Early am in the July Garden
Much has happened since my last post here, Zone 7B is in the midst of a continuing heat wave which began in June. We had a few days of lower heat and less humidity preceding the Independence Day holiday, however, local meteorologists report the hottest June on record for us.
Those few days gave me the chance to finish planting the last few specimens for this years’ flowerbeds and get them mulched in. Many new blooms appeared toward the end of the month with new ones following in July.
Watering and deadheading is now reserved for the hours just after daybreak. These are peaceful hours to be in the garden; just me and the pollinators.
The mulch does double duty by keeping the moisture in and the weed growth down. Those drought tolerant annuals have the opportunity to show off during the heat wave.
Storms and Downed Trees
Some of the storms we experienced in the first part of June brought some much appreciated rain, unfortunately many trees were lost in our area. One of those was our Bradford Pear which provided a cooling canopy for our beagles’ play area.
Once again the beagles are house dogs (they became well-adjusted during the heavy snow and ice storms last winter). They miss their outdoor time, now limited to leashed walks and occasional excursions to the dog park.
On the bright side, this provides an opportunity to landscape the area again to provide shade for coming years. I am leaning toward fast growing shrubs for the short term and the addition of a Purple Plum in the fall.
The Bradford Pear (once heavily planted in this area for ornamental value) has become notorious for its’ inability to withstand windy conditions. If anyone is thinking of adding this type of ornamental, let me encourage you to look into the many hybrid varieties which are stronger and more stable.
And this July 2010, what’s growing in your garden?
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