Back from vacation into the hot sun

Went to California to visit family, had a great time. It is really good to be back. While we were gone our garden struggled to 90 to 100 degree heat but my neighbors, bless their hearts, pitched in and help make sure everything was watered. I am happy to say that everything came through beautifully. Now it's payback time! We have such wonderful neighbors.

I found this wonderful site while surfing and thought I would share it. http://gardeningtips.org/February/recipe.shtml It has a lot of old recipes, free stuff, garden trivia, garden crafts, herbal remedies and of course helpful tips for what to do in the garden on a month to month basis.

This is the time of year when we start thinking about shade. Some plants struggle through the intense heat delivered at the hottest part of the day and can really benefit from a bit of shade. Even those plants that like full sun can benefit, especially while they are trying to establish themselves. I found some old screens at a yard sale and they gave me an idea. I can make a teepee type structure out of bamboo poles and use twist ties to attach the screens to the poles and set the teepee over those plants that need the shade. Like my newly planted shrubs. I have a couple of viburnum that look like they are not going to make it through this summer. What is really funny about this is that I was just sorting through my mail that was delivered while we were on vacation and the latest issue of Garden Gate magazine is in the pile. In that magazine they talk about this very topic. They show another great idea for making shade, they stand a screen up like a room divider in front of plants. They also say that I may need to place some shade cloth over the screen if it isn’t able to block enough sun. The shade cloth is rated at varying degrees of sun protection so be sure to choose the right one for your application and can be found at any home improvement store.