Another hot one but it's okay

 We closed up before noon, did a run to the store and had some lunch. I didn't get out to the garden until almost dark but that was a good thing. I was walking Rocky and the other lady, 'Layla' asked me sort of? Turns out she's Persian) about my garden plants. I told her nothing can grow because of the gophers. She agreed that they got her plants too and I told her about the raised garden bed I have planned, and how I'll put some metal wire down. We parted company and I finished the walk with Rocky, making a point to look at the trees.

Not a lot of color showing but I did see a beautiful coral pink cloud as the sun was setting. The mushroom I took a picture of the other day either got run over by the lawnmower or the snails. Didn't get a picture of it and judging from the damage I'd say snails ran over it first.

Since the pepper was already changing color, or getting sunburned, I picked it. I opened it up and not a seed in it, tasted like a pepper but had a very slight ghost of a zing to it. Natural flavoring for sure, not a bee that I could tell in the area had visited it. The smaller one isn't going to get much bigger either. I moved the mulch aside and the soil was warm but very damp so didn't need water. Thin bucket walls are keeping the soil too warm I suspect.

I was going to show some pictures of the holes in the garden area but thought talking about the Camellia is more interesting. I noticed on my evening walk the camellia bush on the patio had some coloration on the leaves. The one that got cut back really hard.

 

The markings are a type of virus that is typically non fatal. It shows up in a variety of plants, roses are another one and it has a remarkable effect on the plant without killing or maiming it. The flowers develop stripes or spots as variegation. I'm anxious to see if that happens with this Camellia because if it does I need to stick with it for another ten years to produce it from cuttings.

Seriously. I discovered a Tiffany rose that was striped due to the virus and had no way of proving it or getting a cutting. It was dug up a few years later due to the owner passing away and I was so bummed!

I remember mentioning it was likely a Debutante which is a ruffled pink if it shows signs of the virus in variegation it could have stripes of darker pink or white. Kind of exciting really, just hope they don't cut this one down. Then again it could just affect the leaves and nothing else happens or it could be a bad virus or disease. Variegated leaf varieties exist as well with uninteresting flowers.

Koshio no Fubuki

 This is an example of a bush that has 'year round interest'. Normally camellias are just green bushes but this lovely lady is incredible with the variegated leaves all year and the red flowers showing up likely around December. The name being Japanese translates from Google as 'Blizzard of Neap Tide'. I guess you have to know the meaning but given the amount of variegation blizzard is a good description.

There you have it, a little about variegation which is usually caused either by genetics or disease. Sometimes good, sometimes bad.