Slow Garden, Slow Home

Celosia and Vinca

7/1/11
     With the continued heat things are really slowing down in the garden.  This extremely uncomfortable week started with 117 F (47C), went down to 115 F (46C) for two days, and then dropped to 113 F (45C).  My reliable summer bloomers - roses, celosia, and vinca - are doing fine.  The zinnias and the moss rose are doing ok so far.  But my cosmos are fading fast, and some of the marigolds don't look good.  Everything else has died or stopped blooming for the summer.  I have found that if you water at least twice per day, you can keep some flowers alive here in the summer.  I tried with my petunias.  They will stay green and produce a few blossoms, but they won't be vigorous and full of flowers.

Zinnias

But I don't want to spend the extra effort and water when other plants will do much better in the heat.  Even flowers that can take the heat have to be watered daily in summer as opposed to three times a week the rest of the year. We get about eight inches of rain a year.  The last time we had rain was in March. I don't do much in the garden now, except to prune dead blooms or pull out dead plants.  So I have a slow garden, but what I'd like is a slow home.

     The slow home movement, inspired by the slow food movement, is a philosophy of home design that emphasizes livability and sustainability.  To me that means a home that is easy to live in and works for me.  It could mean different designs for different family needs.  Slow homes eliminate little annoyances that are irritating or stressful.  Some of these annoyances would include:  bathrooms that open directly into living areas, an entry area without a closet or place to put stuff (keys, mail, backpacks, purses), indoor areas without good daylight, bedrooms without adequate closet space, bathrooms without sufficient counter space, rooms with wasted space.  Slow homes have a smaller footprint, reduce unnecessary energy consumption, and incorporate green building principles.  The slow home movement will grow because consumers will tire of the products builders are turning out:  cookie cutter houses with extravagant features and square footage that are costly and difficult to live in.  It is all about good design.

Dying Cosmos