Out of sight...

I've been out of town more than usual lately and the time I've been in town has been mostly spent helping my kids move.

I know it rained here last week but it was hot and dry when I left and hot and dry when I got back so that rain seems somewhat unreal to me. It rained just a bit today, not enough to really water anything but at least enough to beat back the heat for a while. There is at least the promise of cooler weather in our overcast skies.The moving help in combination with the travel means I have not spent any, much less enough, time in my yard and garden to keep up with weeding, dead heading, and all the maintenance work that ought to happen even though the heat of August is brutal to both garden and gardener.

The few jobs I have tackled seem nearly futile. I finally took out two of my three tomato plants that simply weren't making any fruit. I can't justify using the water on them if they aren't going to produce. I cut the one remaining plant back to help it hold on through the increased heat and am hopeful that when it cools back off we will coax a few more tomatoes out of it.

I got one tiny section of yard cleared of nutgrass. For the day at least. I know it will be back. Nutgrass always has the last laugh. Besides nutgrass I've got bermuda and crab grass all going totally crazy in spots. So much weeding to do in a few areas I can barely see how to get started. The job is so large it is simply too daunting in this heat.

I am trying to go with the flow, appreciating the sometimes amazing architecture of the seed heads of plants, such as the horsemint pictured here, and the remnants of what I can no longer identify with any certainty.I am endeavoring to fully appreciate how the plants that have survived this summer's heat in combination with my neglect, are more than worthy of their spots in the lineup.I did spot the first of what ought to be an outstanding show of obedient plant blooms to come. The eggplantand tomatillo plantscontinue to produce. The collard is cooly beautiful despite my inattention. Promise is there in even a neglected garden if you know where to look.

I hope you are finding time and energy to tend your garden. If not, I hope you are at least finding time to appreciate the plants that will thrive without your attention. Summer is nearly over and although it will be weeks yet before we have anything that will pass for cool weather, we can at least count on cool-er weather as August winds down. And at this point in the game, cool-er will do. It will do just fine.