Re: Gardening summer 2012
perennials@hort.net
  • Subject: Re: Gardening summer 2012
  • From: B* P* <b*@charter.net>
  • Date: Sat, 21 Jul 2012 17:30:00 -0500
Interesting, Kitty! What plants bloomed better in the incredible heat? (Folks 
who live down south must think we're wimpy) My Annabelle hydrangea loved the 
heat, grew tall, was gorgeous in full bloom, but now is bowed down because we 
DID get some rain a few days ago, naturally.

I can only hope our winters will be milder, in fact, I believe that the USDA 
has changed our hardiness zone from 4 to 5. We will see if the plants agree.

It never occurred to me to have a separate water meter for the outside 
spigots, I think the lucky devils who have in-ground pools around here do 
that too.

I agree with you about not being able to work in the heat plus not being an 
early bird-type who can get up with the sun. 

This forum has been wonderful, and now as I grow too old to do the necessary 
heavy work, I can also garden vicariously, like Chris!

Sent from Barb's iPad

On Jul 21, 2012, at 9:09 AM, "Kitty" <kmrsy@comcast.net> wrote:

> Hi Barb,
> It's been pretty miserable here as well, breaking records all over the 
> place.  Triple digits and a couple of high wind storms and virtually no 
> rain until this week. Unprecedented for this area.
> 
> I've been lucky actually.  I always pay my whole year' gas bill (everything 
> in my house runs on gas) on a budget that runs Oct-May; nothing in summer, 
> so I always plan to pspend as much as that same amount extra ($60/mo) on 
> water the other 4 months if needed. I never needed that much until this 
> year.
> 
> The previous two summers were much hotter than we'd ever had and the 
> forecast was even worse for this year.  So I invested in something that's 
> been on my wish list for years.  I had the water company install a second 
> water meter for the outside spigots.  Any water running through this meter 
> does not have a sewer charge.  For each unit of water used here on a 
> regular meter we pay an additional 2.56 times for sewer.  It cost me $550 
> to have the plumbing work done but in two months I have saved $180 in sewer 
> charges for the water I used. If our summers continue like this, I should 
> easily break even in two seasons.  Shoulda done it a few years ago.
> 
> I don't water my front lawn except what inadvertantly gets it when watering 
> the beds so I do have a brownish hellstrip and the front edge of my side of 
> the sidewalk, too, is dry.  I have no lawn on either side of the house and 
> just a couple of strips in back - the rest is beds.  I've been watering my 
> beds each weekend except two  that got a little rain.  Other than that I've 
> spot watered things that needed it.  My nursery pots needed watering every 
> day until rain came recently.
> 
> Some plants have exhibited scorching and and blooms don't last as long in 
> this heat as they have in other years.  But some plants have bloomed more 
> brightly this year.  The main stress has been on ME.  I absolutely cannot 
> work in such conditions.  I'd planned on expanding the front bed  - I'd 
> already killed the new portion off with shredded leaves piled high last 
> fall - but I can't dig out the roots so I can till when it's already 
> 90degrees at 8am.  It'll have to wait.  I picked up trashcan loads of maple 
> samaras and pulled ten million maple seedlings earlier this season, dealt 
> with weeds and crabgrass usually in the early morning or late evening 
> hours, then hid from the hot sun in the house during the worst of it.  I've 
> been able to dig, divide, and pot as needed, but nothing extra.
> 
> It's been hard this season, but I have been fortunate.  And I've been 
> enjoying tomatoes now for a couple of weeks.
> 
> 
> Kitty
> neIN, Zone 5
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Barb Pernacciaro" <barp41@charter.net>
> To: <perennials@hort.net>
> Sent: Friday, July 20, 2012 9:31 PM
> Subject: Gardening summer 2012
> 
> 
>> Chris,
>> It's been a sad summer with the hot, hot droughty conditions here in s. 
>> central WI. I have only been watering prized things and trying to pull the 
>> darn weeds that are able to survive ANYTHING.
>> How have others coped in areas of nasty heat and little rain? The only 
>> positive is not having to mow the crunchy brown lawn!
>> 
>> Sent from Barb's iPad
>> 
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