"Hot Hot Hot"

Sounds great if you are in Jamacia or Cayman Island and dancing on the beach to the "Hot Hot Hot' Jamacian music, but in South Texas it's a different story.



The yards are burning up from the heat and lack of rain. Most yards are shades of brown with a few little round spots of light green. Under foot is crispy dried grass and cracks to watch out for.



In my little part of the world, where the normal rainfall is 30 inches per year, we have had about 6 inches in the past 12 months.



It rains all around and just taunts us as it goes by.



Needless to say the water hoses are running almost everyday just to keep the flowers and gardens alive. Most outside work is done before 8 AM and after 7 PM, except for the quick trip outside to move the waterhose to the next spot.



One of the best investments I have made are the dog kennels used to make shade houses. I call them my greenhouses, but they don't have plastic, just fabric, so it makes a perfect place for shade loving plants and rooting cuttings. Since it closes securely, you don't need to worry about your pets taking up homestead in them.



If you are interested in making one for yourself: it takes one for the base and 1/2 of another for the roof. I used the thick nylon strapes to hold the roof onto the top. Real technical, right? Whatever works is what I say. Anyway add a shade cloth or use what I used, sheets or fabric. Mine is made where you can fold down the sides to allow air to circulate from the top section while still protecting your tender plants from the wind.



Tomatoes and Bell Peppers do great in this environment. I have several fruit trees that didn't get planted this fall, that are also doing great fruiting.



Pray for rain and enjoy your garden efforts.



Gail