Well now lazygardens - as a native East Coaster myself, I would say that you shouldn't generalize about "they" (who is they?) being "surprised" by a drought. Yes there have been a number of droughts here over the years... But you need to seriously take into consideration the geography and topography of the East Coast, which is about as different from the West as it is from Mars. The Atlantic Ocean is right there at our doorstep, and its effects in this area are quite dramatic. The fact that right now, the water temperature of the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of New Jersey is in the mid-70s (which is normal for this time of year), yet the Pacific Ocean water temperature off the coast of Southern California is in the mid-50s (which is also normal for this time of year), should make one take pause. The climate of the U.S. is not as simple as you make it. The propaganda about "sunny warm" California and the west, with surfers on the beach, is a big myth that people continue to perpetuate over and over and over again. They myth that it never freezes in the desert is yet another myth that continues to play out (why is there a "Zone 5" in New Mexico?). It's alot of B.S. and many people are being deceived by whatever B.S. is being perpetuated about the East Coast and its climates and how we deal with it. This side of the continent is much older, is dotted with many hills and valleys forming interesting microclimates, and is within target range of coastal storms such as Nor'easters, Hurricaines, and blizzards, depending on the season. Our average seasonal rainfall - whether it comes evenly throughout the year, or with up to 1/3rd from a single Tropical storm, is ~40". My state alone has more rivers than any other state in the union. The coast itself and many sections inland are below sea level. The fact that the New Jersey beaches have been continually eroding away due to these coastal storms; is an indication that drought conditions, although happening every so often, are NOT the norm for climate extremes here. More often than not, we get the complete opposite - too much water at once.. The thing that concerns me is not so much the introduced alien plants, but the natives themselves. Yes they have adapated over centuries, but the climate has changed here. Not so much with rainfall or lack thereof, but temperature-wise. And so there is a steady migration of more southern plants, a creep if you will, into this area, as the climate has become more conducive to them. Meanwhile, the more cold-hardy plants that were native here, are suffering and end up creeping further north into a better environment for them. Such is the way of evolution... As for our plants recovering from this, whether we manually irrigate or not, the chance of a large rain system coming in off the ocean will be the deciding factor that the plants will have to deal with - whether native or not. There are native American Sycamores here that are dropping leaves like mad because of the extended periods of mid-upper 90s and little rain. As natives, they have the potential to die, either before or after some deluge, and there's nothing we can do about it. And many people have seriously considered planting drought-tolerant plants, which is a noble effort. But this effort can ultimately fail if a hurricaine like Floyd that came through here a couple years ago with 12" of rain in the city, decides to make an appearance this fall.

Just stopped to check in and see how things were going for everyone this season. Sounds like mixed reviews. My markets here, in Up-State NY have taken a huge nose dive. (We are down by 50 to 75%.) I sell rare perennials and fruit N veggies, but all products are selling at a pathetic pace.I know, perennials are a luxury, not a neccessity. Still, I thought food crops would remain a good seller. Even the bigger veggie guys are way down from previous years. My guess is that so many of our regular customers are now growing their own produce, so they can save themselves a little $$. Even driving around the city, (Troy & Albany), you see these postage stamp sized lawns turned veggie garden.Kinda cool to look at, beautiful, even,... but definitely taking away sales. Community gardens are popping up everywhere, too. The only vendor at my markets actually UP in sales is the wine lady! Here's hoping for a recovery in the economy REAL quick. (OK, well, at least by next market season.)Or I, for one, will be back to working a dreaded "Real Job".

Hi Doc, Thanks for the thoughtful question. I am trying to walk again and trying hard to enjoy life after my husband's suicide, 53 days ago. Since his death happened after an incident of domestic violence in which I did not how to react, I am still confused. My doctor thinks that my husband could have murdered me and commit suicide. His son also thinks the same, but my heart is still in denial, how could this man who said he loved me ended up doing something like that. My recovery will not beging until I finish executing his will and take off from his children at all. My husband was a health professional, he was abused by an older cousing when he was a child, was a captain in Vietnam and had a very unstable life in every aspect you want to look at it. He had many lawsuits when he had his practices and after when he was working for others. The last complaint was about 2004 when I met him. He was introduced in the clinic I was a patience as a very nice man. The woman who introduced as in a blind date told me he had some health problem (stomach) and problems with his children, but he loved them very much. After dating 2 years I told him I did not wanted to continue the relationship because his grown up children did not respected me and he was also unable to draw the line between his girlfriend/fiance and the wife either. His daughter was 35 and his was 38 at the moment we married. They never left him alone. They always wanted something. His son was still living at the house when we got marry and he only left the next day we came back from the honeymoon. Since I was working in a different city during the week and coming home on the weekend, his son always managed to come and sleep in during the week. His daughter required the inheritance before our marriage and promised not the request anymore more after that. Unfortunately, she continued requiring money with different threats and strategies. Last years she obtained 13 thousand dollars from my husband and this year in March and April she came to the house to "live in " for two weeks expecting that my husband fixed her car and gave her a monthly allowance. She was briefly married between 2005-2006 and she was still requirind money. After many conversations and arguments we agree with my husband to give her an allowance of $400 a month. My husband was very depressed with all this situation, he felt bad about his children, he was worried about them, and he also felt bad about himself for not achieving more in life. Two days before dying he said I have worked 40 years and I have nothing. That was not true. He only saw life through a dark filter, he was unable to draw a line with his children. His son was convicted and jailed twice for DWI. Hi spent three years in prison. His daughter was on morphine for extreme pain that over 15 doctors could not diagnose. My husband considered himself a failure. Hw would not even like the blinds openm or get out to the porch on weekends. I really did my best. I tried to give him love, but the family system my husband had with his children was too big for me. His Psychiatric has been of great help in my understanding. My husband had a personality disorder, was ambivalent, had great anger due to the abuse and PTSD. In the last meeting his doctor told me that my husband only could love his children and no one else and that he was literally married to them. It's sad but I have to accept that there was no much for me in my marriage, that my husband was so sick that he could not see me, neither hear my pleads to save his life. He was totally decided to end up his life that day. After holding him for hours, he finally got one bullet in a gun a shot himself in front of his son in the backyard. I left the house and the city that same night. Two weeks ago when I was in the front of the house organizing things, his son showed up in the drive up and frightened me to the point that my body was frozen, rigid. The police told him not to come without my permission because I was in charge of the house.I called for help and there were no neighbors around.He left an intimidating message in my phone. Next day, my lawyer called the police and I file a complaint that was labelled harassment and family violence. So, How I am doing? I am trying to recover, I am trying to understand that my husband was sick and that his son is a danger to my own life. I am trying to execute the will and get out of this nightmare. I am so confused, sad and angry. I have not had the time to mourn my husband. The thoughest part is to be responsible for a vacant home with 82 guns that with the help of other people managed to storage in 2 vaults. My heart beats fast when I have to go to the house because he died there and because I am scared. I really hope I can recover. His clothes are still there, I think the end of this will be me resigning to my homestead rights and return the house to the children. Even 100 miles away from the house, I still can't sleep. Once in a while I take an anxiety pill, but every night I need a sleeping pill. My only consolation is that my husband's sister and her husband understand the situation and they told me they love me. I am alone in the US, only my children (medical and engineering students) are here with me. And you guys, have been wonderful in this forum. Sorry for the long posting. pucky

OMG. You two are so funny but so right. This thread should be required reading for every northern gardener joining our forum asking what plants they can grow from up north. For six months before we moved down here, I read everything UFL.edu had to say about what perennials grow and what dont in my zone. I went online and checked in which zone each of my plants was supposed to do well and which had a marginal chance of thriving. I joined this forum. When the time finally came to move, we loaded half of a 17 foot U-Haul chockfull of my plants (well over 200) armed with the knowledge that they all would do great down here - everything I had read said so after all. Three summers later, out of all those plants, all I have left are the 40 daylilies, the purple coneflowers, the turk-cap lillies, my 80-year old old-fashioned rose and the evening primroses. Out of the rest, some lived for a year and then died and some decided it wasnt worth living as soon as the first summer's heat assaulted them. So now my cottage beds are mostly filled with zinnias and cosmos and lots of native wildflowers. And you know what? The beds are beautiful!! Not that I dont miss all those beautiful perennials but when I get really bummed I remind myself that, along with those plants, I also left behind the winter weather that I truly despise.