Don't Let The Garden Get You Down

Gardening this year has been... interesting... it's not just you.

If you're feeling like your gardens are not as successful this year as they have been in the past or are feeling discouraged as a beginner - it's not just you! This year has given us some funky weather to work with in the garden.

Here in zone 7, we've been in a moderate to moderate severe drought all year and experienced fairly drastic temperature changes from week to week. This week, the first week of September, we're expecting a heatwave hotter than most of July.

If you and I find these swings in weather challenging, imagine the plants. And they don't have climate controlled air conditioning or a sink faucet when they're thirsty. They're have been weeks that absolute scortch some plants, hitting them with long hours of strong direct sunlight, followed by weeks of clouds and wind. 

A lot of these changes can stunt or even shock plants. My tomatoes are only just now ripening fruit when last year I would have harvested 3 times by now. All due to long heatwaves stunting the plants' growing processes. 

So if you're feeling discouraged, dont! Please! Gardening and landscaping is an ongoing journey where we get to learn how to overcome these challenges and get creative with solutions. Then we, too, get to see growth over time.

I know that sometmes it can seem that everyhing is going right for other's, why is your garden so... brown? I encourage you to utilize local nurseries and garden clubs as your advice sources. And know that no gardener or grower gets 100% success 100% of the time. We grow almost entirely outdoors and can tell you how the plants have faired, which ones will need more of your attention, and what to avoid in your planning. 

And if in the end, your plantings didnt work out for you this year - don't worry - you have another chance right around the corner.