Miss M,
I went out and watered all my plants two days ago figuring a good watering would carry them over.
It wasn’t easy; I have a big lawn and porting that hose around was painful in the searing heat. Sweat was pouring off of me, stinging my eyes and making me cuss.
But I figured the plants could hold on for a couple more days.
But no, the heat kept climbing and I just could not go out there again. Last night, on my way to church in the Jeep, the 6pm Saturday mass now that the tourons are about...the Jeep’s thermometer showed 103 degrees...this at 7 pm.
Either the plantings have survived or they’re dead is all. My heart is broken but I couldn’t do it, couldn’t go out and constantly water.
I’ve seen some dead things on my way out in the Jeep.
Comes the cool I’ll check it out.
God Bless the petunisa, impatiens, salvia, coleus, joe pye weed, coneflowers, hibiscus bush and of course my polka dot plant killed by the wrens.
More on the wrens later.
I have been running the sprinklers from 6:30 in the morning until 10 at night, watering sunny areas in the early morning and dusk hours, and shady areas the rest of the time.
It is going to cost a fortune in water bills (last month’s was $200 and that is before I really started getting serious).
I have an established garden with roses, a large multi-trunk birch, a dawn redwood, and numerous perennial beds with heirloom plants from my late father and my late mother-in-law.
I do not spend money on fancy clothes, gourmet food, or luxury cars. My luxury is watering, and I am fortunate that due to my dear husband hauling himself off to Africa for work in the gold fields, I can afford it.
So I am watering until they tell me it’s against the law. It would cost me way more to replace the items, even if I didn’t have a sentimental attachment to the plants.
As far as annuals, I didn’t put any in this year (this is our 3rd year of summer drought) except a few patio pots and some hanging baskets on the porch. I can water those with 2-3 watering cans full.
We have this down here until October. It's called "Alabama".
Whatever your wrens are up to, be thankful you don’t have my house sparrows. They are wicked birds, and not stupid either. Hard to remove and bent on taking over the territory. They have a jihad on bluebirds and will destroy same whenever they find them. (Our sweet bluebirds are a vanishing breed.)
The winged rat sparrows are too small to shoot and anyway they like to use shields like...your house, your barn, your electric wires, stuff you don’t want to blow away.
Next year I may invest in a ferret or two.