I miss my Pat Austin. I planted it in a semi-shady spot in my house in Columbus and it did incredible there. Despite having less sun than other roses, the rose went bonkers and was in near continuous bloom. The foilage was always spotless and I made numerous comments that it was the healthiest looking rose I have ever had with it's glossy green foilage and bright blooms. If I had any complaint about Pat Austin, it would be that the blooms tend to fry, the scent is kind of like pure tea, and Pat Austin grew a little TOO WELL since I didn't prune it back hard enough and it pumped out too many blooms to support itself. It's definitely one rose I really miss. I brought back cuttings to NW Ohio, but they died for completely unknown reasons. I'm contemplating pulling a covert operation this weekend to go to my old rental property and confiscate some clippings of my old Pat Austin which still grows on that property with zero maintenance like a champ. Here she was with too many blooms to support herself after being in the ground for a year on the north side of the house. http://www.helpmefind.com/rose/l.php?l=21.163027

ok...you have watered it too much...you have a shady spot with evening sunlight...endless summer do not wilt because of the sun in a spot like that..it will however wilt because the plant's roots being rotted out due to overwintering...do not water anymore, in fact, since this is a new plant, I would dig up, put into a pot with some potting soil straight out from a bag (miracle growth, scotts or whatever brand), put it in a sheltered spot (away from direct hot sun, wind, rain) and see if the plant lives....if you get phytothora wilts - the soil where the plant used to live is infected with the fungus as well, remove them....your veggies getten powdery mildew could be a sign of the conditions of the spot - way too wet, not enough ventilation...and you keep on watering the hydrangea = massive fungal parties there...take the hydrangea out from the soil and see if it revives...my fingers are crossed though...you may also want to add some perlite to the soil water the hydrangea is planted - improve the drainage a bit...

Well, good heavens, it is July, you know, and a hotter-than-usual one at that. It doesn't matter how good my garden looks in June, July is a garden-slayer. So, take comfort in the fact that you are not alone....and the fall planting dates are coming up! The heat makes cucumbers bitter, so you can plant another round of cukes for fall and have delicious cucumbers once again. Yellow leaves on a tomato are signs of many things. Often the oldest leaves near the bottom just turn yellow as they age, or it could be a sign of a disease or heat stress. Remove the yellow leaves. Water the tomato (at the ground level to keep water off the foliage) and feed it if you think it needs to be "boosted" at little, and you should see new growth soon. Bumpy bean leaves do indicate a plant virus but, if the plants are still producing beans, I wouldn't pull them yet but would pull them if production has stopped or almost stopped. I can't help you with the pooped-out garden helper, though, because I feel the same way....it is too hot "out there" in the garden to do much of anything. As far as $$$$ spent compared to the harvest received, it will get better as you gain experience AND in the years that the weather cooperates a bit more than it did this year. Remember, too, if you are gardening organically, to consider how much more expensive organic produce is at the grocery store. Finally, if gardening is fun and enjoyable, it is worth the $$$ spent. For me, gardening is a 'lifestyle' and I spend the money on the garden that other people spend on movies and amusement parks and vacations. Since I enjoy my time in the garden so much, it is worth the money to me. I always encourage veggie gardeners to 'try again' in the fall because often the fall gardening season is more productive than the spring/summer one. Of course, it is largely dependent on the late summer/fall weather as well as the timing of the first fall freeze. Still, the produce I get in the fall makes me forget how horrible July and August were. And there's one more "dirty little secret" in the gardening world that no one really talks about, and it is this: While it is nice to have lovely, deep green, lush, healthy-looking tomato plants in spring and early summer, it is normal for them to look yellowing, browning, sad, sick, pitiful, crispy and half-dead as the season wears on. Producing tomatoes, especially in very high heat and intense sunlight, is very, very, very hard on a plant. I just ignore how awful the plants look by mid- to late-July and keep them watered and fed, if needed, and keep on harvesting tomatoes. Am I proud of how the plants look in mid- to late-July? Definitely not. But, are they doing their 'job' of producing fruit? Yes. So, who cares what the plants look like. Hang in there. Cooler weather and the joy of fall gardening are just around the corner! Dawn

Hi Czarina, We've seen way-worse looking Aloes, and yours is certainly not on death's doorstep. Here's an FAQ for you that will put it right as rain. Of course, being where we are, we'll have to bring them in for the winter, but as long as you can give it sun / light during the winter, it will be ready for Spring 2016 in much improved shape. Aloe FAQ