Summer flowers

Clematis is one of my favourite flowers in spring, summer and fall. I don't have a late blooming fall one yet, but I'm hoping to find one before too long. This beauty, called Jacomani I believe, has been climbing and moving along the drive shed wall since early spring.

The flowers seemed to all pop at once, but there are still many more buds, tight on the vines. simply the loveliest it's ever been.

The heat and lack of rain is affecting all our gardens and I just heard that North America in general is experiencing a huge heat wave with higher temperatures than ever.

This makes me think hard about how I'm going to be caring for my flowers and whether to plant vegetables in the future... water is a must. I conserve as best I can, on a well, it's particularly important.

So I'm going to learn more about techniques such a mulching, watering late in the evening when the water will have a chance to soak into the ground and selective watering. Some perennials seem to be able to manage, as do some trees, without too much in the way of extra water. Others? Some of my fall phlox is showing definite signs of mold and wilt... natural selection may help me make decisions about my garden for future years.

Hope you are managing in the weather wherever you are and that the natural disasters such as forest fires and flash floods that whisk everything away when there is little vegetation that hasn't dried to a crisp don't come your way.

Hot summer here in Ontario for sure.