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Re: Gardening summer 2012
perennials@hort.net
  • Subject: Re: Gardening summer 2012
  • From: "* <k*@comcast.net>
  • Date: Sat, 21 Jul 2012 23:53:23 -0500
Barb,
Perhaps other factors are at play but my Hydrangeas (Oakleaf and a serrata), too, have looked outstanding this year. Lavenders seems to enjoy the heat as well. Helenium seems very happy, but I've only grown it for two years, both very hot summers. My Leprechaun Eyes daylily, which I've had about 5 years, hemmed and hawed, even thought I'd lose it for awhile, but this year it bloomed and bloomed and then bloomed again. I've never had a daylily bloom so much for so long.
I'm having trouble with all 3 varieties of Filipendula and my Artemisia Guizhou. They are just hanging in there. Two of the Fils and the Artemisia are plants I divided this spring but all three have always taken very well to division in the past. The aother Fil is F camtschatica. It's in its 3rd year and it has always struggled but I just don't want to give up on it. 



Kitty
neIN, Zone 5
----- Original Message ----- From: "Barb Pernacciaro" <barp41@charter.net> 
To: <perennials@hort.net>
Sent: Saturday, July 21, 2012 5:30 PM
Subject: Re: Gardening summer 2012
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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