Mike, I had two 50 ft. lengths of drip hoses wound in, out and around the plants with mulch covering them - all throughout the garden in the veggie garden. The mulch was piled on 8 inches thick or thicker under and around them. I put covers over the tomatoes in late July through August. I have good well water, so no chlorine that can damage plants. Notwithstanding all that I did, when temps reached 110-120, everything just turned brown, and then blister beetles ate what was left. I had tall, dark green, beautiful corn plants with 2-3 huge ears on each plant, but upon checking them, they had few developed kernels. Total loss. I planted more than one hundred tomatoes (seven varieties), corn, beans, cantaloupe, watermelon, bell peppers, three types of hot peppers, Red bells, zucchini, and onions. Normally I get enough to can, freeze, eat fresh and sell at the Farmer's Market & Health Food stores and still have enough to donate to the Food Bank. Not last year. The only tomatoes I got were a handful from the plants I grew in large pots, but only a few. They were sure good though. Cherokee Purples were especially yummy and the Lemon Boys. I think I got about 20 tomatoes altogether. I got more than everyone else around here. Their plants kicked it in June and July. I did get some okra from the plants in the smaller, lower garden and a few pitifully small Early Girl tomatoes, and a pretty good harvest of Jalapenos in September when it cooled down a bit, but that was all. I put so much work into it and expense. But it was just too hot. It was like standing inside a furnace ever day. I lost several small trees, one large weeping willow and several Eponymous shrubs. And what the heat didn't kill, the voles did, chewing the roots off several of my roses. What a horrible year! Sorry to go on about it...

I'm south of you in Dallas/Fort Worth, on alkaline clay. For what it's worth, I have a "Wonderful" pomegranate and a 'Celeste' fig that do well. ymmv, since you are north of me. The pomegranate doesn't even need much extra watering, if any (even last year). Sucker's gonna have to be pruned hard since it has gotten about fifteen feet high and needs to be made shorter. Now I know why a neighbor pruned his pomegranate every 3-4 years when I was a kid. Don't know about other pomegranates, but the Wonderful didn't fruit the summer after it froze to the ground. The fruit has been sweeter when the summer was hot, sour when the summer was cool for around here. Hah. That's happened only once. Don't know how the fruit would have tasted last year 'cause the birds ate the fruit to the rind in JUNE. I've never put bird netting on that tree... There are figs around that have grown in-ground for 20 years; they do have to have bird netting or the birds will get the figs. My fig is in a yard tub-- may 25 - 30 gallons and is quite happy as long as it is watered. Good luck, and please keep us posted!

Randy, Okay then. I'll go home and threaten them! Yes, I put them out in the old okie heat last year and didn't seem to bother them a bit. For sure, everything in, goes out for the summer at my house. I have couple of figs getting to big for their britches and they love to be thrown out. Seems they grow like weeds on my patio with the wind whipping and the sun scorching..... I surely don't want the pokies to hear me now but I can't wait for them to show me what they're made of! Laura

gilmoregal - I've heard painting is a lot easier a process than staining (but I could be totally off-base)... I also have no idea how Ward Wood prices compared to pre-finished products from Lowe's or even IKEA (though that would require a trip to Dallas). I hope you've had some luck! We finally finally chose a stain color (Best Special Walnut by Kwal).. but it didn't turn out how we expected. The staining crew mixed the lacquer w/the stain for final coat so it didn't match our sample (a bit more orange/red than we expected.) We spent today re-evaluating our floor/granite choices. It seems no matter your expectations this home-building thing takes way more time/decisions than you think...