Cait's Garden

Even a passionate gardener can have their faith tested. The drought/early summer combination we experienced in the Midwest this year disrupted my garden to the point which I basically stopped caring by July. Sure, I went through the motions.Tried desperately to keep everything alive in the absence of rain. Enjoyed the few minor successes I had. Turned a blind eye to the patch of blight and shattered dreams that was my vegetable garden.

I did learn a few things this summer. “Drought-tolerant” is not the same as “desert.” Overall, my garden is built to handle your average Midwest dry spells. It is not ready to be Arizona. And I still maintain that plants know the difference between sprinklers and natural rain. You can keep them alive, but they just aren’t as happy.

I learned that coneflowers aren’t as wonderful when they are done blooming by early July (instead of starting to bloom by then). You just have to look at dried seedheads for the rest of the summer. The goldfinches were happy, but I wasn’t.

I also learned that there is not enough water in the world to make Annabelle Hydrangeas happy in a drought. Well, a least not that I am willing to provide. If I have to water something that’s planted in the ground more than once or twice a week, I feel burdened by the plant.

And finally, I learned that when I feel blue about my garden, I do not post on my blog. Just as well. You would not have enjoyed hearing me whine for the past three months. You might already have clicked off!

There are some successes to report. Plants that impressed me with their power to laugh in the face of drought and heat. Ornamental Oregano“Kent Beauty” (see last post) was just as fresh and lovely as ever. My two Blue Mist/Caryopteris shrubs, perhaps because they originate from the South, ignored the early arriving summer and just progressed through the season as usual, blooming in late summer and looking fabulous. Sedum, whether it’s tall or a groundcover, is a godsend. I vow to plant more next year. Sometimes, they were the only plants that didn’t look parched. For annuals, my Alyssum (from seed planted a few years ago) continued to bloom all summer.  And while the petunias got gangly, I am impressed they continued to live in my planter on the patio all season. But my favorite most beloved plant this year was my Red Valerian plant (Centranthus ruber “Pretty Betsy). It’s lovely cool green leaves have resisted disease, drought, insects, everything, and it keeps producing rounds of red flowers all summer, from way back in May till now. When I find another one of these in the store next year (it’s still hard to find and it is not the sort of plant you can divide), I am snatching it up. You must build your team (or your garden) out of winners if you want to make it through a tough season.