We planted these cacti in this pot about a month ago on a client's rooftop garden in Chicago. They love the high heat and lack of rain. Not me, and I am not even a farmer. This year, our average temperature for January to May was 48F. Not only did we not have snow (maybe a dusting twice), but we've hardly had any rain this spring. Now today, as we move into the official start of summer, we've had so many 90F days, I've lost track...the high 80s began when I arrived home from Guatemala (where it was cooler with unseasonably early rains) in March. Most people probably only notice that the turf grass is looking browned out like it usually does at the end of August. I've been aware of other fall-out: the Serviceberrys didn't have edible berries this year: they wizened before sweetening (even the birds weren't interested) and the leaves of certain parkway Maples are already grey from fungus. Most plant material is dry and crunchy and I fear the trees that are diseased will be accelerated in their decline. This extremity of climate condition really brings home our dependence on water and the resulting problems when our normal conditions do not prevail. But I do not know what will wake up people to our part in the cycle.
Since I've been practicing tough love with no supplemental watering in my garden area for about the past four years, it is interesting to note what is tolerating these extremes and what is not. I'm surprised that the boxwood (which was exposed to light last summer when the parkway Bradford Pear was removed) is doing much better in the heat and dry.
What have you observed?
5 comments:
Here in northern Vermont the weather hasn't been quite as extreme. Luckily, we had a lot of rain in May, 7.25 inches, after a dry winter and early spring, and so far 2.7 inches in June, though it hasn't rained in two weeks. The temperatures have been seesawing and right now it's very hot. So, so far no stresses on garden plants, except for the poor little brassica seedlings that I set out in the vegetable garden just before this heat spell.
Thanks Altoon. I have been enjoying your blog: seen from here it feels like a blast from the past ( and cooling) to be reading about peonies :)
I agree with you Julie, as i was just reading about Altoon's peonies! I am noticing what appears to be more fungal problems, which seems strange as I always associate those with wet conditions. Unlike you, I am watering — partly because of the garden tour in August. But if this is the new normal, I will surely have to rethink the garden. More gravel, less green perhaps?
Remember that certain fungal problems appear when it's dry, Ms. Wis. Maybe more gravel, but that will just make it hotter and dryer...
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