Waiting For Pansies

10/30/11

Mums

     While the northeast part of the US had a freak October snowstorm this weekend (with power outages again!), I wish we had some of that cold weather here.  This week should be the last week we have 90 F (33 C) days.  Hooray!  I'm ready to put my fall flower garden in.  I have many bare spots in the flower garden where the heat of the summer killed off many plants.

Petunias

   



 I bought petunias a week ago, as well as mums.  I put the mums in my patio pots which were bare all summer.  I never plant anything in these pots in summer because it requires so much watering to keep plants in the pots alive in the heat we have here.





     I spread the petunias out on both sides of the flower garden and planted them this weekend.  Now I'm waiting for the pansies to arrive at Lowe's or Home Depot.  They arrive about now, when the temps get below 90 F.  But neither store has any of the larger 21/2 quart size in; just the small 6 flats came in.

Petunias planted

     My vegetable garden is not doing well.  When I planted seeds three weeks ago, we had ten days of over 100 F (38 C) temperatures.  I think the heat killed most of the radish, carrot, spinach and lettuce seeds.  Only a few of the lettuce and chard seeds sprouted.  The tomato plant has two tomatoes growing on it, but the zucchini were infected with whiteflies.  I sprayed soapy water on them, and one may make it.



Early Girl tomato plant



Rhubarb chard

     The weather here makes gardening very difficult.  Although our last 90 F (33 C) day is supposed to be Tuesday, the temps have dropped into the 50's at night already.  So there was a vast 40 degree difference between day and night temperatures this last week.  Then after our last 90 F day, the temperature will immediately drop to the low 70's and stay that way for a few weeks with night time temps in the 40's.  Temperatures do no drop gradually here.  Last year we had three below freezing nights in November.  It takes about three weeks to go from summer to winter here.  There is no fall color here in the desert.  About half the trees are deciduous here, and their leaves (most of which are smaller than your little finger) just turn brown and fall off.  I really miss the beautiful fall color of the east.