So, what DOES all this mean??? A lot of mud sweat and tears for one.  Not to mention, bug bites, yellow flies, slugs, drought, too much rain, sun burn, dirty feet, perpetually stained finger nails... (that is assuming you have any). 

The moon in June brings the heart to swoon... Fathers day - give him the moon!

June bugs...June Bride!...June Cleaver....AHHH....Bird nests turn to Nurseries...Busy Busy June-July-August!!! What is one to do???  well....a lot actually...

Those tomatoes are starting to show progress in the lower zones of the south.  The weeds are peeking through and hoping you don't notice.  Blooms are fading out, giving way to the lighter greens.  The wild flowers are changing guards.  Springs pastels are turning into summers yellows and darker hues. 

I sit and ponder what could I possibly do that is actually productive and that will allow me to take my vacation in the red, white and blues of July.

And, we have JULY...

Canada day, Independence Day,

And, we have August with lots of local holidays.

Beach/lake stays, grass hoppers play.

Apple pie, cherry pie, fourth of July. How homey can you get? Rain storms, dry spells, humming birds return...

Those hot August nights! Cicadas piercing song, days that last so long...siestas, fiestas, homemade ice cream; lemonade in a hammock on a lazy days dream.

What is one to do to avoid the doldrums??? Now that the gardens are established, the veggies are veggin', the Impatiens are tapping their roots...

You think your jobs done now that everything is pretty? What can you use around the place that's not still in bloom or attached still? What can possibly be recycled???? It's SUMMER!! There's nothing to DO!!!  Uhhuh - I can think of a few things... such as...

Weeds& Seeds!!!

Yes - pull that tall seeding grass from the beds and stack in a pile; mow that lawn saving the cuttings then replace all these cuttings and pullings to those bare spots around the yard...(holes dug by the dogs that were refilled leaving a nice dirt patch for example).  Then cover with manure or more dirt, or straw, not too thick. (Don't use pine straw !!!) and leave to grow.  Sometimes it takes a while for it to take - not all will, but before you know it- VOILA! You have grass growing!!  I decided to go this route this year when I found out that the grass seed I wanted for the stripped pastures prices went up by 40% and more!!!   My word!! Paying that much for something I'm trying to kill in one area of my yard (the gardens) and desperately trying to cultivate in other parts (yard, pastures) seems redundant... So I opted for a much less expensive trade off.  (My other choice was to just plant gardens where the grass won't grow - THAT would surely bring on a lush thick growth of the seedy stuff!)

---

HEAT WAVE!!! I got a heat wave Burning in my yard I can't keep from crying Tearing me apart...!!! (apologyies to the Who this time...)

"It's hot! I'm thirrrrsty...! I want some waaaater! My skin is dryyyying!"- Yes folks - we have here a classic case of the creeping whine. It happens every summer...and again in the winter...but that's another story.

Ok - it's gonna be a scorcher out there.. PLUS, you either get a torrential afternoon rain of 4-10 inches an hour - and watch those flower petals float by your upstairs windows... Or, you get a quick hard run-off rain that leaves you and your gardens feeling like ants under a magnifying glass!!! The extremes of summer...oh joy... oh joy!

First thing to remember is NOT to panic!! Plants sense distress and will run amuck...

Try to limit yard time to early morning or late evening when the sun isn't so harsh. Wear that hat, don that scarf - soaked in cold water and tied around the neck.  And, keep that cooler filled with your favorite wet ones!! Ice tea, sports drinks LOTS of H2O, lemonade and what not.  But, while you're watering yourself... don't forget the potted  plants!! They dry out in record speeds in the summer - even the ones inside that get the sun through the window - check them daily!!!! And feed regularly!!!

Save that compost!! Turn that compost!!!  Use the fresh stuff that you get from the garden. The Hummers and Butterflies love watermelon rind! Save your quarters and throw them in the garden near feeders and under flowers!! Take those banana skins and bury them around your roses.  Throw those eggshells, all crushed up in the garden - under the veggies to deter the slugs...(they tear the skin) and feed the fruit.                                      

You can do this! As you swing gently with the breeze in your hammock after a sweltering day...sipping on a cool one...save those scraps and pieces from the days meals and weedings. And if that cool one happens to be a beer, save the back wash for a bowl to stick in the garden (the slugs will thank you---not to mention Mr. Toad).

And while we're out there, admiring our year's work, lets use that good ol' summer common sense our grandmothers and mothers instilled in us! And don't let this garden do you in!!!

Have a Safe and Bountiful Summer!!!! 

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