The last week of August.
In my mind, the last week of Summer.
Yes, I know...even though the official last of summer is
Labor Day Weekend,
in Texas, the heat will continue.
These guys will still be hungry, and chomping my plants.
But, there's hope in the air.
Well...maybe not today. It's forecast to be 102.
But, soon.
Actually, we've had MUCH worse summers lately.
But, age and other incurable conditions, have made me more and more
heat intolerant. Just can't hack it as well I used to.
But, a gardener's gotta garden.
So, I hauled (with muscle from Mr P) some rocks from the creek.
I had an artemisia Powis Castle up and die.
So, decided to replace it with an agave Lophantha.
About the only thing you can plant this time of year is cactus, agaves,
and ROCKS.
I put extra ones around this to hold it down.
Things get pulled up here, if not anchored.
Speaking of pests.
Yep...Leaf Footed Bugs on the prickly pear.
Research says the best way to get rid of them is pick them off.
Sorry....not on a cactus.
This is the only cactus they're on.
I haven't seen any on any other one....big or little.
We still have some tomatoes getting ripe.
They set long ago.
No bugs on them, and the squirrels have left them alone this year.
Even though I haven't been too happy with the way the garden looks,
all in all, it's been a good summer.
We sit on the porch every evening, once the heat lets up.
Fans help.
But, I'm ready for fall to show up.
Just hoping to keep things alive until then.
Stay cool....
Happy Gardening...
~~Linda~~
I'm with you - the heat bothers me a little more each summer, but things have to get done and I'm not patient to wait for cooler weather. Your back porch looks like perfection for once the heat lets up a bit. I've found a well chilled adult beverage helps with my heat tolerance of an evening. It might not work for everybody but I find it just the way to enjoy the rewards of a work day done.
ReplyDelete(When I hunted down grasshoppers earlier this year the only place they could truly get away was on the cholla. If it came to a choice between the bug getting a break and me getting all spiney? The bug got a break. Here's hoping your leaf foot bugs stay confined to the one plant and decide to move on altogether before too long!).
You're a trouper to sit outside every evening. We can't hack the bugs or the heat. Looking forward to fall, even though it's been a decent summer.
ReplyDeleteyour gadening problems are the same as mine lately. Everything looks wilted! Got my hopes up for rain this week. Fingers crossed.
ReplyDeleteI should like to have a little bit of that heat of you. Here in western Europe it's wet, cold and windy, summer has ended too soon, I think. Your lovely porch is wonderful to sit in the shade with a fan to cool. We have a porch too, on the south to get the warmth of the sun and to be able to sit longer outside sheltered from the cold wind.
ReplyDeleteI use extra long tweezers to pick bad bugs off my sticky plants and succulents. Good for fishing out leaf litter from between closely positioned pads, too. I'm with you - sooo ready for fall. Love your wire pumpkin with that Dyckia.
ReplyDeleteWe've been planting rocks as well. We have friends out in the rock country west of Austin that want to get rid of their rocks, so we are happy to oblige. My hubby has been building new rock beds for future plantings. I'm hoping for a wet fall or just some cooler weather soon.
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