An extended heat wave in March, followed by a mix of high temperatures and rain, has left my garden confused.

After days of temperatures reaching 15 to 25 degrees above normal, our orange tree started dropping leaves. The pittosporum did the same. I hooked up a hose to our rainwater tanks and gave both trees a long soak, grateful for the stored water.

My self-seeded sweet peas (Lathyrus odoratus) didn’t like the heat either. They normally do well into June as summer temperatures set in, but the prolonged, excessive March heat sent them to seed before April’s end. I pulled them out over the weekend. I have one sweet pea vine hanging on under the Magnolias’ shade, but it, too, is fading.

Under the Acer, Four o’clock plants(Mirabilis jalapa) are up two months early and already blooming. It’s all a bit unsettling.

Temperatures have climbed again this week, as our dry season approaches. San Jose’s semi-arid climate is typically rain-free from May through October.

I’m trying to reset my expectations and remind myself that all the native plants in my garden continue to thrive, and several of the succulents are flowering. 

We shopped for a pair of tomato plants a few weeks ago and dug holes between rainy days. Fresh garden tomatoes are a summer highlight.

I stumbled across a few sunflower plants at a local nursery while shopping for mulch and scooped up three. In recent years, I planted sunflowers (Helianthus annuus) from seeds, but foraging squirrels unearthed them just as quickly. The new plants have already doubled in size, and now the squirrels will have to wait for the bounty. They’re welcome to eat the seeds after I’ve enjoyed the cheerful flowers. (Photo below of California Grey squirrel, 2014)

Elsewhere in the garden, I’ve manifested good fairy energy by turning a redish root into a garden swing, with a former soap dish serving as a ladder to reach it should the fairies choose to rest their wings. More garden debris forms a hanging post for an abutilon bud lantern. The playground resides under the hydrangeas.

I planted two cellpacs of sweet alyssum (Lobularia hybrid) in pots on the back garden steps. The honey scent teases the nostrils, pleasant but not overbearing, and it’s a fan favorite of butterflies and bees. It tolerates the heat better than most annuals.

I spotted a gorgeous orange butterfly this afternoon from our kitchen window, but I was too far away to capture a decent photo. I need to practice my “be like a tree” skills, where I hold still long enough for the butterflies to land and stay awhile. I’ll let you know how I get on.