This week has been unbearably hot in the garden. Temperatures have hovered around 107. It has given me a headache and made me cranky.
Even though, I found a mailbox to store my hand tools in. It came complete with real fake flowers, which I promptly took out. It began life in a school as a Suggestion Box. It still had letters to the teacher in it: Mrs. Ledbetter*, I love you. Mrs. Ledbetter, you have beautiful hair. Mrs. Ledbetter, you are my favorite teacher. Mrs. Ledbetter, I don’t want to go to first grade because I will miss you too much. Charley was quite upset that Mrs. Ledbetter did not keep her love letters.
*Mrs. Ledbetter’s name has been changed to protect her privacy.
What would I do without Zinnias? They are just about all that is surviving the heat!
The Garlic Chives are bursting from their papery buds. Mid week saw a slight change in our weather pattern. High temps have been 98-97, with very pleasant early mornings and late evenings. It’s funny how subjective heat is. A few months ago, I would be sweltering at 98 degrees, but after days and days of triple digit temperatures, suddenly 98 seems almost a breath of fresh air! Sadly, we didn’t get any of the scattered showers the weatherman was promising, but other parts of Austin did.
The Morning Glories are stretching their blossomed heads to heaven.
Now that the temperatures have cooled slightly, I am seeing all that is growing and blooming in my garden.
The birds have almost stripped all the juicy berries of the Poke Salat.
The roses don’t seem to mind the heat.
But the Morning Glory leaves are looking fairly leathery and bleached out.
This morning as I gardened—yes, actually gardened, I looked up and saw the moon hanging onto it’s spot in the day-time sky.
Eutin is still putting out blooms.
As are the Four O'clocks.
The cats and I are enjoying watching the birds from our cool spot in the family room. Even thought the weather seems cooler at 98 degrees, it’s still too hot mid-day to be out for very long. I am enjoying reading some of your blogs telling me that the feel of Fall is in the air. It may be another month for us, but it gives me hope that cooler weather is coming.
18 comments:
Whew, that is hot, I'd be cranky too. I kind of like the hokey fake flowers, but I can also see where you wanted to remove them. :)
I know I shouldn't complain about the weather, but when it is this hot--I just can't help it! I would like to get some recycled tumbled glass pebbles to put in the bucket--or maybe some blue/green colored stones. I recycled the fake greenery and flowers to my grapevine wreath I have hanging on the front porch--very nice. Waste not, want not! ;-)
Your mailbox is cute. Hot and humid weather make me very cranky. Lately I've been staying indoors more until we get some kind of break in the weather. We are so ready for cooler temps.
I love all of your blooms, and it looks like things are growing in spite of the heat for you.
FlowerLady
Beautiful photos, Jenny; good to see that there are blooms in your garden despite the awful heat. I would definitely be complaining, too, if we had temperatures over 100! It's been in the nineties for so long here this summer, and that seems terribly hot to me. This past week it's finally been more comfortable, with temps in the 80's that I've actually gotten some garden work done. I've neglected far too much this summer, preferring to stay indoors in the A/C with a good book:)
Love the new mailbox, but I wonder why Mrs. Ledbetter didn't keep her letters? I certainly would have kept such treasures, but maybe she forgot they were in there.
Dear Flowerlady,
I too, have stayed indoors this summer, mainly getting out early morning--not just for watering, but for errand running too. By noon, I feel like I am getting heat stroke if I am out in the weather.
Dear Jenny, it is lovely to be able to visit you again but my goodness, what high temperatures you have endured! I find anything above the mid 70s too much... I am so glad our temperatures don't reach those heights especially as our dog Louis has developed a condition which means that he can't pant efficiently resulting in the danger of heat stroke.
I love your quirky mailbox, an inspired idea for storing your garden hand tools!
Your photos are lovely and the pale pink rose is a real beauty. I'm so glad the Morning Glories are flowering well :)
I was very moved by your previous post and saddened to read of the trouble your daughter and her girls have experienced. It must have been a very difficult time for you all but I'm sure your love and support has helped them immensely on the road to recovery.
Jenny that is so very hot. I really do not know how you cope with it. I think I may be cranky in that heat!!
Your garden, despite the heat, is still so pretty. The morning glory is beautiful against the sky.
Best of all I love the moon holding her place in the daytime sky.........
Hope life is settling down and you are becoming used to the changing situation.
Hugs.
Hopefully your weather will cool off soon. We had that horrible high 100's also but this past week has been so much better.
I like the mailbox. Very cute!
You have some lovely blooms despite the miserable heat and the lack of rain. Here's to less of the heat and more of the rain for both of us!
Dear Rose, Thank you--you are very kind. My little camera still doesn't do well with macro shots, but I am learning how to crop the pictures.
I can't think of anything I would rather do when it is this hot, than curl up with a good book in a nice cool spot inside. :-)
I know! I was puzzled why the teacher didn't want those sweet letters and pictures, but maybe she did forget that they were in there. I know the end of the school year is so hectic for teachers trying to get their rooms cleared out for the janitors to clean over the summer. Charley said the sweetest thing! She said, "I'm glad you were the one to find those letters, because anyone else would have just thrown them away". Oh dear! I think I have passed my pack-rat genes down to her! ;-)
Dear Shy Songbird,
It is so good to hear from you once again, and to know you are recovering from your surgery nicely.
Summers in Texas are something to be endured alright! The only thing that gets me through, is knowing that for 9 months out of the year, the weather is lovely...but July, August, and September seem to get longer every year! Your poor little doggie! Heat exhaustion is a very dangerous thing.
Thanks you for your kind thoughts for my daughter and grands. We have gone through so much together, and it has been a very rough time. My prayer is that they will all come away from this experience to lead richer, happy lives.
Cheryl,
I was really quite surprised to see all that had survived--and even thrived in this heat. It was so wonderful to have a few days respite, and be able to get out and do a little work in the garden. To look up and see the moon was a treat. You miss that connection with nature when you are couped up in the house because of the heat. It really is dangerous to work out in it unless you are prepared and conditioned to it. I am neither! I have suffered heat exhaustion several times and must be very careful not to get overheated.
The grandchildren come over a couple of times a week, so I am not too lonely. I am staying busy repainting and redecorating. I want to get a head-start on the holidays and my mother will be coming for an extended stay, spending the winter months with us.
Hugs,
Jenny
My morning glories finally gave me some big beautiful blooms; the cooler nights must be inspiring them! God bless 4 o'clocks, they seem to thrive in this heat.u
I hope you have cooled off - at least a little - by now. We have had a hot, dry summere here in PA - but NOT AS HOT AS TEXAS. I am amazed at what has survived in the garden.
Nola, Fall seems to be when my Morning Glories really shine. As the weather starts to cool, they really bloom their heads off. Something has been chomping on my 4 O'clocks--and they are still blooming!
I am counting the days until October and the promise of cool weather.
Marie, the weather has crept back up to 100, unfortunately. We probably won't see any real cooling until October. I was amazed at all I found blooming when I really looked! From the cool of the house, what I mostly see are Zinnias, Marigolds, and Sunflowers.
Hi Jennifer,
I like your mailbox. I would have taken the fake flowers out, too. I have a couple neighbor friends who used to stick one or two in one of my flower beds early in the spring before any other flowers had bloomed yet. Before I figured out who was doing that, I used to take them out and throw them away. They finally quit doing that. LOL
I know what you mean about how upper 80s or 90s feel cooler when it's been above 100.
My morning glory leaves look like they have a disease of some kind, but they are still growing and blooming. I like your zinnia and other blooms.
Did you know you can adjust the width of the body of your blog so the large photos don't overlap with the sidebar? I can't remember which section it's in in the template designer, but there are 3 sliding bars you can adjust. I can look to see where it is if you are interested in checking it out and can't find it.
We had a hot August, but just yesterday had a cool front come through, and it got down to 54 this morning, and the high for today is supposed to be under 80. I had to wear a jacket this morning. I hope you get some relief soon, too.
Dear Sue,
Oh my! 54 degrees! That would be delicious--that would be winter for us! LOL! We are getting a wonderful break in our weather right now from Tropical storm Hermine. We are getting a lot of rain, and the vegetation and earth are just drinking it up--so far no flooding.
Thank you for letting me know about adjusting the sidebar. I like the look of the large pictures so much better, that I would like to keep them that size. I have some of my family that reads my blog (but never comments!!!) that appreciate the large pictures and print.
Too funny about your neighbors putting fake flowers in your beds! I have a friend that puts them in her beds. It looks very strange to see mums "blooming" in the middle of winter! LOL!
Talk to you soon.
Hugs,
Jenny
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