Morning glories? huh? You posted this in the evening Pacific time. lol

Whats the day like for a gardener in the low desert? Not too bad compared to those that apply roofing tar for a living under those conditions. ;) Heat adaptability varies, just as cold hardiness does; some get used to the heat over time. We had some work in Palm Springs during the summer--not my favorite, but I was only in charge of the photography that round, so it was not too bad.

My hottest day, that I can recall, was a birding trip to the Salton Sea area many years ago. It was 123 or 124 degrees F. We walked in the sun from 6am until about 2pm. When we broke for lunch afterwards, I was getting sicker by the minutes from just drinking water that day (we also ate snacks, so I'd had extra salt intake). The standing advice of that time was to "Just drink more water.", and maybe it still is, but as I was approaching the pass-out stage, I went to my car and downed two Mountain Dews. Within ten minutes I was fine. I've ignored the "just water" advice ever since, and I have always felt much better after drinking the soda when feeling dehydrated, and the water isn't doing the job anymore.

The trees adapted to high heat, strong winds, and winter chill are not as numerous as what can be grown in other areas. Some don't produce as much shade, and others require a ton of water, especially under many of the soil conditions presented. Extreme temperatures can take out other individuals before they reach the grand size desired for shade.

It's horrid, just horrid....I spent two years in Yuma when my then husband was at Yuma Proving Grounds. Had a small black car (T-Bird) with black interior and no AC, miles from town to base in 118 degree temps...had just before going there had the car painted...20 coats of black lacquer...paint job was ruined there, on one trip home to L.A. I had to stop and get a bag of ice to pack around my guinea pig in a box to keep him alive through the heat...seriously.

The desert is wonderful in the Winter and in early mornings and evenings with long purple shadows....

I would never choose to live there...give me rain and lots of green. In the PNW now and quite happy...LOL.

LOL....and I've always found that I get very snarky above 68 degrees...hated summer in SoCal even. It's always fresh, clean air here.

In that kind of heat people reserve their energy and try to get physical work finished by ten in the morning. They start as soon as it is light. People who really can't handle it move away as soon as they can. A lot of people get sick and throw up in that kind of heat. I had a cousin who lived in Death Valley, what a dismal place that was.

I grew up in Phoenix and have lived in Minneapolis, San Francisco, San Diego, Denver and now about 45 minutes east of Los Angeles. I've experienced the full weather spectrum! :)

in the hot areas you do things at different times of year than the cold areas. For instance, leafy greens are a winter crop, tomatoes are planted in December and January for a harvest before the extreme heat sets in and then are planted again in September for another harvest before the winter tomatoes are planted. Yep, TWO growing seasons!

to Suzi's list I would add apricot and peach and cherry trees. :)

i very much prefer the heat. Stay hydrated and do things in the morning and evening hours instead of when the heat is at its most extreme (the really hot times are only a short segment of the year.) Its not like snow and freezing cold where its a 24 hour a day problem. I've found cold places to be much more restrictive.

I've experienced different climates also....Coastal SoCal, San Joaquin Valley, Arizona, Iowa, Whidbey island, Hawaii...of them all, I definitely prefer the PNW and especially now with the drought situation, love the rain. Del Norte County is the only area in all of California that has never experienced 'drought'

I'm in the "SF bay area" not in SF!..so My summers are more San Jose like,but not quite that warm- ave.of 78f vs 82f hottest months. So,I agree SF,great place to live,very bad for summer warmth-lol. Today's high in SF? 58F.

Anyway's I always wonder what its like in that heat. Around 95f nowadays as I have gotten older, I get heat headaches...

I lived in the San Joaquin Valley between ages 7 and 12...and I still remember how much I loved leaving the Valley's awful summer heat and crossing over into San Francisco and the fog...luscious.

Stan, I think your weather is just about perfect where you are. We lived in Pleasant Hill many years ago and I liked it there also...

This last Winter here was wetter than the one before...also colder...but it gives me the necessary time off from outside work. Now that we have summer, there's the need to get everything accomplished while the weather is good so I'm out there every day. Down time can be good.......and if you're an addicted gardener, sometimes you need to be forced into taking some time off from it. Nobody cleans the house otherwise.....

You get used to the heat. But like others mentioned, you get watering and yard work done in the early morning or in the later afternoon. You mulch and you mulch. And when you're done mulching, you mulch again. I typically get up with enough time before I leave for work to get some stuff done in the morning. If you're diligent with watering, mid-summer heat can cause your plants to explode with tons of growth (especially when your summer night lows are in the 90s). Other cloudforest-like plants like brugmansia and fuchsia tend to suffer in summer heat, but can pull through if you baby them.

I am in Vacaville which is technically "Bay Area", not desert but more Central Valley like. ( I have also lived in LA, NYC, DC, and Maidugari near the Sahara!). Rarely 115, and never 125, but triple digits from May through October is common, with the occasional days where the heat pumps out to SF, and the cool air pumps in. I can tell when it's going to happen because we get these hurricane force winds by way of the openings in the bay. We are within 45 miles, but we dress different than folks in SF. You can always pick out "the valley folk" spending a day in San Francisco. Even after 25 years I have to remember to check the temperature there, before I head out.

To me, in addition to picking plants accustomed to little water in the summer, and lots of rain in the winter, I have to remember that (for many? I did not know there were deserts with hot nights...) the nights are cool, generally 50's, even in the summer. That means some of my best gardening happens November to April, but also that timing summer veg can be tricky. I cannot put in tomatoes and peppers in the early spring because it is still low 50's at night, and so is the soil temp. I think this is a bigger deal in the high desert, when nights can be downright cold.

Documentary on PBS attributed the population growth in the desert areas to Air Conditioning.

AFAIC, shade cloth and lot's of it.

Shade houses and shade structures are a must. Misting systems are helpful too but with the drought, they aren't as widely sold except for pets. Right now, my garden is a beach umbrella collection providing shade to plants that would cook otherwise.

People wear as little clothes as possible and older people and kids are encouraged to get walking done inside a mall. You see many people just sitting in malls or at the movies. I hate triple digit heat in June. I remember standing in Lake Havasu, Arizona in the 70s. It was still in the 90s close to 11p.m. and the water was the only bearable place to be. A campground full of people standing in the lake. Only the people who had a/c in an RV or trailer were inside. It was too hot to sleep. We had fun as kids though horsing around in the warm water late into the night. Our parents had a miserable time but I remember other adults enjoying it beer in hand, talking while they stood with just their heads sticking out and their hand with the beer like a magic illusion moving on the surface of the water.

Suzi...

I couldn't stand SF's wind, fog, and cold. Had to move back to the Santa Cruz area where it's warmer and less foggy.

I was just thinking he other day (when it was in the 90s) how I'd much rather have hot over cold. extreme heat can be annoying but extreme cold is depressing and haunting.

Did you see those hikers rescued in 125f weather? One I saw and he was wearing a black t shirt. I guess we foot the rescue bill.

People who live in the desert usually know better. It's the ones who rarely see those temps or are visiting that get in trouble. Rangers in Death Valley tell visitors from Europe to only go outside for under 5 minutes at a time. High heat is nothing to fool with.