If you don’t like your weather forecast, you can have mine. We should hit 90 degrees or higher every day for the next five days. And there is no rain in sight, not even a pop up thunderstorm. Just sunny and hot. The only thing that will be higher than the temperatures these next few days is the water bill.
But enough about the weather. The weather is monotonous and boring and will be the same every day for awhile.
Welcome, August! Hot, hot, hot, hot August.
I’ve got some passalong hostas that truly deserve the common name August Lily because they actually bloom in August. They also have a nice scent, the kind of scent that hangs in the hot air so you can’t miss it.
In August, we start to see that some seedheads and berries can be just as pretty as the flowers that came before them.
These are the seedheads on my shrub clematis, Clematis integrefolia ‘Alba’. I think they are pretty, even though they aren’t flowers.
In August I should finally get to harvest more tomatoes and corn. Perhaps the vegetable garden didn’t get the memo about the change of month, because most of the harvest this evening was squash (again).
I can explain that big club of squash on the left next to the trug… well, I can’t really explain it, but I have some theories about it. It was just way down by the ground and I guess I didn’t see it or the garden fairies were hiding it from me so they could get a good laugh when I finally found it. I think that one is even too big for bread making, and too heavy for me to lug it into work and try to pawn it off on someone.
So it will return to the garden later as compost, an honorable and fitting way to dispose of enormous squash.
The little squash I sliced up and am marinating to eat later.
I saw the rabbit in the garden this evening. He saw me. He casually sauntered off as if to say, “It’s your time in the garden now, I’ll come back later”. He knew I wouldn’t chase him on a hot August evening, so he took his time. It appears as though he hasn’t eaten any more tomatoes, nor has he tried to eat the tomatoes in the trap. Like I’ve stated before, he can stay as long as I get my fair share, which is most of the produce.
And a reminder to my family. Don’t forget to flip to the next month in your hoe calendars. I don’t want to visit and find your calendar still showing July, or June, or any previous months. The hoe of the month for August is a real beauty, you won’t want to miss it!
And for everyone else who didn’t get a limited edition family hoe calendar from me this year, here’s the hoe for August:
Happy Dog Days of Summer!
Clematis has the prettiest seedheads! Or maybe poppies do. I just can’t decide. But thanks for showing a picture of your clematis going to seed.
I’ve got some hostas like yours, Carol, and I had no idea they were fragrant until I read your post. So I went outside at 10pm, stumbled around in the dark trying to find a flower to sniff…and you’re right. They have a great aroma! Who would have thought??? Thanks!
Carol – thanks so much for your comment – I really appreciate your concern. I’ll come back later and check out your posts. I don’t know that I leave a comment on your blog often (or at all??), but I read and enjoy it very often. It was really nice of you to visit tonight.
You gave your family hoe calendars? Ho, ho, ho! Somehow I’m not surprised though. I turned my calendar page at work today (this is the highlight of the month for us worker bees) and found an illustration of three skunks in a corn patch. At least you’ve only got a pesky rabbit who doesn’t leave his odiferous perfume behind!
I like seedheads too. Good thing, they’re the highlight of my garden in the dog days of summer.
I’ll gladly trade our weather for yours Carol. We’ve had continuous rain, intermitently dispersed by the odd gusting storm and tornado for the past 3-4 weeks.
5 days of warm summer sun would be so welcome.
It’s funny though, at the start of winter I was sooooo over summer but now I’m ready for some less than depressing days.
Your family is lucky because they get hoe callendars.
Your work is lucky because they get squash.
We are lucky because we get to read your blog.
Ugh! I’m trying not to complain about the weather too much, but I would do just about anything for a nice, soaking rain. I don’t want to see my water bill.
I love the garden hoe calendar idea. Too funny!
Could you share your marinade recipe? I marinade them occasionally but my husband doesn’t like the seasoning I use.
Thanks for the calander reminder, Carol. The garage sale next door is doing good business. As for marinated veggies, I don’t know what Carol uses as a marinade, but if it’s my recipe, just slice your veggies, cover with water, add a few splashes of any kind of vinegar (I use white), add pepper & either sugar or sweetener to taste (but not much). Give it a taste test & adjust the sweetness as desired, by adding more vinegar or sweetener
“One weed seeding is seven years’ weeding.” It seems that adage also holds true for myosotis and oenethera. Not to mention purslane in your garden. Oh wait, that one’s a weed isn’t it?
Carol…maybe you should try selling your hoe calendars?
Goodness sakes! I was sure I had responded to all of these comments with my own comment, but it is no where to be found.
Thanks all for the nice comments!
Carol at May Dreams Gardens