It is so dry! My soil is full of clay, which for the most part is nasty. But the one good thing I have found is clay will stay moist longer than other soil types. That said, I did water earlier this week for the first time this summer. I am hoping the rain they are forecasting this weekend does come to fruition.

I am dreading the water bill. I am deep watering 1 x a week for the main perennial beds but am out every other day for the new plantings and annuals. In addition the skeeters are eating me alive out there.

Kathy

I'm stingy. The tree-form hydrangea is getting watered because it's in glorious bloom and was starting to look stressed, but nothing else has gotten a drop. So far everything looks fine, although I might put a trickle hose on a few trees this weekend. We've had very cool moist nights and a few small showers in August, which helps. Even the lawn is nice and green.

Naturenut, have you gotten any rain yet??

Im in Beaver County and we've had showers off and on, so I haven't had to water much. Hopefully we get the rain as advertised this weekend as it's much needed again. My grass is all burnt up and looking bad but the flower beds look really nice.

The last time I remember rain was a very heavy storm that bulls-eyed downtown Philly July 28. The Franklin Instititue NWS reporting station recorded a bit under 1/2" and I had left work and drove home during it. But by the time I got halfway home, not a drop of that had touched where I live in the NW part of the city - it was literally bone dry with sun out. Talk about a reversal of preciptiation!! I think July averaged about double the norm and there's been nothing here since.

I can't even remember the last decent rain. Last week there was a day when we got .04 inches. It sprinkled briefly today, but it was so light, it evaporated almost immediately.
My grass looks terrible. It's green near the house but brown everywhere else. In some spots, there is nothing but bare earth. For the first time in *years*, I connected three hoses together so I could water the bushes out front.
It really looks like autumn here already, plants are brown and withered, even the weeds.
We've only been here 5 years, and it's like this every year, so by now we're assuming that every summer is going to be like this.

WE HAD RAIN LAST NITE!!!! A really hard downfall for about 1 good hour. YIPPEE

We got .08 inches.
flyonawall, I am soooooooo envious.

*sigh*

Enough was enough. We picked up 2 more regular hoses, 2 soaker hoses and a sprinkler today. The sprinkler ran for the bushes up front for over 2 hours. Tomorrow I'll connect the soaker hose and run it thru the flowers out front. Maybe the bamboo, too.

Unless it dried up on the street before dawn, we didn't get a drop where I am. Seems the central and southern parts of the city (including the airport, which maintains the official temp/precipitation records) have gotten some of the isolated rains but not further north. It's bone dusty dry out there.

I've had to water my yard finally. I kept holding off because they'd predict rain, but then it wouldn't come. I'm about to water again today. Very annoying! The grass is brown in spots. The gardens are holding up okay. I saw a few drops of rain last night when I was taking the garbage out, and I got all excited. But it stopped as soon as it started. Bummer.

I was so jealous Saturday night we were in Scranton and it seemed from just north of allentown up got a nice rain !!! My area of DELCO got zip nada nuttin !!!

Kathy

The NWS has now declared the Philly area the driest on record so far to date. The below from their Public Information Statement yesterday:

000
NOUS41 KPHI 211926
PNSPHI
DEZ001>004-MDZ008-012-015-019-020-NJZ001-007>010-012>027-PAZ054-
055-060>062-067>071-221000-

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOUNT HOLLY NJ
325 PM EDT MON AUG 21 2006

...A VERY DRY AUGUST 2006 ROLLS ON...

THE LACK OF RAIN IN AUGUST 2006, TO DATE, HAS PLACED MANY AREAS IN
THE DRIEST AUGUST (OR TIED DRIEST AUGUST) ON RECORD STATUS.

1) THE FOLLOWING ARE RANKINGS OF THE TOP TEN DRIEST AUGUST`S FOR THE
OFFICIAL CLIMATE SITES AROUND THE REGION...

...PHILADELPHIA... ...ALLENTOWN...
RANK PRECIPITATION/YEAR RANK PRECIPITATION/YEAR
---- ------------------ ---- ------------------
1) 0.06 INCHES IN 2006 1) 0.51 INCHES IN 2006
2) 0.46 INCHES IN 1896 2) 0.76 INCHES IN 1995
3) 0.49 INCHES IN 1964 3) 0.91 INCHES IN 1996
4) 0.59 INCHES IN 1895 4) 0.93 INCHES IN 1980
5) 0.65 INCHES IN 1943 5) 1.26 INCHES IN 1964
6) 0.66 INCHES IN 1877 6) 1.39 INCHES IN 1957
7) 0.80 INCHES IN 1980 7) 1.52 INCHES IN 1944
8) 0.89 INCHES IN 1951 8) 1.60 INCHES IN 1981
9) 0.94 INCHES IN 1916 9) 1.69 INCHES IN 1970
10) 0.97 INCHES IN 2001 10) 1.71 INCHES IN 1930
RECORDS DATE BACK TO 1872 RECORDS DATE BACK TO 1923

...WILMINGTON... ...ATLANTIC CITY...
RANK PRECIPITATION/YEAR RANK PRECIPITATION/YEAR
---- ------------------ ---- ------------------
1) 0.06 INCHES IN 2006 1) TRACE IN 2006
2) 0.25 INCHES IN 1972 2) 0.44 INCHES IN 1943
3) 0.46 INCHES IN 1916 2) 0.44 INCHES IN 1972
4) 0.47 INCHES IN 1896 4) 1.02 INCHES IN 2005
5) 1.09 INCHES IN 1980 5) 1.15 INCHES IN 1951
6) 1.12 INCHES IN 1943 6) 1.21 INCHES IN 1916
7) 1.17 INCHES IN 1968 7) 1.27 INCHES IN 1923
8) 1.29 INCHES IN 1983 8) 1.38 INCHES IN 1918
9) 1.35 INCHES IN 2005 9) 1.63 INCHES IN 1964
10) 1.42 INCHES IN 1966 9) 1.63 INCHES IN 1982
RECORDS DATE BACK TO 1894 RECORDS DATE BACK TO 1906

...TRENTON... ...READING...
RANK PRECIPITATION/YEAR RANK PRECIPITATION/YEAR
---- ------------------ ---- ------------------
1) 0.42 INCHES IN 2006 1) 0.17 INCHES IN 2006
2) 0.47 INCHES IN 1964 1) 0.17 INCHES IN 1995
3) 0.72 INCHES IN 1966 3) 0.28 INCHES IN 1886
4) 0.90 INCHES IN 1984 4) 0.35 INCHES IN 1909
5) 1.10 INCHES IN 1957 5) 0.48 INCHES IN 1896
6) 1.17 INCHES IN 1972 6) 0.56 INCHES IN 1951
7) 1.21 INCHES IN 1896 7) 0.88 INCHES IN 1957
8) 1.52 INCHES IN 1975 8) 1.02 INCHES IN 1881
9) 1.56 INCHES IN 1998 8) 1.02 INCHES IN 1869
10) 1.71 INCHES IN 1912 10) 1.06 INCHES IN 1949
RECORDS DATE BACK TO 1893 RECORDS DATE BACK TO 1869

2) BELOW ARE THE TOTAL AMOUNTS OF PRECIPITATION THAT FELL IN JULY,
COMPARED TO WHAT HAS FALLEN IN AUGUST (TO DATE)...
WHAT A DIFFERENCE!...

LOCATION JULY 2006 PRECIPITATION AUGUST 2006 PRECIPITATION
-------- ----------------------- -------------------------
MOUNT POCONO 5.01 INCHES 1.44 INCHES
ALLENTOWN 8.17 INCHES 0.51 INCHES
READING 5.04 INCHES 0.17 INCHES
TRENTON 5.23 INCHES 0.42 INCHES
PHILADELPHIA 4.27 INCHES 0.06 INCHES
WILMINGTON 6.05 INCHES 0.06 INCHES
ATLANTIC CITY 5.20 INCHES TRACE
GEORGETOWN 3.28 INCHES 0.05 INCHES

3) THROUGH AUGUST 20TH, HOW IS THE YEAR 2006 LOOKING REGARDING
TOTAL PRECIPITATION? BELOW ARE THE DEPARTURES FOR THE YEAR 2006...

2006 PRECIPITATION DEPARTURES
LOCATION (ENDING AUGUST 20TH)
-------- -----------------------------
MOUNT POCONO +7.06 INCHES
ALLENTOWN +2.49 INCHES
READING -2.29 INCHES
TRENTON +0.97 INCHES
PHILADELPHIA -2.69 INCHES
WILMINGTON +1.03 INCHES
ATLANTIC CITY -1.00 INCHES
GEORGETOWN -2.59 INCHES

$$

GORSE

Dry here, too. I'm out with the hose almost every other day, as I have lots of containers, ferns, and tropicals. My lawn is almost non-existent, which really doesn't matter to me. The garden beds receive top priority with watering, so I'm getting a pretty good workout unrolling the hoses, dragging, and re-rolling. I'm deep watering my shrubs weekly, as I'm noticing a good many shrubs in this area dying already. One of the box stores had shrubs for $0.10 each. They were water-starved and looked nearly dead, but rebounded after some needed attention. Now to figure out where 8 lilacs, 3 crape myrtles, 2 viburnums, 2 Knockout roses, and 3 butterfly bushes get planted. Of course, I'll be adding these to my waterering list, so don't expect me in time for dinner or returning phone calls in the near future..LOL.
Trish

OMG LOL!!! Great deal!!! Looks like you're going to be a busy bee with all those shrubs.

Had a wonderful rain and Tstorm last night, raining on and of all day. Everything is starting to look so fresh and lush once again. Getting a break on the water bill is refreshing, hope we get it on the oil bills in the comming months.

It's pretty dry here in Pgh. Everytime that they say rain is coming wwe only get a passing shower. I moved all of my poor potted plants to the shady side of the house so they will have half of a chance. The front terrace is a mess, but the weeds aren't growing much either. My patio is where I water daily. Since it gets most of the sun early in the day, it looks great. My potted tomatos and peppers are producing beautifuly. Most of my other plants are tropical or annuals and they love the heat so long as they are watered daily.