Lessons Learned

As much as we have complained about the rain and the heat this year, it has certainly been a learning experience.  I have a new appreciation for plants that do not need to be pampered and they are not always the ones that I thought would be in that non-pampered category.

Blue Paradise Phlox reblooming after deadheading

Perilla

Sandra Elizabeth is worth having in the garden this time of year.

It was certainly worth replanting the hayracks.  They are filling in quickly in this hot weather.

All of my waterwise plants have done great, but I am happily surprised about the sturdiness of the impatiens and coleus.  Believe it or not, the dahlias that were shriveling up in my hayracks and containers are coming back to life in the veggie garden.  They obviously were not getting enough moisture in containers.  Most of the petunias have done well except for Pretty Much Picasso (this petunia has been a loser for me), geraniums suffer in this intense heat and too much rain. 

This is one of the dahlias that I transferred from the containers to the veggie garden.

The only blooms I have had on nasturtiums this year

As I have said before, the containers that I put together with potting soil and Soil Moist are doing much better than the pre-planted containers from Costco or Home Depot.  It is not possible to add soil most to these store bought containers and because of this they are the ones that suffer in the heat. 

I love this verbena that came in a hanging basket.  I don't remember seeing this for sale by itself.

Mossing the containers on the top and the hayracks all around has definitely helped these containers survive.

I am ready to give up and let nature take over, but at the time of year when I would be ordering bulbs for the fall planting, I am like the mad waterer trying to keep everything alive.  This is a summer I will not regret giving up, but I may change my mind in January!