The drought in California just keeps going on and on…creating conditions in my yard much like the thick of autumn. We have brown leaves falling and dry crispy lawns brought on by the heat and watering restrictions imposed by our local water district. We can water three days and with very limited time windows. Even watering for those three days a week with longer watering times, my yard has suffered. I gave up trying to keep the flower beds going and we never even planted a vegetable garden.
Our grapes look more like raisins and the usually lush green foliage is turning brown and leaving the vines exposed.
Even our drought tolerant plants are withering in the heat leaving us wondering if they will come back next year. Time will tell.
Our sunflowers are all dried up and the birds have already eaten most of the seeds from each flower head. I am glad that they have a source of food to draw from in our yard but it is much earlier than normal for them to be scouring the yard for food.
August is usually prime time for my cutting garden and I can count on gathering vases and vases of flowers for my kitchen table and window sill. Not this year. My daisies, coneflowers, zinnias, and hydrangeas are all done and dying.
There are a few flowering plants left in the front still going strong…sage, lavender, butterfly bush. I have seen the hummingbirds visiting each and every plant in the front yard. There have been butterflies and bees, moths and beetles. Now I wish we had switched the backyard over to be more drought tolerant like the front yard. It may survive.
To contrast this year, here are a few August garden entries from the past:
- August 2013- Garden Bonanza
- Late July 2012 – Colors and Surprises
- July 2011 – Sunflower Garden
- July 2010
- August 2009
I know there will come a time when I can freely water my yard again. I will plant vegetables and see my green grass grow soft under my feet. I look forward to eating the fruits of our labor and feasting my eyes on the wonderful colors of my garden flowers. In the meantime, I will be patient.
To everything there is a season.
We lived through so many drought years in Georgia that I forgot what summer was supposed to look like. It’s very frustrating for someone who loves gardening, but it does eventually pass. When I visit Georgia now, I’m amazed by how lush everything looks. We didn’t wait for the drought to end, we moved. And moved again. Now we’re in Louisiana where every rain threatens flooding.
The funny thing is that we thought we had the drought-resistant thing handled by removing over half our grass and creating garden boxes. Thanks for the encouragement…looking forward to the end of a drought soon!
Barb,
I am sorry about the drought and its effect on your yard. I take so much enjoyment in my garden and to think of that not being there makes me sad! I never realized drought could be this bad. I hope your area gets rain soon and that next year your garden will come back better than ever.
Best,
Kelly
Thanks Kelly. I have been consoled by the fact that I can go over to my dad’s garden anytime I want and he lets me work and harvest there. Still, not the same.