My flowers are middling to pretty good - the hydrangeas are very unhappy, though. Veggies are a little cranky, too. Yet my sweet peas only died back a few days ago - they were champ performers in full sun in all this heat; go figure. We are on water restriction here, and I think that's a good thing, but it means I have to be in the garden at 6 a.m. on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday to water. I don't water my lawn anyway; I don't care enough about it to do so.

In my area north of Boston, we have had enough thunderstorms to keep things adequately watered tho the heat has made me neglect my garden. But I was down on the Cape for a few days this week and I have never seen it so dry there. A lot of shrubs were drooping--not a good thing--especially those previously glorious hydrangeas.

Yeah, here on the upper cape we have not seen a drop of rain since ... maybe early July? It's been really difficult, I built some big borders last year, and the plants aren't well established enough to take this drought. Luckily they're mulched really thickly, as the first batch of chips I applied was really red, and I had to cover that stuff with some nice old dark bark.

On the upside, the mowing season was pretty short, dead grass is at least very low-maintenance. Unlike mjc_molie, I have had mildew on a few plants; I've read that some things are more susceptible to it when they've been stressed by drought. The humidity's been very high here, too, to make it even more fun.

I am watering only the pots, the hydrangeas, the newest of the perennials, and a couple of trees that I planted last year that I don't want to lose. I really can't remember this kind of drought, and I've lived here for over 30 years.

Will somebody please do a rain dance? We're getting pretty desperate here.

We had a nice 1 hour downpour rain last night and first time since early July I see my 'drough canary' aka Astilbes not curling their leaves (or whatever left from them) by mid-day even though we have an extremely hot and humid day today.
I have my beds mulched by cedar mulch and once it dries out water simply running off of the surface of it unless something strong as yesterday's rain makes it deep wet again.
After that it will absorb and hold water again for quite some time.
Weather man predicted T-storms for every evening till Tuesday. I wish he is right.

Yes...lots of hot sunny weather and not a drop of rain in 30 days. Remember last MAY? Remember? I love this weather. And the ocean is super warm here on the south coast. I measured a water temperature of 78 degrees, in the surf at Horseneck Beach in Westport MA a few days ago. So, let the lawn go brown and head to the beach....but I do let the hose trickle around some thirsty shrubs while my feet are in the sand.

Here in Swansea, Ma there is not a drop of rain to be had! We have had water restrictions on all summer long. We could water every other day from 6am-9am and 6pm-9 pm but for 3 days now the evening watering hours have been taken away. So if you don't water in the A.M., your plants are out of luck. The only halfway decent looking plants in my yard are the hanging ones. Pleeeeze Rain!!!!!

Rockman50...our water temp is about 10 degrees higher than normal here too. That's not a good thing though...yes, it's nice for a dip in the big pond but makes it more likely a 'cane will pay us a visit come Sept/Oct. Those things need warm water and normally our waters are cool enough they loose juice if they can even make it this far. So, please everybody pray that during this season of such heightened 'cane activity NE doesn't get pounded. I'm nervous this year.

Tricia...that's exactly what my husband & I were talking about last night as we sat on the back deck looking at all that brown. We live on a tidal river not far from the sound and he was saying that this could be a bad year for us. Warm oceans are not what you want prior to hurricane season. So yes, we're praying for cooler weather as well as for the rain. Molie

My perennials are looking okay, but my lawn is another story. It is so brown and I'm watering it about 3 times a week, at least.

I look forward to having this summer over with and thinking about next spring again.

I have been watering pretty religiously since my whole garden is new this year and not established yet. I also have four new trees that I water weekly while it's this dry. I'm glad I went with the drought-resistant garden scheme for the backyard, that's for sure.

They keep predicting thunderstorms every night, we hear the thunder occasionally but there isn't any actual rain. Supposedly tomorrow it will come...I have my doubts.

Things here are bad, bad, bad. Everything is drooping, drying and dying. I have so many containers and several raised beds, so I need to water every day, usually twice. I'm so worried about my well, so I keep watering only enough to keep things alive short-term, hoping that the daily forecast of thunderstorms we've had for the last 3 weeks will finally materialize.

We had a touch of rain last night, but as my neighbor said, it was a spit in the ocean! Everything was dry again this morning. The worst thing is that because I'm spending so much time watering, I don't have time to do other things - like make more beds to put some of these potted perennials in so I won't have to water them as much. Ah, yes, it's a vicious circle, lol! But I guess it's so hot maybe I wouldn't be out there making new beds anyway.

By the way, I was just out scanning the skies for clouds and just wondering - anyone seen that cool orange moon tonight?

:)
Dee

Well, since my lawn is mostly clover, it's still green. Everyone around here says we've had some rain, but seriously, it rains 1/2 hour south of here, it rains 1/2 hour north of here, and we get clouds and thunder... and nothing else. We did get a drizzle last night for about 45 minutes, but it didn't do anything but evaporate as soon as the sun came up. My yard is developing cracks and fissures, maybe I'll open it up as the Grand Canyon of the Northeast.

The only things that look good in my garden are the pumpkins and watermelons - I couldn't bear to let them die - not with three kids in need of fresh fruit and jack-o-lanterns, so the hose drips on them 24/7 until the rain finally makes it here.

The weather team at Channel 3 promised a washout weekend - today was sunny and 90 humid degrees. Again. Maybe tomorrow? I'll believe it when it happens.

It's been so dry in my area, the standing joke around town is we live in a glass bubble and every thunderstorm or rain drop just can't get in. Last week the bubble got a slight crack and down came 15 minutes of torrential downpour and 60 mile an hour winds. Only problem is the rain came down horizontal to the ground. Even the rain gage was empty. Last to nights we got nice gentle rain for about 20 minutes.
Yet the annuals where drooping and in need of water by late in the day. To add insult to injury, the town has just started a "voluntary every other day" watering system, just to be safe. They are turning over to a new water treatment plant and want to have enough water in case there is a problem. So now it's selective watering the plants. surprise to me though is the cosmos seem to be having the hardest time with this hot, humid dry weather. Several of them have given up and gone to "cosmos heaven" never had that problem before.

The warmer than usual ocean water to our south is indeed cause for some concern. I have been monitoring some of the bouys all summer. The water temperature at the bouy 150 miles east of Cape May NJ is up to 83 degrees! That is super warm water not too far south of Cape Cod..and plenty warm enough to support a major hurricane. So if a storm does find itself in the danger zone for us (just east of Cape Hatteras) and if the upper level steering winds are from the south, then that would be the worst case scenario since such a hurricane would probably not weaken as much as they normally do by the time they reach our latitude. But it certainly would end the drought, although not in a very favorable way. FYI..the most purely tropical system to ever hit New England was Hurricane Carol in 1954. All other hurricanes that have hit us were weakening and at the same time, in the process of changing to extratropical systems.

Gotta ask, Rockman. How do you monitor the water temperature at various buoys? Is it online?

One place to watch the sea temperatures is at the National Data Buoy Center, on-line at
http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/Maps/Northeast.shtml

We own a boat and at our marina in Mystic all the talk is the warm water and 'canes, 'canes, and 'canes. Our marina owner sent out his annual "what do you want me to do with your boat if a hurricane comes" letter a month early this year. I'm in a FEMA Class A evacuation area (100' from the water & surrounded on 3 sides)...I visited U-Haul a couple weeks ago & purchased wrapping paper, dish packs, & bubble wrap so I could at least take a few family heirlooms if the need arises. Also purchased a dozen of those large Rubbermaid type (cheaper kind though) plastic storage tubs to pack things in. I don't know how I could walk out of this house, look around at a lifetime of memories, and just close the door and drive away. :(( We knew the risk when we purchased the home two years ago but it's looming larger this year. I don't know how our friends farther south live with the threat every season.

The NOAA website says that there's basically a "zero" chance that this season will turn out average. Everything they feared early in the spring has materialized. We NEED a 15 degree drop in temps (although that's not going to cool the water off) and 3-4" of rain soon. I'm watching the radar as I type...to the southwest, west of New Haven down through NJ...huge red t-storms have been training for the better part of four hours. They've probably gotten at least 6" of rain, maybe more. Flooding will be on the news come morning. Not a drop in Mystic...again. It's 7:30 p.m. & my hoses are still running. Newly planted trees are too expensive to let die 'cause of a $100 water bill. I hope it's only $100! We went to Providence yesterday and the car thermometer was reading 102 degrees as we approached the city from the southwest. The dew point was 77 degrees! This is unbelievable! The minute we stepped out of the car...my husband's glasses fogged up completely. He's never experienced that in the summer. I spoke with my brother-in-law in Denver earlier this afternoon. After record setting heat for the past six weeks now they have record setting lows! Whatever is going on??? Actually, I am blessed. I can afford high water bills and electric costs because of the a/c. Please everybody...remember to check on our elderly and ill neighbors. Those witihout a/c or those who can't afford to run the a/c are suffering this summer.

This weekend was the annual Mystic Art Festival. Yesterday, the police called ambulances for 167 people between 2:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. Today was probably no better. I saw idiot people all over town dragging toddlers along by the arm in all that heat/humidity! Whatever were they thinking?

Well, as you can tell...I'm agitated (and adled) by the heat. Rain dance, anyone???

It was obvious last night somebody was being pounded...we ended up with about an hour of light rain in Mystic...much needed but nowhere near enough. Hope everybody' alright and has power...

Here is a link that might be useful: Violent T-storms across the n'east

We got drenched yesterday afternoon and all night. The timing was a godsend for me, as I had just cleared the weedy sidewalk strip in front of my house (whew! a 6 hour job) and planted a garden there. Just as I was putting the last of the bark mulch on it, the rain started. Now I won't need to worry about the new perennials baking!

It's been dry, but not as dry as SE Mass and the Cape, in the immediate Boston suburbs. A week ago last Friday, when Boston got hammered with thunderstorms and pelting rain at 4:30 in the afternoon, Medford just got a trace of rain, enough to moisten the pavement partially. A lot of the expected Thunderstorms never materialized at least in my part of the world. We did get quite a heavy soaking twice yesterday and lighter rain throughout the night into this morning. Hooray!!

I've been watering my pots and perennials and shrubs/trees almost on a daily basis for weeks now. I finally succombed and watered my lawn in the early AM last Saturday.

It's been a hot and humid summer so far. I for one is looking forward to the cooler and hopefully wetter weather in the Fall.

DiggingTheDirt--thanks for the website. Wondered if someone was rowing out there to check--:)

And Cady--you were planting for six hours in that heat--wow!

As for me...can't wait til January.

I did. I was that desperate to do an "Extreme Makeover" on that ugly, barren weedpatch I've been glaring at for 12 years. It gave me an excuse to treat myself to a big ice cream soda. lol

Still no rain at all here on the south coast of Massachusetts. Those big storms last Sunday night threatened but only a few drops fell. So it has not rained on my yard in 5 weeks! It is bone dry. We have missed every thunderstorm opportunity. And if we don't get some rain this weekend, then we are out of luck for atleast another 7-10 days. Yikes.

As far as water temperatures, I get all of my data from the National Data Buoy Center. Or I just dive in with a reliable thermometer.

Today...8/19... and still no substantial rain here along S. CT coast near Milford. My husband says that tomorrow we should have showers for part of the day, but the water temperatures? Will those be affected by one day's storm? Temps won't go down now until the seasons change.
(Thanks to several of you for the link to the National Data Buoy Center, which we bookmarked.) Molie

Egads, we're down to a 30% chance of rain this week-end. I really wish I'd set up soaker hoses this spring, for some reason I forgot to do it before the plants got too big. It's the only way to deal with this kind of drought. Maybe this will be the year I finally install a real irrigation system. Is it hard to move things around once you do that?

Checking in from Mystic, CT. There was a fairly large patch of rainfall that moved along the CT coast around 6:00 p.m. this evening. I was elated as I watched it edge ever closer on the radar. Then...it got to Groton and just...poof...dropped south and completely missed us. Not a single drop. Saw on the news tonight there's only a 30% chance of rain tomorrow morning and then nothing for the rest of the weekend and temp are climbing again on Sunday. The water temp in our cove hit 80 degrees this week...our entire marina is abuzz with speculation for Sept./Oct.

Rain? What's that? I can't remember the last time we had a drop. I guess if we're going to get a hurricane, this would be the year since the water's so warm. I just hope my baby grasses sprout and root before it comes, so all of my hard work doesn't wash away. Just remember this hot weather in six months when someone posts the thread about being sick of snow and cold!!!

It's raining here, finally, for the second day now, and it looks like a few more rainy days to follow. We really need it here - I was beginning to wonder if, in the interest of conservation, I should give up watering completely (we've been on alternate day restriction since June). In Mother Nature's typical way of evening things out, it's a very heavy rain here this morning, and the seedlings that were gasping for moisture are probably floating downstream this morning. I suspect we're going to have a very rainy autumn to balance the scales.

The National Weather Service mentioned that with less than a week to go, summer 2005 was going to be the driest one ever recorded in Providence. Thankfully that dubious record has been washed away by this tropical deluge.

Here is a link that might be useful: Tuesday AM rainfall

Finally, the rain! Every other rainstorm has somehow ducked around us here in Cambridge. 5/8" yesterday, a little more today.

Yes! Rain! The crape myrtle I moved on Sunday afternoon looks like it may survive after all.

It's time to get out the Sluggo and see if the lawnmower is still out in the garage - neither has been needed since about June 30.

We have had over 5 inches of rain this morning down here in the New Bedford area--on top of 2 inches yesterday morning for a two day total of over 7 inches! Thats almost an entire summer worth of rain in 24 hours. So lets recap the last year or so:
January 2004: 3rd coldest month on record (120 years)
Winter 2004-2005: snowiest in history (south coast and cape cod)
Spring 2005--Top 10 cold May and very wet
Summer 2005--June 1-Aug. 28 Driest in history--would have been the driest summer on record in SE New England if the rain held off for 2 more days until Sept. 1.

So what could possibly be next????

a hurricane to blow away what's left of our gardens :(

The NWS-Taunton office just announced that Providence recorded its hottest August (highest monthly mean temperature) in recorded history.

Well I spoke too soon.

We had maybe 1.5 inches of rain last week, which was a big help, but we're back to desert weather now.

My plans for a major transplanting effort are back on hold, and the sluggo is back in the closet.

DTD, the situation in my neck of the woods is similar to yours. We got *some* rain last week - more than we've had for a long, long time, but not as much as we needed. The next day I still had to go water stuff.

At least this weekend the temps should be pleasant - they're calling for 75 degrees and less humid here. Whoo-hoo! Planning on spending my Monday off outside working in the hopefully-glorious weather!

:)
Dee

Hi,

My yard is parched. I watered for two hours in one section about two days ago, and everything is dry as a bone again this morning. I have to water though, because I installed new shrubs and perennials this spring. What is doing the worst is a cimicifuga I got at NEWFS this spring. I just can't keep it watered enough and it is pretty crispy. I puddled around it about 3 ft in all directions today and then turned the sprinkler on the whole area for 3 hours this morning. I will hate to open the water bill when it comes.

The rain has missed us all summer. I think we have gotten only two days when we actually got rain since the beginning of June.

We dug and potted this weekend for the swap and put all the pots under the trees. They are doing fine and I am happy to get a start on it. Still haven't tackled the full sun bed yet, as it will have to be completely pulled apart. Don't think I want to pot that whole thing up..lol. Waiting for a rainy/cloudy week. Are we going to get one of those? [g]

Adam

I spent most of this week by moving a lot of hydrangeas, clethras and planting rhodies and azaleas.
Dug many new holes and it wasn't easy to break thru bone dry clay.
Everywhere, except one bed, only top 1' of soil was not dry as a bone. I have mulch everywhere, watered diligently whole summer and it's still dry.
It's a miracle that moisture loving plants survived this summer, though I think I lost quite a few astilbes and ferns.

Note to self. Do not pick record setting drought year to plant new lawn. UUggghh.

The rain we got as a leftover of Katrina helped, but there has been nothing since then. I'm watering garden beds deeply twice a week and handwatering the perennials that are out of the hose's reach on the sidewalk strip I planted last month.

Sure is dry.

Know what you mean Rudy, I am feeling quite worn down with the watering. The shrubs are near maple roots too so it is like a sponge. I water and it is dry the next day.

EGO...I'm sorry about your astilbes and ferns. I just installed both along with the shrubs. Ghost, wood fern, royal fern, and Japanese painted fern. The japanese painted are doing the best. They don't seem to be minding the dryness. They have put out new fronds all summer which surprised me.

We are supposed to get remnants of a hurricane on Thursday. I am hoping that means rain. Keeping fingers crossed.

:-)

The Weather Channel is only predicting on Thursday a 50% chance of any rain here from H. Ophellia.

EGO45, I've not forgotten your Homigo cuttings. I've just not done it yet because this is a second home for us and I'm not here all the time to keep the layerings moist. I figured I'd not get a good rooting and might even have trouble w/the mother plant. So, please don't give up...I'll probably wait now until fresh spring growth & just take cuttings. I must say though that they've held up amazing through the drought. I've only watered the hedge 3-4 times all season.

I put in 82 baby perennials from Bluestone last weekend & watered deeply. Yesterday's heat/wind was terrible. I'm going to drench them again today. I'm having to water my mums daily (unusual, for me). We'll get our normal precipitation...one way or another..aargh!

"We'll get our normal precipitation...one way or another..aargh!"

Yeah, Tricia, we'll probably get ten more feet of snow than usual this winter, lol! Sigh...

:)
Dee

Totally dry here in West Tennessee. AND I ordered a bunch of rose bands to arrive when the heat wave hit. Got it under control though! They are in the shade and misted 5 times a day.

I have been alternating watering the food garden, and the flower gardens each day with sprinklers that run for a good hour each time. But before I started the watering it was a mess of things starting to give up the ghost. I just decided to keep putting the water on everything.

When you have a lot of money invested in plants, you get upset thinking that spending a lot on water is the only thing you can do, but there ya go. I was rewarded with the crepe myrtles blooming like crazy, even though it's over 105 degrees for a whole week. I water early mornings and late evenings. Keeps me cool too!

NOTE: When I started this whole process, I watered for two hours, and stuck my finger in the dirt around the plants. An inch down it was STILL bone dry. So I stuck the end of the hose INTO the dirt around the plants until it started soaking it up. That was a hot day outside too.