Butterfly
Sizzling Summer in Austin
Every summer for the past ten or so I have said to myself, “surely this summer won’t be as hot and dry as last summer”, but unfortunately that just hasn’t turned out to be the case. According to Jim Spencer at KXAN, the summer of 2009 has already been the hottest summer on record so far, with more than 30 days over 100 degrees F. Add to that the fact that we have also had almost no rain for the past six weeks (see the drought map below-we live where the arrow is pointing), we remain in the worst drought that we have seen here for years. All in all, this makes for some terribly challenging growing and gardening conditions.
US Drought Monitor Map, July 14, 2009
I have been spending most of my gardening time, between 7 and 9am each day, watering and mulching in an effort to keep our plants alive. Very few plants are thriving or growing at this point, but a few still look pretty good.
I took some shots of the courtyard so you can see how it is developing. This is the second summer for the plants in the courtyard beds, and the first for the plants in the beds under the trellis. As you can see, the cross vines are up to the trellis level, the grapevine on the last trellis post is atop the trellis, and all of the plants in the trellis beds are doing nicely, considering the terrible heat and lack of rain (we have installed drip irrigation in these beds though). The coreopsis and echinacea are still blooming, and I like the native morning glory spilling out of the bed by the widelia. The plants tucked into the rocks in the grotto area are also starting to fill in, adding to the allure of the space. We have tadpoles in the grotto pond now, and a toad as well.
Gulf Fritillary on ‘Full Moon’ Coreopsis
‘Full Moon’ Coreopsis, ‘Sunrise’ Echinacea, White Star Morning Glory, Agave
Courtyard From Balcony
Courtyard North Bed From Balcony
Courtyard Trellis and Retaining Wall
Grotto Area
Vinca and Penta in Trellis Wagon Wheel Bed
We had been using this trough as a dog bath, but I decided to re-purpose it as a planter adjacent to the deck in a place that gets dappled shade all day. I chose a couple of hostas, ferns, and vincas to grow in it, and so far they are all doing quite well.
Trough Planter by Back Deck
On the other side of the trough planter, up on the deck, we created a seating area for relaxing as we cook our dinners on the deck during these hot summer days (my oven went out, which means grill and stovetop are my only cooking options for now).
Seating Area on Back Deck
Seating and Cooking Area on Back Deck
The outlook for next week is for cooler temps and maybe some rain. Boy would that be a welcome change!
Update: We had a nice little shower late this afternoon, and at dusk, we were visited by a skunk.
Skunk in the Back Yard at Dusk
Namaste.
Carol
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Your garden is looking quite nice despite the heat and drought. I really like your single pole trellis.
I did a little chart of all the 100 degree days since 2000 over on my blog. This is definitely the worst year ever…not just because of the number of days over 100 but because of how much over 100 they’ve been.
Hi mss – it is surprising how much shade the trellis provides even without any vine coverage. It has really added a lot to the courtyard space. I hate to tell you how much water it has taken (all drip irrigation and hand watering) to keep our landscape alive….
Yeah, the heat out here has been pretty intense. We had several days around 109 a week or so ago. We’re replacing both of our AC units next week because of the strain that our older units have been under for the past several years. I just can’t take the chance that they might fail.
BTW, for some reason WordPress had put your comment into my spam queue, which I rarely check, so I apologize if you have left other comments that were automatically routed to spam & deleted. I need to see why this is happening.
Think cool thoughts – Carol
The trellis is really looking phenomenal and the vines growing on it will make it amazing. A trellis project is in our future for shade on the patio.
Hey, thanks for the compliment Bonnie. This is the first trellis that we have built & I am sure it won’t be the last. It has worked out so well.
Carol — the courtyard area is looking great – particularly around the trellis. It’s come so far since you put it in. Reading your blog about the heat and stress feels just like reading my blog! It’s crazy, isn’t it? I hope this week brings some more relief.
Hi Diana – gardening this summer has been really hard. I didn’t even try to grow much of a veggie garden this year….maybe in the fall…
I am impressed by how the Austin garden bloggers have found many positive things to blog about even though the weather has been so difficult. I think it takes optimism to be a gardener in this climate, and a lot of tenacity.
The structures look great, Carol – if we ever have a “normal” year again it should be a real Central Texas paradise.
Love the little cuppola tops where the trellis crosses the steps!
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
I’m so glad that I found your blog. I appreciate all of your hard work. I began blogging in June(http://gardenfences.wordpress.com),and it has been great fun, but I still have so much to learn! Given this summer’s heat and lack of rain, my Austin garden has done well. I stick to the mandatory watering schedule, but I still have concerns about using too much water.
Hi Annie – “normal” would be nice for a change, but I’m not holding my breath. I’m thinking that I need to plant more cactus and succulents in the future. It simply takes too much water to keep other types of plants looking halfway decent – even natives.
The cuppola tops you mention are actually bird houses. I think they are kinda cute too.
Hey Pat – so glad you found my blog & find it useful. I will definitely check your blog out – thanks for leaving the URL. I love reading all the Austin gardener’s blogs to see what is working for everyone & what isn’t. There are so many talented and knowledgeable gardeners & garden bloggers in Austin!
Water is such a huge concern for all of us here in Central TX. I didn’t even try to grow a vegetable garden this summer. I think I am going to concentrate on more SW desert plants in the future.
Cheers Y’all & thanks for the comments!
Carol
Your butterfly photograph is beautiful and so many places to sit and enjoy your lovely garden— and all the visitors! The rose arbor made with cedar reminds me of the one my grandfather had in his garden.
Your courtyard is beginning to look so good, Carol. You’ve done a great job!
BTW, how’re you dealing with the drought? We seem to be headed that way ourselves. The monsoons are a total failure this year.
Jenny – thanks very much for the nice words. The rose arbor is a simple, but sturdy design which I like very much. ~ Carol
Sunita – I appreciate the compliment! I have been so busy trying to keep enough water and mulch on everything to keep them alive that I haven’t had time to blog at all lately.
But, our weather has moderated, finally. We got 4 inches of rain last week, and there is a cold front and more rain due to come tomorrow. All of the plants are perking up beautifully now that our temperatures are below 95 F. Our long range forecast is for a wet fall and winter due to El Nino. I hope that does happen.
So sorry to hear that your rains did not fall as needed this year. The hotter, dryer trend will force us all to change our gardening approach I think. I am definitely going to start planting more cactus and succulents.
Cheers ~ Carol