While still on vacation, we went to Chanticleer, a place I never tire of visiting. It was my husband's first trip there and he seemed to love each discovery. He especially enjoyed the gardens created around water or the lack of water, beautiful plants that thrive in hot, dry weather. We took note. This year in our gardens we're trying to be water-wise, planting as many natives and succulents as we can. The idea is to save water, yes, but also to plant things that can take the heat and still look OK in August, when it turns to the Dust Bowl around here.
It's always a hard time in the garden, even though everyone suffers and most gardens look like hell. Everyone suffers except the folks with sprinklers and no objection to war-debt water bills. I'd like to think there's a better way to get through this season, and since much of gardening entails experimentation, we're game. This is our experiment this summer.
But wouldn't you know. Almost at every turn as we cruised around Chanticleer, we were greeted by ... poppies! (I feel like I'm in a gnome movie, where every place I visit I somehow run into gnomes.)
No gnomes at Chanticleer. Please! There are limits to its sense of humor. But plenty of poppies, their cheerful round heads bobbing demurely. Better than gnomes any day, if you ask me.
