Bkay, I’m with you on hostas looking terrible and ready for dormancy. But it’s still hot here…. 🥵
My Winter Snow is sending up a new flower as well. Usually I have several that do this but this year just the one. I have Pineapple Upside Down Cake and it’s one of my favorites. I don’t have it in sun except late afternoon about 4-5.
I also have August Moon, but had to move it 3 times because it was burning in any sun. I finally put it in complete shade and it’s doing fine since. Try that with yours. I have Squash Casserole too and it looks great!

Your previous So Sweet was perfect!
I’ll write more later, gotta go!

debra

Most of my hosta are looking sad. A few exceptions…..I have about 8 June and they all look good, my Little Treasure still looks like it is late May.

We are in official drought, above normal temps for at least three weeks and no rain for almost four weeks. My hydrangea and shrubs finally got watered yesterday, they look so much better today. The sad news is no rain expected for at least another week.

Sherry

Paula - I'll take some of that rain here, like Sherry it's been hot and dry for a while and no relief in sight. I've been running the sprinkler almost every other day (hate to see my water bill) trying to delay the uglies (not working to well) and have them healthy going into dormacy.

I've freshened the media and up-potted several hostas this past weekend, every year I have more in pots because i need to make new beds but just don't have the ambition to make them.

I did till under a 5' x 30' cut flower bed as it didn't perform good this year and am planting some of the potted hostas there.

There are some bright spots here yet, most of the halcyon family are doing well and Diana Remembered is still blooming nicely.

Y'all have a great week!

I had Bert clean out the front bed near the front door. It was full of maple roots, buckets and bucket of them!! Then I replanted most of the hostas that were there already and added some of the potted ones. I couldn’t save Emerald Tiara…..it was in so many pieces I don’t think it would have survived. Several others I had to tape together and then plant. I have watered and watered, until my water monitor registered “wet” there. However several of them look completely fried. I guess I will find out next spring if they survived……do I keep watering until frost?? We don’t really have any rain forecast for the next 2 weeks at least.

What else……. Cut back all of the tomato plants and pulled them up by the roots. I think we need to add something to the soil. What would be best to add at this time? Fertilizer, new soil, ?????? Not sure….🤔

I want to remove the two arborvitae on the corners of the front of the house. Not sure what to replace them with…..
Something without a lot of roots ==>> hahaha. I have been looking at some trees that grow maybe 15’ but stay narrow. Or maybe a large potted grouping on one corner to hide the gas meter. Perhaps I will buy another dwarf Threadbranch Cypress. I have one at the front door which I am keeping small due to its location. But if I bought another one, I would not have to worry about shaping or size so much. Don’t know if the roots are any less dense than arborvitae roots…..🤔

Well that’s it for now!

debra

Paula, so much rain. ☹ But I can’t wait to see your pink rain boots! Contractors can be a pain, but I bet you’re good at dealing with them. I hope all your plumbing issues are fixed and that you can work on your greenhouse soon.

Bkay, I’ve used Firefox for my browser for ages. Only recently I had to sign in again with the last GW/Houzz update. I’m glad it’s working better for you now. I admire your tenacity for growing hostas in your climate. Your previous So Sweet was perfection!

Sherry and old_dirt, droughts suck! No other way to put it.

Debra, having a Bert would be so nice. I’m glad you found such a good helper. Are you talking about enriching your vegetable garden soil? I put down leaves in the fall and mix them in with the existing soil, or cover with compost/mulch to break them down over winter.

I don’t want to call anyone out, but where’s Steve? He was going to retire, so I thought that meant more gardening time. Maybe he's busy with other fun things.

My west hill garden got away from me. I have so many green-leaved Heliopsis trying to take over the hillside. They grow too tall and block water from other plants. They started from the shorter variegated leaf variety I had, Lorraine Sunshine. When I saw them I thought free plants, but they’re taller and rooted in pretty well. So I’ve been digging them out and weeding whatever else shouldn’t be there. I’m still putting mulch down in places I didn’t get to yet this year!

It’s cooled down a lot. I’m fighting the urge to make a trip to the nursery. I have so much to do, I don’t need more plants, right? RIGHT? Someone stop me! LOL. I’ll have bulbs to plant very soon, that will be enough. ….But the nurseries do bring in some nice things for fall planting. So tempting!

Ok, sandyslopes……I’ll be the one to say it, YOU DON’T NEED MORE PLANTS! Hahaha

Bert also was laying mulch for me as we didn’t get to it either. Just the front and maybe the sides….. the back is ok until next year.

I was talking about my veggie beds….. so I will try mixing the leaves! Thank you 🙏🏽

debra

Ha ha ha, we always want more plants! I have avoided the nursey here. Hubbie removed three old shrubs yesterday on the fence line in the backyard. My neighbor has small rose of sharon planted on the fence line in her yard. We are going enjoy her’s, I , don't need water them : ).

Sherry

Ha, could never say one doesn't need more plants either, lol. I counted, my early post of not buying hostas this year turned into 40 new ones, named varieties................ Bkay, I admire your desire to grow hostas. My climate is getting to be garden challenging, never mind yours for hostas. Still super dry for 6 weeks with no rain. I feel that ground level of water dropped waay down. I have heavy clay and it drains like sand. I started putting mulch down, leaves, manure and wood chip mix, anything to protect soil. I want to create 4 more beds, blissfully I have enough hostas lol. Hubby calls them invasive hostas.

40 new ones…..that does qualify for invasive🤣

Linda, we have the same miserable dry weather, wondering if everything will survive.

Sherry

Paula..I’d gladly take some of your rain..

I water everyday..

June and First Frost are my best looking hostas..

my trees are dropping leaves..

Me too, Ann. I got about 2 tenths this evening, nowhere near enough in this very dry summer.

The rain seems arrived, at least am hopeful. So far we got few drizzles but this is time of a year when I put my hose away...

Yes, finally, finally it has rained!! I am not far from lindalana. Here we got storms, thunder and lightning starting about 3 a.m. It has been raining since I got up and just stopped. It’s supposed to rain on and off throughout the day.
Thank goodness!!

debra

Rain at my house too!! Got an inch so far. More predicted this week.

Sherry

Yay more rain coming today!..

a tech question..I get ”push” not email notifications on Houzz..I’d like to delete them once I’ve read them..I’ve tried “mark all as read”..it does nothing..I’m using an iPhone..anyone know if you can clear old notifications?..

Ann, I have this same issue….. I don’t have the push, but I don’t know how to delete the notifications in houzz. But since it’s their server, I don’t worry about it taking up memory on my devices.

Why don’t you start a new thread with this question? Put it in the “using houzz” forum and other forums you use like this one, perennials and ?????

debra