As gardeners, many of us are obsessed with the weather. We want to know temperatures--high and lows, humidity and of course, rainfall. Early in the week, it was dry, but the temperatures were mild and the humidity was low, so it was quite pleasant to be outside. That changed quickly by late in the week, and has just intensified every day since. Interestingly enough, we have had frequent quick bursts of rain, some lasting a nano-second, while others lasted over 30 minutes--today I got over 2 inches of rain in a very short period of time--and that was after I had spent hours watering! When one of the quick rains passes, it feels like you are stepping into a sauna to be outside. Not pleasant gardening weather.
On Thursday, I was in Saline County helping a cousin pack for a move, and loaded a mattress and box springs to bring home. It was hot and sunny when I left Benton, and pouring down when I pulled into my driveway! Luckily one of the mattresses was wrapped in plastic and we were able to get them out and dry them quickly. Not something you expect to happen in July in Arkansas.
I have a lot blooming in my garden, from althea, gardenia and hydrangeas,
and the summer annuals continue to show-off.
I am watering like crazy and fertilizing at least every two weeks. Perennials are also going strong with coneflowers and blackberry lilies taking the lead.
This week, the lycoris or surprise lilies
have popped up and adding a quick surprise of color to many gardens.
One thing that has happened in the past few weeks is a slow death of my large loropetalum.
They looked like death after the winter freeze, and then over time, they bloomed beautifully, fully leafed out and were doing well. Now each week brings more dead limbs. I think I will have to cut it back by over half or more and let it grow back out. Have any of you seen anything similar? Gardenias that I ignored fully recovered and are actually blooming with no signs of trouble, but I do have one large, old althea that is also slowly dying. I try not to fret too much. I will cut things back, see what grows back next spring and then replace if needed. I have too many plants that have done too well, so a little thinning is not going to be noticeable. I am blaming it on the winter, but who knows?!
Recently, we feel like a wildlife refuge. We have seen a couple of snakes this week--a large garter snake and possibly an offspring--a much smaller one. We have a ton of rabbits hopping about, chipmunks, and of course the ever-present squirrels, but this week we had a family of 4 young raccoons. By the time I got my camera, I only got the departure of the last one.
Petals was going crazy, but I kept her inside.
Covid numbers continue to explode, so I am back to wearing a mask whenever I am out in public. Days are flying by, and I know we all pray for this to end soon. Please get a vaccine if you haven't -- for your sake as well as for others. Stay safe, cool and don't forget to water!