Wow, it's hot.

Wow, it's hot. June 1st ... over 100*. June 2 ... over 100*. June 3rd ... yep, you get the idea.

And windy! We have had a very windy spring this year, with 10 - 20 mph winds being the norm.

So what does all this mean for the garden? It is dry! There has been very little rain around here for the past four months, and the plants have to be watered quite frequently. I have been watering every other day, but the combination of heat and wind this week has resulted in a need for daily watering, especially of the vegetables.

The good news is that although it is too hot for most of the tomatoes to set fruit, the strawberry tomatoes seem to like the heat. Not only is the first strawberry tomato finally ripening, but it is a prolific producer: one vine has well over 100 tomatoes set right now! It is such a sweet variety, and I've only tried the ones from the store. I cannot wait to sample freshly picked ones and see how sweet these really can be!

The dinner plate hibiscus is another summer garden keeper. This plant loves the heat and produces quite a fantastic display once it starts blooming. It's gotten plenty of water since it is surrounded by veggies, but the lack of rain has resulted in a slightly smaller bloom than usual. Still, nearly 11" across isn't too bad!

I hear thunder outside right now, but there is no evidence of water falling from the sky to relieve my poor, dry gardens. Amazingly, the water just 50 yards away - the Mississippi River is at flood stage - is about 20' higher than my yard at the moment. Thankfully, that water is safely behind a levee!

Fortunately, however, the fruit trees seem to be okay. The high water table because of the river and the long roots of the fruit trees have kept them healthy, despite our strange weather pattern this year.