When the early Spring arrived here in Zone 5b/6a, in the back of my mind I wondered how toasty it would get during Summer. Well, last week during the days surrounding the holiday, my Other Half and I stayed inside for several days in a row. We kept the blinds lowered and the air running at a modest 80 degrees F.
On top of the brutal summer sun and heat, the Lot hasn’t seen any rain in weeks. When it is hand-watered, care has to be taken so the water doesn’t run right off the top of the soil and down to the edging of the garden beds. The early Spring and windy conditions seemed to have dried out areas of the Lot that normally don’t deal with dry soil. Case in point is the poor archangel which was lush and lovely just this past May.
It may be very close to the time to break out the soaker hoses. These hoses allow a slow sweat of water to leave the sides of the hose and soak into the soil. Watering in this way will provide a deeper level of moisture for the soil. Overhead sprinklers in weather like this often results in a shallow level of moisture which quickly evaporates back into the Summer heat.
The sun is extremely intense this season as plants on the Lot that are caught in the afternoon light are beginning to scorch. Usually the Bishops Weed above and the Deutschland Astilbe below make it through the brief bit of Noon-2:00 sun they receive. Not so much this year. The astilbe just went in this year. I think I’ll move it this Fall so it doesn’t receive so much mid-day sun.
Even the shrubs are looking thirsty! I don’t remember since moving to the Lot ever having to water the established shrubs. Take a look at this Burning Bush. What is interesting is when the heat finally broke and the temperature dropped down to 73 degrees F at night, the shrub had a slight blush of color in the leaves in the already warming morning hours.
Last but not least, the Lot’s lawn is especially crispy. As a rule, my Other Half and I do not water the lawn. We have always let the turf go dormant for the Summer. In our opinions, it is a waste of resources and dollars to try to keep a lawn green and lush during the hot months. We are not interested in surrounding ourselves with a golf course. However, as we returned home from a walk this evening, my Other Half commented, “You know, I don’t think grass is supposed to crunch underfoot.” Please, oh please, do not let it come down to the nekid rain dance in the backyard.
Purslane (Portulaca oleracea) is a succulent introduced to the U.S. from Persia. It is also referred to as Pusley, Hogweed, Pigweed, and Verdolaga. The plant has red stems with fleshy leaves at the ends. It grows in a low mat in bare, often drier soil areas. Yellow flowers bloom from Midsummer to early Fall.
