Amaranthus Tricolor

Despite our rocky soil, our steep hillside and our sometimes scorching weather, there are some amazing plants in the smaller, flatter beds where we could amend the soil and the water doesn't run down the hill or into rodent tunnels. I went outside to take a picture of our new table, but my attention was arrested by the spectacular foliage of this Amaranthus (not to be confused with the petunias growing around it). When we planted it, it shot straight up and was a bit out of scale with everything else, but now it has taken on a mind of it's own, slumped over and grown up again toward the light in several places.

The whole bed around the new fountain has taken off since we pulled out the 30+ half dead festuccas, and replaced them with more colorful, less disciplined things. Sometimes I can't help speculating about the character of the former owners, who seemed, based on their plant choices, to be rather controlling, prickly people! They certainly went to great lengths not to meet us at any time during the house sale transactions, and were universally disliked by the neighbors. Based on plant choices, perhaps we would be perceived as riotously unruly….

We are being rewarded for all our hard work on the patio level of our garden with perfect weather for sitting out there and enjoying the fruits of our labors. Today, I was buzzed by hummingbirds while I watched the butterflies taking advantage of the last of the lantana blossoms. The new fountain adds just the right relaxing notes of falling water, and the finches and chickadees, despite the abundance of grasses at this time of year, are clustered around the bird feeders. and bees hover everywhere. There is a certain early autumn cast of the light, and a gentle breeze is moving the eyelash grasses, which have grown about a foot since we planted them, and causing the lemon verbena, and rosemary to release their scent.

Soon OilMan will be home from work and we will put our new table to the use for which it was intended…drinking wine. Life is good….