Fabulous photos, Diane. Were you at the Sacramento Open Garden? We had a couple from Pacifica - if it was you, congrats for being first in line! I love Lyda Rose. I'm growing it espaliered on my fence. we have it in the perennial plant garden (Hamilton Square) in the cemetery, and it's a large mound. Easily five feet high and seven across, covered in bloom. My Bubble Bath is still hoisted over a tripod. I am not looking forward to it taking off since it's perfect as is. Gets quite a bit of shade but does ok. I agree that "Unknown" could be Baronne Prevost, although its color is more intense in Sacramento. Your light and conditions are much different. Your light makes the photos so beautiful - and I'm so envious of the fuschia with the roses - thanks so much for sharing. Anita

Today it's cold and overcast -- no, really!! -- in the San Francisco Bay Area. The vivid color has left the Chinese pistache trees, and the leaves are falling to the ground. You have to be careful when there's too many, they're actually quite slippery en masse, even on a concrete sidewalk. Only 1 rain so far in the last month but Nov 1st starts our rainy season and they are forecasting a mild El Nino year, so a bit more rain than usual is expected. I have the rare gift of being able to stay home until the end of the year, then will have to go out and get a new job. So I am taking the time to get our legal/financial affairs in order (have procrastinated long enough!) and occasionally get out into the garden to do the bigger tasks I've been putting off. Took out one star jasmine but will let my gardener take out the other, I think it's too big for me to handle by myself. Will take out the Senecio confusem vine -- pretty, but the ever-present ants love to cultivate aphids on it like mad. I hate spraying, so have decided to take it down and plant something more sensible and pest-free. High winds made the cannas lean over. Soon I'll have to tie them up or cut them back. The new plantings have done well in the final part of the backyard that we finished just a year ago. We had bright orange and red canna flowers almost the entire year. It was so pleasant to sit out on the new lower patio on warm weekends, better than a vacation because it was right outside the door! Nursed the beds through the dry summer and now we'll see how the plantings do if we indeed get a wet winter. The soil in this section is still mostly clay, and I may find myself replacing some plants by the spring. But that's for the future; right now I'm looking forward to not having to drag the hose around for the next few months. There's so many plants still in bloom here. I walked to the post office and enjoyed seeing everybody's landscaping. Some bad, some good, but everybody's is different. No boring conformity in this area! From my own garden I cut roses, hydrangeas and dahlias for the vases. Aren't they pretty?

I agree that osteospermum is lovely. I have a bunch that self sow around the place, but non as lovely as that one. All the soil is still nice and damp from our recent rain. It’s such an unusual sight. I ought to be out pulling weeds. Everything has been sorely neglected lately. I fear the dreaded chilli thrips may have found my garden late this summer. I thought it was heat and sun damage, but when I read the recent “Chilli Thrips Post”, those pictures looks disturbingly familiar. When I read and saw Tiffandrew’s post and pictures I was pretty much convinced. She’s just a few miles away from me. I’ve been cutting and tightly bagging all affected growth. Hopefully now that the temperatures are coming down they will disappear. It’s always something! Speaking of “always something”, thanks for your concern about Sabby. Ingrid, you’re right. He’s no spring chicken anymore. I think he’s at least 12. I could look it up, but I’m afraid he could be a year older, and I don’t want to know it:). On Thursday he began going into the litter box a bit more often than usual, just enough to make me wonder. On Friday morning he doing the same, with an increase in visits. He was still eating and drinking and would purr when I pet him. I knew the vets office was open on Saturday and Sunday, so I decided to keep and eye on him. Friday afternoon I went to the nursery and grocery store and upon my return found a small puddle of blood tinged urine just outside the litter box. By this time, he was also going in and out of all the litter boxes in the house, one after the other, at an alarming rate. We didn’t feel that he had a blockage, as his bladder was soft and small when palpated. Eventually, I set him up in the garage with access to my bathroom with the door between my bathroom and bedroom closed. Strangely, my house has a door from the garage to the master bathroom. I removed the bathroom rug, and provided him with food and water. I did loads and loads of laundry, so the dryer would help keep things extra warm in there. (It was the boys lucky day:) I had to confine him to an area without carpet, because by Friday night he was trying to go potty in the craziest places. (Pillows, blankets, carpet, bags, and decorative baskets). My poor baby figured if it hurt in the litter box, maybe it would work better somewhere else, ANYWHERE else. Neither one of us slept much that night, but every single thing in this house has been freshly laundered. I called the office the moment they opened and they said to bring him in as soon as I was able. Of course, he hid under my bed the minute he saw his carrier, while Millie climbed in, and was ready to go somewhere. They did a quick ultrasound and confirmed that his bladder was empty, so he didn’t have a blockage. He was also well hydrated. I asked if the vet could please give him an injectable antibiotic instead of the tablets, because Sabby is truly a pill to administer pills to. Pun intended. He’s had the same problem (urinary tract infection) once before, and giving him the tablets was a real nightmare. My son,(who gives pills to animals all the time for work) thought I was exaggerating, until I started asking him to help me. He now agrees Sebastian is the most stubborn cat about taking medication he’s ever come across. So Sebastian got the injection and an antispasmodic capsule that can be sprinkled in his wet food twice a day until his symptoms abate. I’m happy to report that after just 24 hours Sebastian is much improved! I’m so relieved. He even went outside with everyone this morning for the usual garden stroll. Sorry about the long drawn out explanation, but that’s been my first priority for past few days. Thank goodness for good vets that are open 7 days a week! On to the roses, what few I have in bloom. Felicia seems to always have at least a few clusters of delicately colored blooms to show. I even detect her delightful fragrance today, since it’s not very dry out. I guess tomorrow there won’t be any detectable fragrance with the dry winds coming:( I finally ordered that sticky anchor system for Felicia, so I can train her over the arches. It’s about (past) time! Miss Alice with some companions. Those pink scabiosa’s are already popping up little seedlings, even in the nearby lawn. I’m going to dig a few up and move them. Flamingo Gardens Tea St. Elisabeth of Hungary Young Crepuscule A tiny piece of Mel’s Heritage That’s it for now. Lisa

Vapor that is surprising that she isn't more popular, I haven't found anything I don't love about this rose! Blooms the size of my hand, lovely dark green foliage with no diseases even in a pretty humid summer (it has been 70--90% here lately) a nice tidy shape, and fragrance that makes me say 'now that is what a rose should smell like!'. Cold hardy to --30F and blooming in 90F summer temps. And she wasn't touched by whatever wretched bug ate my Anna's Promise band down to nothing too.