You remember the song from Sesame Street, “It’s not Easy Being Green”! This past week put our gardens to the test.

Potted plants need to be watered daily when it is hot. I have a dozen tomato plants in large pots on my patio. Some varieties of tomatoes do not make fruit when it is over 90 degrees. The blossoms that should be pollinated and become tiny tomatoes dry up instead.

Hydrangeas are at their best right now. The rain that followed the heat wave was just what they needed. “Hydra” means “water” and hydrangeas need their share. If you want to dry some of the flowers at their peak, it is best to pick them at the end of the day, hang them upside don to dry. It is best to hand them out of direct sunlight.

Stay cool and out of the sun. Enjoy the beauty of the season.

Shalom,

Ceil