"When summer opens, I see how fast it matures, and fear it will be short; but after the heats of July and August, I am reconciled, like one who has had his swing, to the cool of autumn."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson 
The grapes and persimmons are ripening and I must rush to pick them before the birds and squirrels try their luck. In the veggie garden I have harvested most of the ripe tomatoes and I'm picking the green ones to fry and pickle. The okra has flowered and will soon produce its fruit. The cucumbers and green peppers continue their production as well.
This August has been rather dry compared to last but off and on we've had some rain , albeit , not nearly enough so I had to give the garden supplemental water. While temperatures are still hot and the humidity high we have brief periods of cooler days as well. Mornings are often cool with high 50's to 60's.
The Ajuga groundcover has suffered from too much rain in May to not enough in July so I'm replacing it in the roadside garden with herbs such as thyme, rosemary, sage, lavender and oregano which will endure the heat and resist deer.
Most of my roadside garden plants are drought-tolerant -yarrow, artemisia, brazilian verbena, japanese iris, ornamental grass, catmint, asters, euphorbia, and goldenrod, to name a few. I will replace the black and blue salvia with agastache as it didn't seem to do too well with the heat.
The Pocahontas Lilac I planted in the Spring has survived our heatwave. Looking forward to seeing it bloom in the coming Spring. Also hoping that the six camellias I planted and the rhododendron will bloom as well.
Ah September and the countdown to the cooler days of Autumn when Fall planting can begin.
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