hot as hell with a side of drought

Black-Eyed Susan

Nashville saw its hottest day ever June 29, at 109 degrees. Throughout this summer we have shattered existing high temperature records and last week we had multiple 104-degree days. Not only was June one of the hottest months on record, it was also one of the driest and we are in the midst of a full-on drought.

Pretty much any plant not being watered regularly is a plant that is struggling. We will lose many trees this summer due to the high heat and drought conditions. Species that appear to be struggling the most include Sycamore (Platanus), Tulip Poplar (Liriodenron), and Redbud (Cercis).

These ArborRain watering bags will help newly planted trees and shrubs. The peppers and herbs are doing great. Of my tomatoes, only the Super Sweet 100, Yellow Pear, and Romas are performing well. A native Black Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia) is pictured above, and is the only thing alive in that scorched field.

green peppers

tomatoes

With all of the blackberries I harvested from the backyard, I made a blackberry-peach cobbler that wasn't too shabby. This is the tried and true easy-peasy fruit cobbler recipe I used; simply switch out the fruit for whatever is in season or (in the freezer) at the time.

Blue Suede Blueberry

At a continuing education conference this week at the University of Georgia, I obtained lots of good stuff: new landscape design knowledge, signed copies of Vince Dooley’s books, and a new blueberry bush! Vaccinium x ‘Blue Suede’ is a new highbush variety introduced by UGA which boasts large, early ripening fruit and the ability to self-pollinate.

While ideal for edible gardens, blueberries also do well among other acid loving plants such as Rhododendrons, Camellias, and Hollies. Other native highbush blueberries that do well in our area include: Blue Jay, Jersey, Legacy, Patriot, and Sunshine. A few of these varieties are currently available at local garden centers.

Between the spring flowers, summer fruit, and outstanding red fall color, Blue Suede will provide three seasons of interest in the garden. Researchers anticipate it will perform well in zones 6a-9a. (Most of Tennessee is now squarely in zone 7a, according to the new USDA Hardiness map). Now I just have to find a sunny spot to place the new addition!

Image is from the American Society of HorticulturalScience