Worry is the advanced price you pay for trouble that may never come.  A friend gave me a plaque with that saying on it years ago. I try to live by it: but I am worried.  The drought of 2012 affected me.  That was the year that I was convinced that no matter what Mother Nature (really the Good Lord) could throw at me, I was going to keep going and save my huge garden.  All I had to do was work harder, keep after it and I would succeed. 

I remember the moment when I was out at dawn, bone-tired but hand-watering when I finally realized I was going to lose, that the heat was too intense and the rain for which I prayed was not coming.  I would not be able to save all my hard work and the garden was going to be lost.  I had a glimpse into what the women who lived through the dust bowl felt as I watched the dry dirt whip around in the hot air. I learned the meaning of despair.

I am thankful for that summer as I realized that much of life was truly out of my control, no matter how hard I tried, life would happen.  I discovered that even what looked like a disaster might have a silver lining.  I would someday feel the joy of standing in the rain again.  I grew more pragmatic.  I developed a deepening respect for farmers who were at the mercy of the weather every year and they kept farming.

The worst part of extended hot weather for me is crunchy grass!  I watch as the carefully seeded clover and grass that we have cultivated for our poultry to use to free-range dries and goes dormant.  I go to the barn and have to hear the grass rustle under my feet: its crunchy grass time again. Time to go into drought mode. Here are some tips to get ready for hot, hot days.

Check your fans and air conditioners.  Are there weeds and debris around your outside a/c unit?  Help it work more effectively by removing all plant materials that might block good air flow.  I oil all our older fans to allow them to run smoothly.  This fan keeps our chickens cool even on the hottest nights by pulling air through the barn.  Similar units are available at Buchheits along with small box fans to use with your rabbits.  Can you image standing outside in 100+ temperatures in a fur coat?  Since they can’t get into a burrow, a fan running across a source of ice will act as a swamp cooler and keep your stock cooler.

The nice thing about containers is they are portable and I moved all my pots out of the direct sun into the shaded front porch.  My lily pond has turned over in the heat so I will be forced to replace most of the water but I will recycle the pond water onto flower beds. Froggy’s hiding by the pond, can you find him?

The garden mulch is worth its weight in gold during a long hot spell. Try not to allow the plants to get completely dry before you water as it will take less water for the next deep soak.  Shallow watering only causes the roots of most plants to rise to the surface. You’ll see this especially with sweet corn causing it to fall over in a thunderstorm. So take the time to water deeply and use mulch. 

I worry that I may have to take out part of my garden prematurely due to our lack of water. Drought is the only time I miss having city water. (I love well water but it is dependent on rainfall.) I will keep you posted on how well I practice the saying, “worry is the price we pay for trouble that may never come.) It’s a truth!   Let’s relax and enjoy the day even with crunchy grass.  We are blessed!  Anne May