Pretty scraggly in some places. The consistent high 90’s and over 100F are taking a toll, plus 70s and 80s at night aren’t helping any. I have mostly drought tolerant plants in the full sun areas, but even those and the plants in full shade are beginning to struggle. I gave up on the astilbe, can’t even begin to keep them moist enough, even with constant watering. Those that don’t survive I’ll replace next year. It’s been kind of an ‘oh crap’ kinda summer. I wonder what August will bring—that’s usually when our temps hit 102F.

I feel bad for are the farmers. Most aren’t set up with irrigation equipment. About 40%+ of the corn crop is looking poor, and the soybeans have just stopped growing. While corn and soybean prices are going higher because of the projected shortages, the yields are looking pretty lousy in much of central and eastern Iowa. Pretty dismal for most crops right now, hopefully most bought crop insurance just in case. ‘They’ say that you have to be a gambler to be a farmer — very true.

By the way, some of my fall mums are starting to bloom (the asters started end of June). Hope we have some flowers left to bloom in September and October, even if sparse!

Lost half the garden including a few heirloom seeds I had no more of :( I had the added bad luck to be in another state when our flash drought was at its worst – on family business and stuck there unable to get back by of all things a flash flood. When it rains it pours, and when it doesn’t.. well… Wishing us all better luck!

I liked the story about the deer. But it’s not hunting season here AFAIK! And firing guns is really frowned upon here in the city.

Here in Huntsville, Alabama, USA, we were having a drought. Then starting July 4th, when it was time for the fireworks to begin, we got 5 inches of rain in a week. Others around us were not that lucky. That has perked up the dormant grass and whatever did not die earlier. But who knows how long till we get real rain again.

And the rabbits who came and ate my entire green bean garden are presumably hunkered down eating succulent grass awaiting me to plant beans again. I’ve done so, but in 6-packs inside my house, under lights. When large enough to transplant, the bush beans will go into pots that will sit on top of my picnic table in a plastic under-bed storage tray for watering. Jump up on that, you rascally rabbits!

Tash, so sorry to hear how hard the drought has hit you. And congratulations on having a baby! (I just became a grandmama two weeks ago!)

I lost a lot of my herbs and tomatoes too, some are just barely hanging on. We got about 1/2 inch of rain last night but it’s not nearly enough. Saved me one day watering, tho. And I still have tons of perennials in pots that I bought early summer, but don’t dare put in the ground yet. And many seeds I started never got into the ground because of the heat. Hopefully it will continue to cool off and I can plant what’s left in early fall. My echinacea & rudbeckia are also doing well, albeit a bit thirsty. I have a lot of native grasses that you can’t even tell there is a drought! Here in Des Moines they’re starting to ask people to not water lawns, etc. (Step I). Hopefully they won’t get to Step 2, whatever that is.

The corn around here has really suffered, and even tho it might look okay at the top, corn tends to die from the bottom up. So if you get a chance, look closer to ground level and see what’s happening. Some farmers are already tilling in their crop and apply for their crop insurance. For some odd reason tho we still are getting plenty of sweet corn.

Hope it rains soon for you. Bless you and the baby!

I don’t feel I have really lost anything that isn’t replaceable. Just a little money (and I get stuff in trade or on sale mostly so it’s not that bad). I am really surprised at what is doing well. I have a volunteer something in my herb garden. I think it might be a watermelon. I haven’t done anything to it except not pull it. My perennials seem to be doing better in the ground then in pots. The pots just dry up too fast. We have a well so they can’t tell us not to water anything :D My daughters free pine from school (planted in April) is dead, but my oak trees (planted last spring) are doing fine (no water from me). I have sage and tickseed planted last fall that are doing fine, the tickseed even has blooms.

We have been getting some rain, but it’s barely enough to wet the mulch. Mostly just makes it more humid.

I don’t really care about the neighbors corn, it’s sprayed and prolly GMO anyway. I did notice that there is no sweet corn at the farmers market. And a local food swap was postponed due to no one having anything in their garden to swap right now.

When my lettuce (in pots on my deck for easy salads) bolted I quit watering them. With the tiny bit of rain we have had though one seems like it is trying to come back. I didn’t expect that.

I think once my garden is better established the perennials won’t do so bad when there isn’t much rain. For the decorative parts of the garden I am trying to plant mostly natives so they won’t care at all about the weather. The food part will be a bit harder, but natives like blueberries should survive once established, they just won’t produce without extra water.