Yes, I know, summer isn't officially here until later this month, but June, with temps. in the mid to upper 90s is already summer for me! My garden actually goes into dormancy in the typical summer months of July and August, as it gets too hot (temps. in the upper 90s to l00+).

Right now, we are getting ready to meet the high summer temps by mulching the planting beds. I say "we", but my gardener is actually doing most of the physical work of weeding, pruning, and mulching. I do some weeding, deadheading and watering. Oh, and paying for the mulch and the gardener! Yesterday, he weeded and mulched another planting bed and I picked the last of the loquats.

This weekend, I'll probably prune the loquat tree and water the garden. Should also give the compost heap a turning over, too.

I think it has gone back to winter here, Bless! We even put the heat on for a short while the other day.

You have reminded me that I should turn the compost heap, too.

I watered the garden, yesterday - everything is so dry!

The agapanthas are starting to flower. The gladioli, too. And the roses, of course.

We've had plenty of rain lately, thank goodness. I never got around to turning that compost, and I haven't taken up the bulbs because DS, who planted them with DDIL, says to leave them and if they don't survive he'll plant some more!

DH and I moved the rose bush this afternoon. It is close to the hosepipe so I can easily keep it watered. It has buds on so I hope it settles in well. It is a hardy semi wild type of bush and has been moved before. (that makes it sound like some kind of roving rose bush!)

I have a large poppy in bloom, so lovely with the blue black centre. The later lilacs are now filling the air with their fragrance, one is right by the front steps. The Siberian irises are out, too.

i thought poppies were what was used to make opium. are you in buisiness?? just kidding of course

mary

I have a neighbor who has poppies across the street , and I can see them in bloom from my kitchen window. My lilacs WILL NOT bloom. Think they need to be moved.

Just watering the plants/flowers. Have flowers on the tomato plants so they are moving along!

Clipped the mums that were tall and leggy and getting buds already! I'd read to prune them in June and July, then let them go.

On my daily walk, for exercise, around the yard, I stop to pull a few weeds. Only a few, but with every day it adds up.

I agree with you Jo. Every little bit helps with the weeding.

I cut back a huge thorny plant of some kind ,that I thought might be a rose bush, but wasn't.

DS2 and I watered all my plants and herbs.

We had a little rain this afternoon. Maybe for 10 minutes. Not enough to help with our drought though. DH bought a rain barrel and is making a stand for it so we can get a bucket underneath it for water. We have been watering the garden nightly so that looks good but the grass is like straw. The good news is everyone else's looks like straw too.

Ours is starting to look that way too, the grass. We did have a pretty good soaking this afternoon. Still more is needed.

My little dog Charlie has died and I can,t pull myself together.
I just needed to share this. ann 39.

Ann, sending huge hugs to you! Charlie was such a great companion to you and he will be missed. You need to grieve his loss.

As for those who are lamenting the lack of rain, I wish I could share some with you. I'd be happy to "toss" some your way!

My garden is in serious need of hoeing but it stays too muddy to do so. At least there is plenty of moisture for the garden plants AND the weeds.

Ann I am so sorry about Charlie. I cannot imagine how you are feeling. In time you will 'pull yourself together'. I think just by sharing the news with us you have started that journey.

I had started marigolds from seed and planted them in the front landscape today. Cut down the iris and pulled weeds. I cut 4 bunches of lavender to dry. Will bring one to my client at the nursing home. I watered the front and side with the hose. DH is working on the rain barrel today. It is not bad outside. I hung a load of clothes on the line and there are lots of golfers going by because Dad's golf free today. Might be a good day to sit on the patio this afternoon.

Ann: I am so sorry to hear about Charlie. (((HUGS))) Know that he is in a good place, where there is no pain. Maybe he is already making friends with my Tharu (one of the garden cats) who died on Wed.

Ann: I am sorry that you have lost Charlie, your sweet companion. Our pets are so much a part of our family. You need to grieve for him as you would any other family member. Hugs to you & take care.

O, Ann! I am so sorry about Charlie. (((((HUGS)))))). Please know I will pray for you. Just think Charlie is up in heaven running around, being healthy once again, and not in pain,as
Bless said. Pets are our family, and children, so it is a devistating loss, but know you will be reuninted again.

Bless:
So sorry about Tharu ! Didn't see that when it happened.
(((((HUGS)))) ifyou posted it.

I thought something happened to Sylvester,couldn't find him most of the morning and called him, whistled(he use to come when I would whistle for him), and checked under the bed, outside, in case he snuck out, was worried, and noticed in the guest room one of the closet doors was ajar, and there the prince sits in the closet with his paws crossed looking at me like "yes,here I am! so what was so important?" Was very relieved.

Diana, thanks for the hugs. Oh, that Sylvester is something else, isn't he?!

The garden needs watering - I had planned to do that yesterday, but didn't. Must do it today.

He certainly is. He is a little upset with me moving all the furniture, etc. I am sure.

Started cutting down some of the huge branches in my yard. Tired of waiting for the landscaping guy. If I do a few every time I take Gypsy out, it will be done! Saving money too!
Don't mess with a GONer! LOL

{{{{Hugs}}}} Anne, so sorry to learn much loved dog Charlie has passed. Know we feel your sadness and share it. If it helps to talk about your feelings, please feel fee to vent.

Bless you must have been upset to find Tharu who adopted you, was gone. It's so sad to lose our furry friends.

We have had rain 3 days in a row. The grass is looking greener. We might get to turn the air off today. The garden is flourishing. Tomatoes on the vine already and summer squash starting. Our neighbors in MN did not fair so well with the rain. 10 + inches in Duluth. Duluth has the major hospital for that area of the northland so it truly is a shame they got flooded.

Sure need rain here!

My yard is looking sooooo much better. The landscaper and his wife worked two days on it! (Did that tell you how bad it was!)
Anyhow, the big weed patch is gone, weed killer put down and new mulch. Hopefully that will control it. All the other planted areas are looking neat and controlled. Well worth what it cost, believe me. I could NEVER do it!

Diana, that's great that the weeds are under control! Definitely good to have the landscaper & his wife take care of it for you. I would have a hard time maintaining my garden without my gardener.

Watered the garden yesterday, both front and back.

Picked the first ripe cherry guava and enjoyed them. Picked a dozen lemons, too, and made lemonade with some.

Gardener put in new sprinkler heads in the front. Just in time for the 100F temps that are expected this weekend!

We are on the back end of a 45 minute thunderstorm. Our 55 gal rain barrel filled in 3 minutes. It poured. We needed the rain and got it. I hope there wasn't a lot of damage from the high winds. The temp dropped about 10 degrees too. Wow.

Send it down here Frugal!

We watered the rhubarb and mint and the roses and the flower containers before leaving for 3 days and they all survived.

The rain on Monday night really made a difference. There is a lot needs doing but the yard as a whole is a mess as DH has been cutting trees down, freeing up some good maples that will grow really quickly, given space.

The wild blueberries and raspberries have been rubbish this year so we have left them to the birds and chipmunks to enjoy. But they are not getting all the blackberries that are coming along!

Sounds like you will have happy birds and chipmunks Bushlady!

We finally got rain last night and this morning, but the drought has done its damage to the farmers already. The Governor put in for aid for the crops lost. Going to cost us this year in groceries for sure!

Still not enough rain and I sometimes forget to water. Yesterday I sieved some compost and put it on the rhubarb. We still have to move the other composter, the one with two wolf spiders, a snail and some ants inside!

The downside of having working sprinklers: my water bill went up! I even exceeded my Tier 1 water quota and went into the higher priced Tier 2! (1 unit of Tier 2 water costs double that of 1 unit of Tier 1 water)

On the other hand, the weeds are growing like crazy with all the extra watering! Yesterday, my gardener weeded 2 of the flower beds and observed that he's never seen them growing better!

Temps. are supposed to be 100+ this weekend, so, I won't be doing much in the garden.

Keep your hot weather there Bless. It is wonderful today in the 80s with a breeze! Try and stay cool.

We had hard rain for 2 days and then it cleared up yesterday and cooled off. We got about 5-6" of rain in the last 10 days. We so needed it. The grass is green again. I pulled most of the kohlrabis and will pull the bean plants as the leaves are full of holes and there is nothing on the plant. We have a volunteer cantaloupe growing. I stopped buying them after so many people got sick last year. Maybe I can grow a couple on my own next year with the seeds. I have been picking blackberries everyday. The birds and I are sharing them. I need to research netting to put over the fruit garden next year.

I fear what food prices will be this winter because of the drought across the country.

Yesterday I pruned the raspberry and blackberry bushes. Need to take the small rake in between the rows and get the leaves out.

Today I pulled the plants from 5 pots and tossed them in the garden. I rinse the pots out and they are drying. I cut back the hostas and am considering digging them up since they are not nice very long in the summer. I dug the onions and decided where I will plant the garlic at the end of the month.

It is going to be a humid day so I am done with outside work. I am going to research flowers that keep bugs from the vegetables. Need to make a list for next year.

Frugal, marigolds are supposed to be good for keeping the bugs away. I am sure there are others, but that's the one that came to my mind.

Too hot to do anything much at this end - triple digit temps. I am just watering to keep the plants alive and that's about it.

Got together with the gardener, yesterday evening, and we pruned a bed of purple flowered geraniums almost to the ground! It was quite a job because they had grown to over 4 feet high and were quite leggy. I expect they will start growing back in a couple of weeks.

We also pruned one of the curry leaf trees.

I did some pruning the other day which really spruced up the shrubs, but the "cultivated" areas are looking sad. I'm glad we don't live in a town or subdivision as I don't have to worry so much about neighbours getting fed up with our yard! It will get sorted but maybe not much this year.

My "weeds" are so pretty that I can't bear to pull them. I'm particularly thinking of the "Johnny Jump-ups". A gardening friend once told me that you have to be ruthless to be a gardener. I guess I'm not ruthless enough.

I am amazed at the tenacity of the weeds that grew lush foliage up in the cracks of paving stones, during the drought when everything else was wilting! The wild violets are amazing.

The rhubarb survived the drought thanks to watering, and I am reminded that there are some stems worth pulling for a small treat before the winter. We may get frost tonight, but the temperature is due to rise again in a couple of days. (10°C when we got up today).