The temperatures this week have still been so intense that I’ve struggled with the fierce heat, and so have some of the plants. With temperatures regularly reaching the high thirties at times and indoor temperatures in the high twenties and no air conditioning, I’ve sadly not had the energy. I have given up on some plants. It’s a matter of survival of the fittest.
Taking a three-week vacation has left me lethargic. *laughing* I must get back into the gardening GROOVE.
My Plants are Suffering
A picture is worth a 1000 words. Hopefully I can revive the hibiscus, but I have culled the other two along with a fern and several others.
Piglet’s Plot
With the acute water shortage and exceptionally hot weather, I’ve got to make some tough decisions and completely clear the plot. This will be WIP over the next week. I’ve enlisted some young muscle to help with this project.
Lettuce: The trays of lettuce plants are not worth the water. The leaves are bitter, and the plants have now run to seed. The leaves will be shredded and added to my green compost bin.
Bye, Zucchini – I have lost patience. I hoped that by planting in the main bed, they would grow. After a couple of months, still not one zucchini in sight.
Bye, Butternut Squash. All these leaves and not one baby squash.
Composting
I continue to use my ‘green waste’ compost bin to produce liquid fertiliser.
I now rarely use the traditional compost method … in fact, I seldom go near the bins this time of year because I am afraid of surprising a snake and whatever else might be lurking in the vicinity
On a Positive Note
The Aubergines and strawberries are doing well and seem to enjoy the heat..
Strawberries. I lost a few of the newly planted strawberries. The established plants are fine and cropping well.
Spatiphyllum – Peace Lily
This is my latest purchase. A bargain at just 13.99€ at Continente Supermarket. I’ve wanted a plant for the plant stand in the dining room for some time. I was delighted to find this at such a great price.
Tips for Caring for the Spathiphyllum – Peace Lily. Now I just have to figure out what she is saying. *laughing*
In case I lose patience with the translation here are some tips from The Spruce: https://www.thespruce.com/grow-peace-lilies-1902767
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Well, folks. That’s my offering of Six for this Saturday. Now I’m off to check out other Garden bloggers while I enjoy a cup of tea.
Piglet in Portugal 
Aubergines loves the heat, don’t they? This is the time of year to let it go a bit – it’s just scorching. Your strawberries somehow look fantastic, I’m impressed.
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Thanks, Tracy. I am suprised the strawberries are doing so well. Once the roots establish they seem to like the virtical planter. Auberines, I can only eat so many so the four plants will hopefully carry me through.
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Very sorry to read that it’s so hot where you live. It’s been hot here, for Maine, with temps sometimes edging into the high 90s. Thank God for our heat pumps. Cannot recommend them highly enough.
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Lauri, sounds like you are experiencing similar temperatures but at least you are organised. I’ve not looked at heat pumps. Maybe we should. We really neeed to shift our butt into gear … I think… moving forward prolonged high temps are going to be the new normal
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Yes, the new normal. Sigh. Time was, summer in Maine was glorious and attracted tourists south of us. Ah, well…
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It sounds unbearable with those temperatures for any length of time without air-condition. I feel for you. I hope you get relief soon.
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Thanks, Maria. I think we have a brief reprieve with cooler weather forecast. Of course that could chnage.
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Fingers crossed for some cooler weather.
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Beautiful peace lily! My son and fam went to visit fam in UK and then spent a few days on the beach in Spain so I’ve been hearing how hot it’s been.
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Hi ES, yep I really like the Peace Lily. I’ve not had one before so it will be interesting see how it survives. Yes, the temperatures in Spain have also been unbearable. Your family were lucky to be in an area without forest fires.
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I learned that their roots like to be in crowded pots and they don’t like too much water. I had one giant plant and separated it into several others and that was a surprise success. Good luck with yours!
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Thanks for the tip, EC. I will bear it in mind should I be tempted to repot.
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It all sounds quite a challenge. I would definitely not do well in those temperatures, 25C is hot enough for me and I actually prefer 20-23C. Such a shame about all the plants though when you have put so much effort into growing them. I must admit to pulling out plants here now that either take too much looking after (i.e. over winter) or unsuitable (i.e. too tall, flopping). Despite several cloudy days and even some mizzle even my garden is bone dry. What a contrast to last years very wet and cold spring and dismal summer. We really do not know what to plan for. Your peace lily looks nice and cool though.
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Hi Jude, like you we also live by the sea. This year we’ve had hardly any sea mist mizzle. Aside of that we do have very high humidity overnight which is probably why some plants have survived but the soil is bone dry. IT’s tough to be ruthless with the plants but sometimes the head has to rule the heart.
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Did you have someone to water for you while you were away, Carole, or a watering system installed? Not sure which wilts more- our plants or me xx
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Hi JO, we have a watering system for most of the pots. Others we dragged into the shade. We were only away a week so we watered the morning we left. A friend also came round mid week to top up. But TBH it was not so hot at the end of July. The temps seemed to rise dramatically and unbearably the day we got back
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We’re off to the UK on Thursday so I suspect my wilting will be cured then. Not so sure about our plants here, but a neighbour will be keeping an eye on them xx
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Have a good time in the UK, Jo. Please bring back some rain.
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Sorry to hear about the heat with no air-conditioning. That would be uncomfortable. I generally turn on the AC when we reach about 29C (84F). Today we’re at 31C, but with A/C indoors and plenty of rain outdoors. Your Strawberries certainly look yummy! And your Peace Lily looks happy. I hope you’ll get some relief this week, and I hope the Hibiscus will come back just fine.
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29C Wow! I could not endure that … 24C is my comfortable limit indoors beyond that I really suffer with heat. Where abouts are you located. It sounds like you are well acclamintised to the hotter climate.
Yep, I have high hopes for the Peace Lily
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A lovely Peace Lily. They’re one of the few house plants that have survived in our home so they must be pretty tough!
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Hi Trowel. You are the second person to say they are easy to grow. After Terry’s comment I was worried.
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I just know how you feel and sympathise regarding the heat and what to ditch in the garden. Let us hope there will be a normal year next year, unless this is the norm for you. Our weather is quite out of the ordinary.
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Hi Noelle, I do hope this is not the new normal. It is has certainly made me pause for thought. Where abouts are you?
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Goodness, that’s hot. It’s hard to keep plants happy in that heat. I have had my peace lily for years and it seems pretty easy and uncomplaining. Sometimes, it flops and I realise I have forgotten to water it but it is very forgiving and quickly perks up with a drink.
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Hi Chloris, I am heartened on your words re the Peace Lily. I believe the problem this year is that the high temperatures have extended over such a prolonged period.
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Heat and drought are hard to fight. There is always “next year”.
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That’s true, Bernie. But with the ever increasing temperatures I need to review my gardening strategy.
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For sure. That’s what made us switch to container gardening and putting in the irrigation system to just water plants directly.
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I’m sorry for the intense heat being suffered by yourself and your garden, Carole. Our daughter gifted a Peace Lily to me for Mother’s Day several years ago. Unfortunately, no matter how much I studied the care, (including from “The Spruce”), I couldn’t keep it alive past the first bloom. They’re such beautiful plants and I wish you all the best with yours!
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Thanks, Terry. Now I am concerned re the fate of the poor Peace Lily. You have set me a challenge. What happened to your plant? Did the leaves go yellow or brown or did it just rot away?
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I think the main problem was that I didn’t have a place for it with a good natural light source in the condo we had at the time. I couldn’t find a spot where it was happy. I can’t remember exactly what it looked like in its final days, Carole. Also, I have a horrid history with house plants.
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Hi Terry, it does sound as if it was a lighting issue. Hopefully where I’ve positioned mine it will be happy. Unfortunately we have all the shutters closed at the moment to reduce the heat from the sun coming into the room.
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I think even filtered light works, Carole – and if I remember correctly, once they find a happy place, that’s where they should be kept. We just had a poor layout in that condo, so there wasn’t a happy place for plants.
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Well done with the strawberries, mine didn’t like the heat.
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What a shame, Rosie! the strawberries I had in smaller pots all died. I think maybe the large barrel container with central watering probably helped to keep the roots moist.
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