Random Saturday Morning Garden Musings

The rain predicted here the last couple of days has danced around us, not on us. July and August are the months I sometimes have to sprinkle. Mother nature has been kind to us in the summer weather and rain departments most of this season. Although it's not terribly hot so far today, even 83 degrees can feel quite uncomfortable on a dog day with high humidity. It's beautiful and mostly shady in the garden this morning, and everything received a refreshing drink of water.

The elephant ears in the background have been windblown the last couple of days. It's well hydrated, but sometimes folds itself down to protect its huge leaves from the wind's assault. Sometimes it takes a couple of days to recover. So far it always has.

The containers in front were watered with the proceeds from the basement dehumidifier. They seem to like the water, and it's a small way among others I conserve water around here. I take short showers and turn down the water pressure quite a bit on our very generous shower head, doing my best to convince myself it helps compensate for those times when I have to resort to the sprinkler. I've planted drought-tolerant plants together, and those few with higher watering needs close to the patio. I've moved most of the containers into the garden so the runoff from watering them benefits the garden instead of evaporating on the patio. I put the watering can under the fuchsia - the only hanging basket that isn't hanging over the garden, so I can collect and reuse the runoff.

I do my best in every way possible to reduce water usage and ease those pangs I feel when I turn on the sprinkler. Rain barrels and soaker hoses are up there on a list of additional measures.

There's a spot in one corner of our patio where, for a moment most sunny mornings, spider webs are perfectly illuminated by the sun. This was one such morning. It's always a brief moment, and I often watch as the illumination reaches its crescendo then fades away, and the webs disappear into the air.