Heat and yet no watering

I knew it was going to be a scorcher today when it dawned clear and sunny, topped the 80 degree mark before noon. Got out as soon as I could, decided to just add more mulch but not water.

The bottom flower is wilted of course, I expected that so I suspect this is going to be another zucchini scenario. There are at least three more flowers open so here's hoping. I will see about finding someplace that has some Alyssum or maybe some small asters without breaking the bank.

You know how it is when you have a new child or animal and want to capture every moment? Yep, same thing with gardeners. I said there were more flowers and wasn't guessing. Just holding my breath for those sunflowers to pop though. One is sort of facing the wall due to reflected heat and the other is leaning to the east still. Those two out of seven or eight I planted? Better than nothing which was my average with the beans until I sprouted them inside.

Well she finally gave up on her tomatoes but doesn't know the hazard of tossing them over there.  Completely infested with mites, so I might take one of my leftover mulch bags and bag it up and take it to the dumpster. Can't dig them in and the longer they sit the more the mites will move around to other plants. Have to wait until the evening though when it's cooler. Oh I think the supposed pill bug I saw could be a damp and decaying branch piece from the mulch. I was digging around this morning and saw something similar and realized my mistake. Not that I wouldn't welcome our little arthropod workers but could well be mistaken identity.

That bucket of mulch is all that's left of the three bags after distributing most of the original bucket. Didn't need much to top off the beds and you bet I will be scraping that mulch on the ground and saving it for next year when I do the beds for spring. It will last until winter for sure and I don't expect that free pile will be there in four months.

Use tools in whatever way you can. This ice scoop was on the patio table last year and I picked it up saying, 'great! a new soil scoop!' It isn't as good at soil scooping but is fantastic for scooping something loose like mulch. It has a beveled edge on the front which makes for getting in for a full scoop of whatever easier. I have that dilapidated trowel for digging in the dirt as it has a point to get into the hard soil, this scoop is more for chunky loos things which is mulch. I was using the bucket at first just adding mulch cautiously then it got down to the bottom and that's when the scoop was used. It was also useful for getting behind and in between the plants. So keep your trowel but get one of these as well, this one is very lightweight aluminum not like the heavy duty ones at restaurants.

We are shut up for the day now, it was 87 in my room where I am typing which means it's at least two degrees warmer than that in the kitchen and living room. Keep cool out there and remember to hydrate you and your plants (when needed).