Well, for those up north, people are starting to talk about the end of the summer. Not so here in Dallas. 100+ degrees, as is typical for August. But more than that, my Backyard Resort season in many cases runs into November. We’re good until the first frost. So, I’ve got several months left.
Now, how has the BYR season been this year? Well, I can safely say “not the best”. Things got off to a slow start with cooler than normal temps in March/April/May and lots of clouds and rain. Banana, cannas, papayas, castor beans, and other tropicals were definitely slow out of the gate this year. Then, we get some sun and heat and things start going. Then, bang, we immediately flipped to day after day of 102+ degree temps and little or no rain. Folks, most of the plants I recommend (tropical and non-tropical) like the heat, but very few plants tolerate continual 100+ degree days well. This is further aggravated by little of no rain. No matter how much you water, you just can’t keep up.
So things were not looking their best, looking a little tired, before we finally got a break from the heat, and got a little rain. Now we’re hot, but back to a normal range and things are starting to look really nice. And by the end of the season, I may come back and say that it was a great season. We shall see.
Like a lot of things, with Backyard Resorts, some years are better than other. The last 3 at least were just fantastic. This one … a little tough. BUT, even when my backyard resort is not at its best, I can compare to my friends and acquaintances’ back yards with their IMHO normal/boring/common landscapes…. and still smile a great big smile ……. It really is still something special ….
Cheers …
