The heat and lack of water this July is showing up in all kinds of ways though we have minimized its effects in the garden. Our lawn of native grasses and “weeds” is cut high (only when needed) and is lush and green. This is in contrast to a neighboring lawn that is cut low weekly and is brown and stressed.
Because we water only the potted plants and vegetable garden, some of the blueberry bushes (Vaccinium corymbosum) have berries looking more like raisins than berries. I will start watering them selectively.
Border plants like foxgloves are making an effort to make seeds in the heat. Their typically erect spires now droop under the stress.
But our native pollinator strip is doing just fine. Next to the heat of the street it is lush and flowering with no watering at all. Pollinators flutter about feeding on the nectar during the heat of the day.
