Waiting for the Heat

There is no denying it. Its Summer in Merced California.

Today we are waiting for the triple digit heat to begin.

Contrary to most diatribes coming from the rest of the family, it is not always 100 degrees plus over here in the valley. It is even true that at this time of the year we often get the last vestiges of rain for the year right in front of graduation ceremonies.

Its hard to talk realities to people who feel that 72 degrees is too hot to bear.

We will reach that thresh hold today at  9 Am. Most of the time the weather does not get in the way of outdoor activities. When it gets this hot we find things to do indoors or make sure that outdoor activities are completed in the morning. Sure we do not need jackets at anytime. You can go to the fair and not feel cold in the evening watching the performances.

Most people around here make sure that their liquid consumption increases with the weather. We drink more liquids. The Central Valley had to have beverage bars at all fast food restaurant settings. When every you eat you have to adjust your liquid content. Drink Drink Drink. This becomes pretty strange when in the late Fall the opposite occurs and the habit of glupping down liquid gives way to a more reasonable level.

Everyone on my block knows that the vegetation needs to be watered prior to the temperature changes today. 100 degree temps mean that water have to be in the ground deeply as the air temperature rises. All lawns were watered this morning before 9AM and they may get a short cool off shot this afternoon just to keep the roots from drying out.

The summer flowers love this heat. They also must have some water everyday in this streak. I have planted the front patio with annuals just like I try to do every year. There is always a battle that goes on when planting annuals. Do you plant for the short term. This requires replanting three times during the growing seasons. Or... can you use a planting scheme that allows for various plants to flower at the peak and then die off and then allow the next more sun related plants to take over and then plant one more time in the fall for the cool frost sturdy plants to keep blooming through the winter and into the start of the Spring.

This year I am trying a new strategy. The petunias which produce such sturdy color got eliminated because after July, they will not survive here. Marigolds (the dwarf variety) will do well up into September. Portulaca, or Moss Rose love the sun and will continue to produce all the way up into the Fall. They will not be as full as they will until there is consistent heat. Their drop off could be in October when the weather shifts. White Alysumm do well throughout the year and provide that garden fragrance. They need to be the base for the cool weather plantings that will occur in the early Fall and provide for the flowers in the Winter.

Overall I think that this garden is a pretty forward looking patio garden. Before each planting, I always add a couple of scoops of osmokote slow release fertilizer to the pots. My watering schedule for most of the summer is daily. I have learned the hard way that very large pots have to be used in this climate to raise annuals off the ground. Most of my pots are over 5 gallon in size.
It has been really fun to have a patio garden. We had it put in 8 years ago. There is something really nice and earthy about a saltio tile patio.

: ) Pat