Summertime and the Living is Easy

90 degrees today. It is hot; humidity is high. "Hello Summer, welcome to my corner of the world. "

So far this month it has been dry, only 2 inches of rain for me. I was graced by one-fourth of an inch last week. I keep a rain log on my calendar.

I water the seedlings and freshly sowed seed. The container gardening I do, also needs to be watered, sometimes twice a day. The Heathers will need to be watered until they are established.




For the most part I fill my watering can and hand water.



I use the water from the rain barrels when there is some. The doughnut sprinkler comes on for when I need to put down an inch of water at a time. When it is dry like this I use it about once a week. I set the timer so I can do other things while watering. I keep the water pressure low so the water goes down on the ground rather than evaporate into the air. We have enough humidity.





The robins love the doughtnut sprinkler. Like small children they run in and out of the spray. Once I move onto another spot the robins find worms in the freshly watered ground.




We do not water the lawn. We grow a multi-cultural lawn so the early, cool weather, grasses give way to the clover and more drought tolerant species that make up our lawn. The spring grasses will go dormant until cooler temperatures and rains return.

It is summer.
Some years we have wet summers. Some years it is dry.
This looks to be a dry one.

The spring flowers are fading and some are setting seeds. I begin checking the plants I want seed from so I can Winter Sow them come December. Last year I saved seed for beginning gardeners and friends who would enjoy something different in their gardens. These made nice gifts. These pink bleeding hearts are easy to Winter Sow.


Often my gardens look "messy" as the flowers fade and turn to seed. I do remove the spent blooms of bulbs and other plants I am not saving seed from. The poppies are almost over. The seed pods are forming. I will gather the seed for poppy seed on muffins and for sowing. The pods will be used in Fall flower arrangements. The daffodil greens are ripe now so I can remove them.







As the spring flowers fade
the summer flowers begin to bloom.
The parade of flowers continue all year, now that the December blooming Heathers are here. I work to have continuous bloom in every bed. Some plants are tucked under other plants. Some will outgrow their neighbors and be the star for a month. These Asiatic Lillies are brillant. They will stay in bloom for about a month.

Other plants will go dormant
or die back until next year. These Sweet William were winter sowed three years ago. I save the seed and do a batch every year. They are bi-annuals. They come back for a couple of years than die off.
I planted the new seedlings around the daffodil's after blooming.



I stagger the sowing time of some seed so that I have flowers when I need them for the house. I am waiting until the middle of June to plant zinnias. I like them in August bouquets.




Some plants I grow for winter bird food.
I do not gather their seed. The finches like the cone flower seed and we enjoy watching them in January take seed from the flower heads.



We also have our vegetables. I am working on growing at least one food for us in every bed. This project will take a few years to find the right food for each type of growing condition I have.


The miniature eggplant arrived yesterday.
I am hoping for a cloudy,
cool morning to plant them out.
Since these will stay small
I can plant them in the front yard
near my miniature herbs, my Fairy Garden.
As I learn how the eggplant grows I will try to save seed and winter sow. I hope they taste good.



The Winter Sowed tomatoes are blooming. My plan is to have fresh red tomatoes for the Fourth Of July.
Caring for the plants is easier when we have rain. Once again I need rain.