Oh Jeff! What a bummer. Did you want some Asclepias curassavica seeds? I mean, I know you don't have any water for 'em but...perhaps for next year? Let me know.

I've had to hand-water the backyard on a regular basis because of how hot it has been lately. Then yesterday we had a weird drizzle. It was just enough to make a mess of my car but not enough to wet the garden down. Sheesh.

CalSherry

tifannytdog@yahoo.com

Thanks for the offer! A. curassavica is an annual near me, I think, but it's really pretty and I might plant some anyways. Perhaps I can get some seeds from you in March or so?

Jeff

Sure thing! I also have Rue (Ruta graveolens) so just remind me. :)

Boy, can I relate. Last year was just a bummer in Oklahoma. But, we are used to drought here and I know that you guys generally don't experience it on a regular basis like we do.

This has been a very unusual year for us, with all the rain, and of course, we're not used to that much rain. A lot of people lost plants that were extremely drought-tolerant simply because they couldn't handle all the water w/o drying out in between storms.

We have also had lots more butterflies that we are used to seeing (well, me in the urban setting anyway). I chose this year to upgrade and change my garden to a more wildlife friendly garden for the moths and butterflies and birds by planting primarily native trees, shrubs, and perennials. What a good year it turned out for that. The spicebush is doing great, while I lost my two last year in the drought - just couldn't keep it watered enough to settle in.

I lost lots of bloom to the drought, too. The lilies, campanulas, anemones, ladybells, azaleas, hydrangeas, none of these bloomed. I finally had to stop watering because the plants in the ground were drying out faster than I could give them any water. The trees were soaking all of it up, depriving the perennials of any water at all.

I was surprised I had some things come back this year at all. One of my hydrangeas died completely, my clematis really suffered. Things that did well were:

Cleome
Tropical Milkweed
Zinnias
Salvias
Wild Senna
Senna bicapsularis
Passion vine
Catmint
Balloon flower
Achilleas
Borage
Rue
Aristolochia clematitis
Tovara
Indigofera kirilowii
Honeyvine (cynanchum laeve)
Lavendar

Thought maybe that might help you plan some things, if you don't already have them, for future drought, which you may not have for many years again. Who knows? Even the weather folks don't really have a clue.

It is depressing, though, I know!

Susan

I sure am sorry, Jeff!
We were having a drought, though not severe in my part of the state, but the rains have returned - I'm sure they'll return to Maryland and the east, too!
MissSherry

Jeff,

We must be experiencing similar virtual drought conditions and I empathize with you about losing so many plants. Up until yesterday's rain, we got 1 inch of rain in the first 23 days of July and are about NINE inches below average rainfall fot 2007. I've been watering with a hose(from our 450-foot well) for 2-3 hours every day. And with a one-acre butterfly sanctuary, I still have to be very selective about what gets watered. I have about a 1000 gallon water collection system but the tanks have not been filled since May.

Maybe things will get better for our areas. BTW, I love your "California Dreaming" header.

mike

hehehe!

I've been singing the song, too...

>>> BTW, I love your "California Dreaming" header.

You're welcome. There's a HeeHaw reference buried in my post, too. :)

tdog and susan, I hadn't considered Rue as a possibility. GSTs are rare here -- I've only seen one, down by the Potomac last year.

What are you guys' thoughts about artificially creating colonies? It'd be kind of fun to have local giant swallowtails.

If I don't get any hits on the pipevine over the next two years, I might introduce PVSTs too.

BTW, I did a double-take on the rue, because I thought GSTs were citrus-eaters. But the 'Net confirms it: GSTs eat rue. Go figure.

Thanks,
Jeff

Jeff, I'm so sorry to hear that your plants aren't faring so well. Bummer. We're having pretty much a drought up here too. We haven't had a substantial amount of rain in months. It drizzles here and there but nothing that really amounts to anything. Our grass is pretty brown but hasn't reached the crunchy stage. There is some green in the grass yet. I've been watering my plants or I'm sure I'd have lost a lot of things by now. I hope the everyone who needs the rain soon gets it and that the plants and butterflies do great.
Cathy

Oh, yeah, Jeff, they eat Rue, Gas Plant (dictamnus), Hop Tree (Ptelea trifoliata) among other rutaceae family members. I like Rue because I get both BSTs and GSTs on them.

Susan