Bloom day - August 15th 2009

So we are on what now? 55? 56 days of 100+ weather? I am losing track. And our average is 11? 69 days is the record set in 1923. we are gonna break that for sure. Son-of-a-B****. Seriously. My garden is drying up. In the hell-strip out front, the spanish lavender and blackfoot daisies are dead. The salvia greggi are alive, but barely - the leaves on them are so small, they are nearly undetectable. Good thing I have some cactus and agave in the hell-strip as they are still looking good. So there's that.

Cactus Blooms:



We did have a tiny bit of rain about 2 weeks ago - and some rain lilies sprouted as a result of that sparse sprinkle. Really, most of what rain does appear just keeps missing us here. Here are the rain liles from a couple weeks ago. They have gone to seed now:













The Texas bluebells have been real troopers for me throughout this summer. Here they are still blooming along with some chocolate flowers:



And a purple passionflower that came up in my shrimp plants that the gulf fritillaries have yet to demolish:



A few other things are blooming right now such as Turks Cap, Texas Yellowbells, Rock Rose, Milkweed, Shrimp Plant, and Flame Anisacanthus (which is still only a foot tall due to lack of rain even though I planted it 18 months ago).

My coral honeysuckle is just about dead - I may have to replace it next year. Really, this drought is crazy. Not only is it dry, it is effing HOT. If the weather keeps on like this, I will need to replace my current plantings with a more Arizona-ish landscape scheme.

I am holding out hope the El-Nino event that is in play will bring us much needed rain this Fall. I am taking pro-active steps to induce the rain. I have recently aquired some goat hair for my rain-dance headdress, which I was lacking previously. I feel with the goat hair, feathers, and turquoise, and the appropraite zig-zag dance moves and chanting, I will be able to entice a few clouds our way. Wish me luck.