My garden looks pretty well. I did water last year, but not a lot. Nothing got crispy, but most of the beds only got heavy water once a week. Too many beds! In the fall I laid a LOT of soaker hose. Spliced pieces to make it all fit the biggest beds, then put leaf mulch over it. Made some soaker hose rings on a hose, on the shrubs along the fence, to ensure they could get enough water, with the large oaks close to them. Put down some shredded wood mulch too, on the rings around shrubs. Added more mulch this last week, heavy layer over the soakers in two beds that I ran out of time with last fall. So I have watered some during the 3 weeks of no-rain in late May. Soakers seem to be working pretty well, mulch keeps the moisture available to plants and bushes. They all LOOK happy despite the dry time. Other folks around our town had rain, just not us. My mom is south of us, said it was like a short, daily scheduled rain for weeks. We are getting adequate rain at the moment, just can't get the hay cut and dried to put up. First cutting is WEEKS behind now. Not much nutrition left, but still needs cutting so 2nd cutting gets coming along. My Peonies were nice, just not great like last year. Iris were OK, but not the good show I expected. Other small plants, wild phlox, were terrific, great color, numerous flowers on the plants. Roses are coming along, looked great on the old-fashioned bushes. Steady bloom on the new ones from fall planting, Carpet roses, Knockout, Showbiz, Vetrans Honor, with flowers large and long-lasting. Lilies look great, normal flower quantity, normal heights. Daylilies just starting. Flower stems appearing overnight. Lilacs were poor, with other bushes good and bad. Elderberry just started but MANY blooms, should be a good show. Various Hydrangea just budding up. Delphiniums are terrific, along with the double Hollyhocks. We have a well, so I water when I have the time, if I feel it is needed. I worry most about my big trees. So when I water the gardens, the trees get a good drink as well. I go for longer water time, not as often. Clay dirt helps hold the moisture if mulched well. I am hauling water to 10 new trees in the field. I think I have lost 2, but one root is still green, may resprout (I hope!). The remaining ones seem happy with water twice a week, if no rain during the week. Staying green. May water more as the season gets warmer. Every year is a challenge to some part of the garden!! I know that the plants really jump when the heat goes up. I LIKE the 70F temps instead of muggy heat. Sure get a lot more done outside. Picked strawberries last week, they were GOOD!

Interesting read, Thank you!

You are getting more rebloom than I am. Foliage all looks great here from all the rain though. We've had so many cloudy days, I have wondered if that might have slowed down rebloom. I bet I have the best lookin' weeds anywhere though. I'm so proud :( Your pinks look so good, so very brilliant! You are really making me want White Eyes Pink Dragon, and I love the edge on Mom's Cinnamon Rolls. Love the kitty too! He reminds me so much of my orange & white tabby, the shape of his face & his expression

I have had issues with this plant for years. I have two of them; both have been moved more than once. The problem that I have is that if I plant them in full sun, I get exactly what you have (no matter how long the plant has been in the ground). If I plant them in shade, they turn green. Finding the exact right spot with the exact amount of hours of shade vs sun or dappled shade, is not easy. They are both looking decent finally; one gets only a few hours of morning sun, the other gets dappled shade for most of the day. Both are protected from hot afternoon sun. You have much moister air than I do, which I think is probably a plus, but I bought both of mine in 2006 and it's only in the last few. years (and third or fourth try for the correct location) that they have looked good. This plant's actual botanical name is 'Ancot'. Golden Spirit is the name that it is marketed under, just so you know if you see reference to 'Ancot', it is the same plant. I think that your problem is sunburn. I feel your pain.