Gardener's Group discussion

I know I've planted 5 trees to get more shade. My veggie garden had to be moved to partial shade just to survive. And next year I'm going to expand--in the direction of the shade.

I'm very glad I had the landscapers move all of my containers (there were a lot, they were heavy and they offered so I accepted!) from out front where there is full on full sun literally from mid morning through sunset to our back yard where there's a lot of shade and intermittent periods of sun then shade then sun then shade then sun and shade late afternoon through sunset. In the last 2 years, because of drought, soaring temps and t-storm damage, things out front were getting flooded out or burnt to a crisp. Plus it helps me physically to have everything in one area now.

I was worried about how everything would react but everything is flourishing! I can almost hear the sigh of relief lol! One of my goals was to try and make my container garden look more like an in-ground garden and I tell you I've basically achieved that goal! (happy dance) Now if I can get tomato's to grow back there again, I'll be super happy! So far the beans are doing fabulously!

It would be a shame to change everything and then have a wet year, and yet I know that the rock edgings, rock clusters, and close plantings are not helping the water situation. I did put all my Siberian iris and astilbe in to containers so I can more easily keep them boggy.

A drought map was shown on the world news tonight and it's really started to get frightening. We are not in the worst area here as we have had some rain but over 60% of the country is in it. Just incredible.

Very scary as a matter of fact! The Midwest corn crop has been ruined at a cost of 1 billion dollars (not including the coming rise in prices of everything to do with corn) but there's also been states of emergencies declared in many states because of drought!

Yes, I live in corn country. It's really sad to see the stunted and limp corn plants. And of course, the dead and dying trees everywhere (that to me is more long term damage, trees take many years to regrow if at all).
We have a lot of really large trees and I water them fairly often; so far, so good.

Heartbreaking actually.

Food prices are scary enough now; since the corn crop is damaged, and since for some reason burning corn is viewed by some as a cost efficient and intelligent way to make energy, meat prices and anything taking corn sugar among other things have been rising rapidly and will I fear become cost prohibitive. Even hamburger is pushing $4-5 a pound most times; a decent steak (I used to like one once in a while) is in the upper teen dollars per pound.

As a single person I am constantly shocked at what my grocery bill comes to. It's way more than what it cost to feed the kids and me when they still lived here.

Neighbors cut down a huge tree today that's been hanging over our shared driveway. What a relief! We have so many old trees with dead parts in our neighborhood. I hate to see them go, but we have to think about safety too.

We did get about an inch of rain yesterday. First in almost 2 wks. Today is back to 90 degrees and two more expected at 90+. Even when we do get some moisture the high temps cook it right out of the soil again. Heard on the news tonight London has had rain for days which is causing a lot of problems. Seems no one gets the happy medium.

I think I'm lucky, I can't really complain about the weather for most days of the year. It has been a bit dry recently but it rained a few hours on Fri and Sat and looks like we might get some now. The temp in town/beaches is in the 80s but here in the rainforest is a nice 77.

Cheryl, whatever your grocery bill is mine is much worse. Most grocery items here come from the US to which is added on shipping and 10% duty, also payable on the shipping, plus various other Customs admin charges. A drum of Quaker Oats in the US is about $4, I pay $6.99. Stuff that comes from the UK is even worse. I like PG Tips tea-bags which are about $5 in the UK for the biggest box - $17.99 here. The price I pay for good weather perhaps!

Miriam - the move towards much less grass and planting beds that have a lot of space between plants with visible mulch/big rock decor may be a way everyone in the US should be moving. Here, the master gardeners mentioned that for their tours, they try to highlight gardens without much grass (yes, my photos showed they still had some). Since the big drought in the 70s here, there's been a push away from grass but folks just won't have it. So, we've got more drought tolerant, tufting grass that sways. It's a look to get used to (for some neighbors looks like it constantly needs to be mowed). With good drainage, gardening for drought survives the wet years. What I should be planning if I ever get the new beds in is zones - dry areas you can irrigate less, smaller areas (usually closer to the house) that take more irrigation. Sounds easy but for my long bed I wanted a few semi dwarf fruit trees - they're automatically a wetter area and for costs I just wanted one long pipe for irrigation. Considering sinking some watering pipes so I can hit the trees with the hose as an extra added when needed.

Well, my squash are happy. They wilt a bit every day but have already sent off extra bounty to a neighbor. Also, have already (just yesterday) frozen up some portions of chard. For the over 100 spells, been watering the veggies twice a day.

Petra X wrote: "I think I'm lucky, I can't really complain about the weather for most days of the year. It has been a bit dry recently but it rained a few hours on Fri and Sat and looks like we might get some now...."

Wow! That's crazy.

Another 90 degree day. It's getting to be ho hum. We do get a few every summer, but not usually as many as this year. May be 100 tomorrow--can't wait.

I checked out the drought map: http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/ and Natl Geographic's moving pictures. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/ne...

Heat wave # 4 has begun and the humidity is downright AWFUL! Especially because there's no breeze most of the time.

We finally got rain in the way of some nasty thunderstorms that passed through yesterday evening. First day I haven't had to water in the morning in I can't remember how long. But I'll have to tomorrow & Wed morning, then we're supposed to get storms Wed that break the heat wave.

98 today, but the humidity is on the way down and there is a good breeze so in some ways it feels better than yesterday when the humidity was over 70%. I'm going to wait until later to go out to water. When it's this dry I have to do it twice a day and it's getting old.

Another damn heat warning for tomorrow here, 96 degrees and humid predicted (93 right now at 8 pm) and I have to take my Mother to Cincinnati to the doctor and lawyer.

Ick.

Maggie, I already have very limited grass. My hellstrip, which is sloped, I have terraced with rocks to retain the moisture (it all ran off before) and planted with flowers. My front yard is all shrubs, trees and flowers with just a two-mower-width path of grass. My back yard has a 10x20 patch of grass for the dogs, but the rest is plant material. Everything is heavily mulched. In the past, watering here was just limited to newly planted items. This year I am watering everything! I do have a lot of rocks in my yard, and they absorb heat, so I am wondering if I shouldn't move them all to one area at the back. I am spacing things further apart- I tended to a cottage garden look, but am looking towards my future of being able to do less and less because of my arthritis.

Visible humidity today with 2 five minute cloudbursts. Just nasty. At least I won't have to water the pots tonight.

I wouldn't care what the conditions were if we would just get some RAIN!

For those of you with no rainfall I almost hate to relate a very scary looking storm rolled in here about 9A today--sky was absolutely black and I thought we were in for something awful. It did blow a bit, but then just poured rain giving us about an inch. Humidity remains at super sticky level and no more moisture predicted for days so am glad we got what we did.

We had a fifty percent chance of rain last night- not a drop. This morning it felt like it would rain- not a drop. I am off to water the park. Stopped by there this morning and I may have lost all the creeping phlox- they are all yellow. Nice large plants, too. Darn!

We have had Sahara dust for nearly a week now. The trade winds are blowing from that direction right now and although we have had a few substantial showers last night and this morning especially, nothing is clearing the haze and the 'heaviness' that goes with it.

When the grass is still sparkling with dew at 2PM I think it's safe to say the humidity level is disgusting.

LOL. Beyond disgusting. On to uninhabitable. 94 degrees here today and humid. Boring.

Picked my first tomato's today! Roma's from Bonnie Plants. YUM! (Couldn't resist lol!)

Still watering my plants here.

Jo wrote: "Picked my first tomato's today! Roma's from Bonnie Plants. YUM! (Couldn't resist lol!)"

That first tomato is unequaled!!

Amen to that lol!

Hot, humid, blah, blah, blah. Attacked the weeding today and made good progress. Lots more to do.

Our lawn guys mowed today for the first time in a month. And at that, it was only tall here and there. Tomorrow, more watering of the new flower beds.

I am considering a trip to somewhere, anywhere, cool. Canada, Alaska, the mountains of New Mexico all are on the consideration list. If I get my Mother completely settled, it's a distinct possibility.

She seems to love the new asst living arrangement, but last night she tripped and fell pretty hard. Caught her foot on the bedspread; had left the walker on the other side of the room, God alone knows why.

Luckily appears to just have an impressive bruise on the thigh, but still. She wasn't feeling very 'up' today, understandable. But the fall did prove the efficacy of the call button around the neck; they came within a couple of minutes. Proof of concept anyway.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/24/opinion...

An article on the science of climate change. Looks like we should be modifying our landscapes... this heat and drought are likely to re-occur!

I'm glad your Mum had a call button, mine would never get one. I hope she is feeling a lot better now, old people are delicate! (*shivers* at my own mortality).

Gloomy, gray humid day here. Storms predicted for tonight.

Anyone who lives where Mother does wears a call button, rules of the house.

She had one for about 3 yrs before she moved; it was like pulling teeth (sorry Cheryl) to get her to get one.

At one point I said, what if you fall down the basement stairs and break a leg or whatever. Do you want to lay there in your Sh.. for 3 days and die of thirst?

She made some remark and I said well thanks for leaving me to find the rotting stinky corpse, I really appreciate it. And leaving the mess after they haul you away.

She got the button.

And used it probably 2 dozen times when she took falls in the house, or got down and could not get up.

The first few times, the ambulance, policeman, fire chief, fire truck, and several volunteers came. Quite a stir. After about the 4th time they began to realize it was just Carolyn fallen down again and one would come. Always gracious and helpful they are. A blessing truly.

The problem was that the button company also called me as the family contact and wanted me to go tend. I lived 65 miles down country roads away, not too practical. And my DH would get really agitated thinking this time she had really had something bad happen. Did not make for peaceful evenings, believe me.

To continue my boring saga:

One time she fell (it is funny now) ass over teakettle into the shrubbery at the front of the house (missed a step, do you suppose she would have a ramp? Of course not.) They found her legs up, head down in the bushes. And picked her up, dusted her off and put her back in the house. Like I said, real nice people.

It is amazing she maintained her independence so long what with being so prone to falling. Will power, I guess. I hope her assisted living place has equally nice people to look after her.

Oh Jessie,a sense of humor is the only thing that can get you through times like this. I remember one time several of us were at my mother's house when my grandmother called us to help her. We looked all over the house and couldn't find her. Someone finally saw her foot sticking out from underneath the dining room table. There was a long tablecloth on the table that prevented us from seeing her there.We laughed so hard we could barely help her up.

I am prone to falling- I hope I am not found legs up and head down in the bushes, but it could very well happen.

You guys have me LMAO!! I know it's not really funny at the time and I will probably do far worse when I'm older but as my dad used to say--laughter really is the best medicine!

He's also the one who fell asleep in his big chair and called me to say he couldn't find his glasses when he woke up and didn't dare get up and walk around without them. So dummy me, I drove to his house to find his glasses on the top of his head.

I don't fall over and I'm not as old as your dad (I think) but I've done that one. Also keys attached to bra strap when I had a rental car and had to call out the rental company because I couldn't find the keys. They saw them as soon as they said hello to me! Tell your father hi from me, I think we'd get on :-)

Speaking of glasses,when I was very young my grandparents got up one morning,got washed and dressed,and put their wire-rimmed glasses on before sitting down at the breakfast table.During breakfast I noticed that they both looked up from their plates from time to time and seemed a little dazed. Breakfast was almost over when my grandmother squinted at my grandfather and blurted out,"Walter,you are wearing my glasses!" Sure enough,they were wearing each other's glasses!

Petra X wrote: "I don't fall over and I'm not as old as your dad (I think) but I've done that one. Also keys attached to bra strap when I had a rental car and had to call out the rental company because I couldn't ..."

Dad's been gone a few years (passed away at age 92) but he would love your story. The man loved to laugh!

Another fave story of mine is about my friend Jane who drove downtown with her cat on the roof of her car. She couldn't figure out why so many strangers were waving at her.

peg wrote: "Speaking of glasses,when I was very young my grandparents got up one morning,got washed and dressed,and put their wire-rimmed glasses on before sitting down at the breakfast table.During breakfast ..."

LOL!

I'm thrilled to report every window in my house is open, there is a great breeze, I can hear the birds singing instead of the drone of the AC and it will drop to the 60s tonight.

We're roasting here in Pa. but right now we are having a thunder storm and strong winds. I'm hoping the rain will cool things off. I have to get out in my garden and tidy up. It has been way too hot to do anything except pick veggies.Fortunately, the heat hasn't bothered my vegetables. I have lots of tomatoes,peppers,yellow squash,zucchini,cucumbers and eggplant. I even have a few decent-sized cantalopes.Watermellons are the size of oranges right now.The herbs are growing like crazy too. All in all, it has been a good summer here in spite of the heat.

peg wrote: "We're roasting here in Pa. but right now we are having a thunder storm and strong winds. I'm hoping the rain will cool things off. I have to get out in my garden and tidy up. It has been way too ho..."

All your garden veggies sound so good. I'm still a few weeks away from that first ripe garden tomato, although I do have some patio tomatoes ripening but they're just not the same as those big juicy ones out of the garden.

Cheryl,my Romas,cherry tomatoes,patios and Early Girls are coming in but the Beef Steaks,Mortage Raisers and heirlooms are still green as can be. There is nothing like fresh garden veggies!

peg wrote: "Cheryl,my Romas,cherry tomatoes,patios and Early Girls are coming in but the Beef Steaks,Mortage Raisers and heirlooms are still green as can be. There is nothing like fresh garden veggies!"

Amen!

Early girls & Roma toms are finishing their first round! The beans are really starting up. Knock Outs have been taking a break while the grandiflora & floribunda roses have been going strong. Seems the hyrbif teas are on a break now too. Butterfly bushes going strong and the hydrangeas seem to be pushing out a second bloom. Everything else seems to be going strong, green. Though bald spots are appearing in the grass but oh well, I'll re-seed in Autumn!

Peg, loved your story about the cat!

On another note, my nephew (41) is now staying with me. He was living in OK, two years ago his wife left him and returned to NY with their two baby girls. She called him and begged him to join her, she missed him. So he sold everything and went to NY. After four days she threw him out (yes, she is major nuts). He didn't have anywhere to go, so he called me- can I come stay with you until I figure out where to go, what to do? So, he is staying with me indefinitely. He does LOVE my house and my town, and the county seat town. He arrived yesterday, and today he applied for a (temporary) job

Heard on the news tonight we have just endured our hottest July since 1936 so it hasn't been my imagination. August is usually sultry here with little rain. I'm not looking forward to all the watering I usually have to do, but maybe this year will be different.