This has been a tough summer. Too hot. I've lost 2 shrubs and probably my Deodar Cedar. I still don't understand the reason my Aesculus Parviflora (Bottlebrush Buckeye) died. It started in June, the ground is moist that area, it's mostly a shaded spot. It was growing nicely for 3 years, then - wham. The local extension office said heat stress, rather than disease, which I thought, but I still don't know. I hook up 2 or 3 lengths of hose to newly planted shrubs and trees I have, with a 5-6' length of soaker hose mounted on the end. I encircle the plant, and put the faucet on reeeeal low, so it very slowly drips, and doesn't tax our well.

We have a stubborn high parked over the southeast, blocking systems to our area, including the 3 major hurricanes. Some storms pop up here and there, but we're not getting major systems. The clockwise flow of the high is pumping in heat from the Gulf.

New Jersey is having trouble, I know they've instituted drought restrictions. Most of the Pa suburbs get water from upstate New York's reservoirs, which are still at adequate levels. We're on a well, so it's always hard to know, 'what's available'. So far, Chester County is on a conserve status, but no restrictions.

I've lost a Rhodadendron I planted last year and a Pussy Willow that wasn't too happy where it was anyway. I am still trying to save a pink dogwwod planted last year.
I'm letting most of the annuals die off now and trying to give the perennials and shrubs 1 deep watering a week. This is the first time I ever saw my hydrangeas drooping.
Here's hoping for some rain very soon.

Kathy

So far I've lost a biggish tree-form shadblow. It took me forever to find it years ago, and cost over $100 (that's a splurge for me). I brought it home in the tiny Honda Civic I had at the time, carefully wrapped up and sticking out the windows, driving slowly on the highways with the hazard lights blinking. And now it's dying.

My red maples are wilting, too, despite watering. And the freebie evergreens and transplanted hostas are on their way out. Our water comes from a well, and I'm too worried about groundwater supplies to water the garden. I had to do laundry yesterday, and figure that used up enough water for one day.

I'm kind of in despair over this. This morning I heard yet another cheery weatherman saying we'll have hot, dry weather until Thursday, when things will go "downhill" because it might rain. Urge to scream!!

I'm also depressed about this drought. Although they don't call it a drought I guess because the ground water is not depleted. We're not under any water use restrictions. But we had the second dryest September on record! We're 2.85" short for the month. I'm sure hoping for rain on Thursday. I won't know how to act!

I won't know until next spring what has survived and what has not. I'm not too hopeful about the shrubs. I am tired of watering and tired of gardening period! I pulled the annuals last week. Why bother watering them.

I know what you mean about the weathermen saying, "Oh it's another beautiful week!" ((smack))

I was told by our Garden Club President that it's crucial for Spring blossoming shrubs such as azaleas to get ample water this summer so that they will be able to produce their blossoms in spring. I suppose that may be true of most things that blossom in spring. What about those bulbs that were not dug in early summer? Are they as stressed as we all are?
Nancon

i'm glad that everybody feels the same way that i do, i thought perhaps i was being obsessive. it's like living in a desert, and the stupid weather forecasters keep acting as though there is nothing wrong, that perhaps we're all just hanging at the beach every day.

*sigh* once again, i am making the best of it. i'm taking advantage of this horrible weather to collect my seeds for next year. and i could dig the ponds out bigger this weekend, too. maybe find some cold hardy cactus for the front yard.

It's our world, isn't it.. rain is everything. All the dumb TV people care about is pleasing football fans, sheesh.

I'm having to nail my feet down, instead of going to the nurseries to take advantage of huge mark downs and finding some great buys. (Yeah right, I'm going to bring them home to a 'desert' :-/ )

I thought I was the only one obsessing about the weather, too, until I called a good friend who also happens to be a gardener. He sounded unhappy, and when I asked what was wrong he sighed "everything is SO dry, we need rain".

I immediately felt less crazy. Guess that's what friends are for.

Well it's now early Friday morning here in western PA and so far no rain. I have been complaining about the dry weather and the heat almost all spring and summer and thought that I was the only one! Glad to hear that I'm not alone.

We have mangaged to keep things going by watering (no well here) and are paying the water and sewage bills to prove it. Most of the plants have held their own though. I had planted many new daylilies from trades and purchases late in the spring and most just sat there and did nothing until mid-August. They didn't grow at all, and then we started getting a little rain and the temperatures dropped a bit and things started to grow. Two different plants sent this spring from a daylily farm came down with crown rot. This is the first time I have had CR and I think the hot, humid, dry weather didn't help things.

I kept thinking that September would bring the rains, but that didn't happen. And here we are in the first week or October, and I had my air on today! I can't believe it. Of course the cheerful weather man says that things are going to change now and we are going to get some rain and then temps are going to drop and drop big time. All I can say is that I will believe it when I see it.

Linda

Linda, you're not alone. I just turned the air on for a couple minutes to take the humidity out of the house. I shouldn't be breaking a sweat in October!

We're getting some good rain right now. Nice steady rain. It feels like spring again.

Maybe I should go buy something to plant in the nice moist soil! -haven't had that thought in a long time...