I have mostly perennials that can withstand heat. Hardly any annuals. The only ones I have in containers are my hens and chicks and succulents. So these hardly need watering.

That's a lot of pots dianasan. Have you considered a drip irrigation or prinkler system? Easy to install and it does the job.

Hi Dianasan;
It is not easy to me; I am terribly hot, melting, praying for some relief.I water my hanging baskets twice a day and containers two times as well. Have them 13 all together only. My other plants seem to be happy, but I must water them very well this evening. The weather forcast for Toronto does not look promising-3mm. or so.
Have a nice thundershower!

halaeve, I know what you mean.This heat is so oppressive, and you're probably dealing with blackouts as well in your area. Actually, there's only a very slight chance of precipitation in our area, but I hope you get some at least.

ianna, all my beds are planted with perennials, but I have pots of annuals intersperced among them for a splash of color in between the perennials blooming. I ran out of space in my vegetable garden so I've got some extra vegetables growing in containers and some flowers I sowed for late summer which I just transplanted into 4-inch pots.

I have an irrigation system, and when it's on, it will get most of the pots and containers. But we have watering restrictions in place and so I'm handwatering on the days when I'm not allowed to use the sprinklers. I would love to have a drip system set up, however. My son said he would rig one up for me for the urns I have at the base of my front steps.

dianasan, check out lee valley tools for drip irrigation systems. There are many options there that would work despite the restrictions. For example a drip method from bags containing water that are supposed to be used on decks. Once when I had to go away for a couple of weeks I used a sprinkler method that was set on timer and that worked so well.

The pots are getting extra attention, but most of the gardens are perennials that can fare for themselves during this extreme heat. I try to work in the garden in the mornings and later in the evening when it cools a bit.

That's what I try to do too, get a little work done in the mornings and then some in the evening.

One more day of this heat and then (hopefully) rain and cooler weather on Friday.

Must give kudos to the city of Montreal for opening up "cooling off" centres today for those who don't have AC at home. This has been the longest heatwave since July 1987 which culminated in a flash flood throught the city. Hope history won't repeat itself this time.

ianna, thanks for the heads up. I will check out Lee Valley's.

My gardens of perennials are coping with the heat and humidity much better than either the dogs (3 Shelties) or me. They seem to love this weather. Even my little winter-sown seedlings are doing remarkably well, despite still growing in small starter trays. They are on my back patio in part shade and only need watering every second day or so. I guess the humidity keeps them from drying out too quickly. I only have one large annual container (actually one of those self standing double ones with a smaller container sitting on a metal frame above a larger round container.) Although just recently planted with discount Can Tire annuals, it too, is growing very well. I'm frustrated as a gardener that I can't spend more time outdoors right now, but it is just too hot and humid. When I do go outdoors, I try to keep in the shade as much as possible and still work on my gardening chores.

The heatwave is only worse now (46 degrees in Ottawa at the moment with the humidity) and I'm wondering how everyone's gardens are doing now? I am container gardening and I don't have a hose. I've been doing 5 buckets of water a day 2x/day.

I'm going on vacation next week though and I know that all my plants will be dead by the time I get back. :( I don't know if a wick system will be enough to combat this heat.

spellbound, hopefully the heatwave will over by the time you go on vacation.

Due to some personal circumstances, I've had to cut down on gardening and therefore did not do any container planting this year, which I guess in this heatwave is a good thing as there is not so much watering to do.

I do hope we get a good soaker this evening -- but I could do without the 'gale-force' winds we got last Sunday. My son's 3-year-old pear tree was broken at ground level.

There are these large plastic bags that can contain water and helps to water the garden while you are away. Too bad there's not enough time for you to get one. These can be found in Lee Valley Tools. Perhaps you can find something much of the same in your area. A barrel filled with water, lifted high with a weeping type hose can do the job of keeping containers watered.

My garden is thriving despite the heat. I've a perennial garden and so the roots are deep and well protected from the heat. For as long as I can water the beds at least 2-3x in a week during the heat wave, the plants will be fine.

Oh dear, just reading some of these posts is most disheartening. I am in Alberta and it has been non stop rain for the majority of the spring and summer. I wish I could just move the sprinkler out east! If it's any consolation, I can't do any gardening for the rain and the mosquitos. The dogs don't even want to go outside cause they are not water dogs, I raise shelties, and 7 wet shelties in the house is not a fun party.The basement is flooding constantly! Never mind the basement, the whole yard. Guess we just have to grin and bear it. Lets hope the weather trades places for the month of August!

Under the apple tree July 22 in the dog run

{{gwi:534578}}

That really sucks, honalee. I think your situation is worse than ours. At least we can get a little yardwork done in the early morning or late afternoon, and the occasional shower does bring some relief.

Hope you get a break soon.

ianna, is there some way of rigging a homemade version of those watering bags? I know that some people use big plastic jugs in which they've made a pin hole so that the water drips out slowly.

I have been dragging the long, heavy hose around to move the sprinkler from garden to garden. I try to get every garden area once every two days in this heat. Next year I think I will combine all the growing areas into just two larger ones. Less hose dragging that way.

I'm talking about food gardens, herbs, berries and veggies. The ornamental gardens don't get that much water. I usually just hit the pots and transplants and seedlings by hand.

I have a very large city yard and gardens all over it not to mention only one gate on the south side of the house so I can't easily walk all around the house. A few years ago I bought about a dozen 25/50 foot sprinkler hoses and weaved then into the gardens and down the isles of my vegies. Now I just move the hose and leave the sprinkler on. Of course, it doesn't conserve water that way. Unfortunately, this year we have had so much more than our share of water.....:(

So much crop damage from the rain on this end of the country and drought on the other end! I wonder what's up with all this weather??

I'm keeping my 'pot garden' watered but the rest of the gardens are fending for themselves. They are all perennials that seem to do well in hot conditions. Can't use the well water to water the gardens. But they always seem to bounce back after a good rain. On the plus side I've got quite a few cherry tomatoes to pick today.

Here is a link that might be useful: my pot garden in early June

Craftygardener~ that was a nice few minutes in your world. First time I was there. Thank you for sharing your world. I can't tell you how many people have encouraged me to start a web site. Now I see why. Your world seems a lot like mine! Love it!

Many on the GW have so much in common with my life; probably why I visit so often. :) Rain has stopped here for now. I just hope it went to where it was being called.......

It has been so very hot here in Ontario, honalee that is too bad you have had so much rain, my brother lives in Calgary he hasn't mention that to me at all. Most of my plants seem to be surviving in the beds but the deck ones in pots have to be watered constantly.

Yeah. My daughter and a lot of my friends live in Calgary . Most of the rain has been up here and north west of Edmotnon. Although Calgary has had a couple of pretty severe storms and tornados in the area. It hasn't rained for about 15 hours now so maybe we are going to dry up a bit. I can't imagine the heat down where you guys are. I can't take the heat here at the best of times!