Well, cool for us. Mid 70s to 80 in the day. Great gardening weather. Friday I tackled part of the "wild" area in the back yard. I have been beating it back since we moved in 4 1/2 years ago, slowly reclaiming the edges of the yard from English ivy overgrown shrubs and "trash trees"--those little 1/2 inch diameter ones that sprout up from nothing and are not identifiable. Found a few sassafras trees to save and an old gangly azalea I cut back. There is also a Lady Banks rose that I don't know… Continue

So glad we finally got rain. My 6" rain gauge overflowed, but I'm not sure it is accurate. The official number is 3.1. Regardless, I am so happy for my garden. I have been watering, but there is nothing like a good rain--and it's free! I have a few shrubs that are only a year or so old and they have really been suffering from the drought. Plus, some of my Japanese maples have brown leaf edges. It is impossible to keep everything watered during a summer as dry as this one has been. Now that the… Continue

Well, finally. The weather is breaking this weekend. Next week will only be in the 80s. Yahoo! I'll be able to get out and do a lot of fall cleanup in the garden. I have a lot of dead "stuff" to pull out and cut back, more poison ivy sprouts to spray and a MAJOR project I am planning on the side of the house. I am going to turn the ivy into an island and then try to get rid of it entirely on the fence where it is encroaching on my neighbor's yard and on my natural area. The island will be… Continue

Well, it has been outrageously hot here--and dry. I have a whole group of plants that need to go in the ground, but it is so much easier to keep them watered in their pots. I keep waiting for the heat to break, but things are not looking good. I finally did do some much-needed watering. I hope it was not too late for a couple of viburnums that look pretty awful. Maybe they'll be fine after I prune them back in the early spring.



Plus I have two bird of paradise in huge pots brought to… Continue