Getting my fall veggies started seems hopeless when my soil thermometer is pegging at 95F, and my rainwater tanks are nearly dry. Fortunately my young trees seem to be handling this well; they got a head start last fall on their root structure.

At least the weather is cooling down a bit and tomorrow night I think it's supposed to drop below 60. My spidey sense has been telling me we are in for an early fall and I sure hope I am right. I love summer but this one hasn't been much fun.

We haven't even thought about starting the fall things. It's just too hot. Besides, I'm busy watering.

It's always a juggling act to get veggies in early enough to grow before cold weather but late enough not to fry them.

These dry years, especially 2007 and this year, have made me reconsider keeping some of the plants I have always loved. Especially my hydrangeas, those that are not native oak-leaf type or panicle type that take sun better.

My "endless summer" type looks like "endless summer torture" not long after mother's day. I have several other types, but not a lake like at aldridge gardens to keep them watered, so through much of the growing season in years like this they just look bad. My rain tanks and barrels are no help when you get 6 weeks of hot weather with almost no rain, and its hard to drag the hose around every day.

I heard a talk by the BBG's Fred Spicer where he said that the gardens there would not plant anymore big-leaf type hydrangeas because of the water requirements. I'm getting tired of looking at sad sticks as well.
Water is definitely the limiting factor on my big garden ideas.
I'm going to get tired of only the sedums and such looking good.

Just got back from 10 days overseas - most of the garden is crispy critters, but I have a few survivors. Thank God for rosemary!

I think that in Mobile, we are too far removed to participate in a plant swap such as this October fest you are planning.
But we had to back off watering as well, even with an irrigation meter. I bought two 85 gallon plastic thingys to put under the downspouts, and it promptly went into drought mode. So I did not install them yet.

Also, the new strip of land we bought from our neighbor was cleared in the early spring, and that is under the pecan trees and gets afternoon shade most of the year. But going back there, where I've planted the bananas, elephant ears, aspidistra, leriope, etc, it feels like a sauna most of the time. I can feel my hair drooping.

And somewhere in the middle of all this, I fell in love with hostas. Getting some with the fragrance gene seems my best bet, but I'm really gambling with it. My brief flirtation with zone 5B MA gardening is coming to an end this fall, so I'll devote full time to real south Alabama gardening. Even with all its trials and being beyond the zone for many gorgeous plants, I can chop down camphor tree shoots with the best of you guys. Even if I have to take small pauses quite often.

ML - Fair warning, once you start rainwater collecting you suddenly realize how much water you use outside and don't want to use anything else. :) I have 550 gallons and it isn't enough in dry spells... and not enough when it rains either. "Wait, it's raining but my tanks are full!"

I only water the veggie garden and sometimes the small fruits; the rest is on its own once established to either dig in and survive or be replaced. I have a ton of landscaping going in this fall so I have my fingers crossed for a reasonably summer next year.

My yard, however, it crunchy. On the upside, I don't have to mow this weekend unless that

Now it looks like pouring rain and flooding starting in a couple of days. You have to laugh -- it's feast or famine with the rain this year.