That's strange my buford hollies are absolutely going nuts and had not damage from the easter weekend freeze. A recent flush of new growth.

The only thing I've got to report is a Ginkgo biloba that didn't recover after the freeze and has very stunted leaves.

My recently transplanted birches and quaking aspen and also my balsam firs in above ground containers are doing just fine. How is it possible? Yes I'm in GA and yesterday was the 2nd rain in 45 days.

I'm losing a dozen dwarf burford hollies that I planted this spring. They aren't black - they are brown and crispy. Other hollies that are older look just fine.

I've already quit watering annuals, except for two pots on my front porch. I'm also not watering certain other things, but they are doing okay so far.

If you're relying on sprinklers to give adequate watering to recently planted trees and shrubs ... perhaps you should use watering cans instead. That way you know you delivered 1-2 full gallons to the root zone.

It is just such a darn shame to see the crunchy Burfordis around here...not all of them were equally affected though, just the more exposed ones. Interestingly, the "regular" spiky chinese hollies were unaffected...as were the Mary Nells and other more Pyrimidal(?) types.

Twinkle, do you not have any new growth on yours? Most of mine have at least some green shoots on them so hopefully yours will come back too. If not, watch the sales at K-Mart this July...they sell them for a dollar apiece!

My Ginkoes are also displaying stunted leaves, but that may just be because of the drought, don't you think?

I underplanted the (larger) trees with azaleas, camellias, Rhododendron, Mahonia, etc. (all together under six inches of mulch) so that I am also watering the trees at the same time. I have been using sprayer type sprinklers for two hours at a time before moving them and trying to get the same spots at least once every two weeks. The new trees that are "on their own" I have been watering with the hose and I left big bowls around their bases (again, under mulch), so I am sure that they get at least five or six gallons at a time. The other two thirds of the place I have just had to let go.

Thanks for letting me vent, it is just so distressing to see a decade of hope and effort trying to blow away. I don't ever remember having droughts when I was a kid in Atlanta! We never really watered anything!

"My Ginkoes are also displaying stunted leaves, but that may just be because of the drought, don't you think?"

No. Mine gets a ton of water, is in a protected spot. It just leafed out too early.

Forgot to mention my endless summer hydrangeas resprouted from the freeze.

Our once green grass is no more...has even become 'sandy' in spots...reminding me of Florida...seems the red ants just love it...mounds everywhere. The Rose Of Sharon's I planted keep wilting...even the Impatiens in the shade look sad.

Hello Ashli:
I know the grass looks ugly and is unpleasant to mow (all of the dust it kicks up!) but it will come back, never fear. Rose of sharon is really tough. They can get all yellow and defoliated and still come back. Perhaps we'll get some rain on Saturday!

One of my "don't have a clue" neighbors waters his lawn in the middle of the afternoon, whatever day he decides. He also fertilized it 2 weeks ago. His grass is mostly dead, but boy does he have the weeds! He has to mow them every 3-4 days, just to keep the place looking decent.
My lawn is part Fescue, part Zoysia, part Centipede, all are now brown and the weeds are scarce also. Saving gasoline!
Unless we have a Tropical system move out of the Gulf through AL or MS, I am not expecting any substantial rainfall this summer. During the previous 2 months, Total rainfall here has been less than 0ne-tenth of an inch, during 3 brief showers. The soil under my many trees never gets wet. Those I irrigate regularly, since most are very old and not easily replaced. Trying also to save 50 Camellias, 200 Hydrangeas, 500 Hosta, some newly grafted Japanese Maples and a few thousand other Shrubs & Perennials, but if they tighten the watering restrictions even further, all bets are off.
Rb

Hello RB:
Y'know, I can't imagine what these people are thinking who water grass in the middle of the afternoon. At the best of times this isn't a good practice...it is downright sinful during a drought. I saw sprinklers going full blast on a golf course in Douglasville today at three o'clock in the afternoon!

There should be quite a few storms this year to help us all out...Barry didn't reach us, but it seems to have moved out our persistent high pressure system. There seem to have been a lot of thunder storms since then, alas, not here though.

Your yard sounds wonderful, by the way. Exactly what I am hoping to achieve some day.

Anyone here get any rain yesterday? I picked up a little over half an inch(0.58")! More rain in 2 1/2 hours, than I'd had in the previous 26 days!!! I sat on my front porch and watched it rain, and enjoyed the thunder and lightning as well! I didn't think it would rain like that ever again. You could almost see the grass greening up!

We got rain here in Roswell. I don't know how much but everything looks much better this morning. Some was hard enough to get under the trees wet. Maybe our weather system has changed and we won't have weeks of dry days again.