortunate. Hoping all rebounds quickly!
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Those roses are amazing! Glad your horrible heat wave is over.
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Me too! Jason, I was born in Chicago, but I don’t handle the heat well anymore…
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Oh what’s not to love? Gorgeous roses with beautiful leaves and no sign of black spot! Lucky you. The dahlia is lovely – I am waiting on a similar one to bloom. I really like the dark foliage. And a very Happy Birthday to your husband!
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Thanks, Dana! Besides peonies (and yours are awesome), roses reign supreme currently.
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Wow! I did not expect to see so much lush loveliness after your heat wave.
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🙂 You know that every day in the garden is like a gift.
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So many beautiful flowers
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