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Gardening in a Drought

By
Real Estate Agent with Fathom Realty

  Last fall I posted tips on dealing with drought conditions in the  garden and with landscaping.  I shared my spring plan of sticking to annuals from seed since another summer of drought was predicted.  That way if they died, I did not have a huge financial loss. Good advice. If only I had followed it! 

   I was seduced in May by the soft petals of phlox and vervain, they are now planted in the island in front of my house.  A treasured gardening memoir I re-read almost every winter chided me for not having babtista in my garden.  I do now.  My yard is a designated a monarch butterfly waystation, so additional milkweed needed to be planted.  My husband and I  had a huge mock orange in our yard off Homestead Rd, in Chapel Hill (back when that was the country!) and I have longed for one ever since.  I found one at a fabulous price two months ago and it is now planted close enough to our back deck and side door to declare it officially spring each year with its sweet fragrance.

   So, again this summer additional pumping from the pond may be necessary to keep the beds watered. All the new plantings are getting hand watered everyday.  The established beds are lined with soaker hoses.  Water cones and funky 2 liter bottles are set up in the vegetable garden.  Polymer beads are mixed in the soil of the potted plants.  Rain dances are being practiced.  All that because I failed to follow my own advice.

    And...I did plant loads of annuals from seeds.

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