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Give Me a Cool Spot
After a relatively cool spring and a couple of late May days with increased humidity and cloudy skies, summer arrived. The thought of a weekend bicycle ride makes me sweat and working in the garden is a chore because of the heat and the constant need to water. Every time I check on the potted plants it seems they're drooping from lack of moisture. I have one bed of Roma tomatoes that I finally gave up on because of the blossom end rot. Some of it was the raised bed's inability to hold water and some of it might be due to the variety. I still have plenty of cherry tomatoes to keep me happy although I have to fight the birds and rodents for the ripe ones.

The vegetable garden has been a struggle this year. Quail keep eating the tips off the cucumber vines and the birds pretty much wiped out one bed of bush beans and munched the basil down to stubs. The summer squash has been left alone and it's amazing how quickly a reddening tomato attracts the attention of birds and ground squirrels.

The gold finches arrive every morning and evening to dine on the zinnia flowers and the rabbits eat whatever looks edible. In the desert it's survival of the fittest and that's the creatures that find the most food.

I had three coyote pups show up one evening to sit under the ramada and chase rabbits. I wish they'd stayed around longer to help out with pest control. They were great deterrents while romping around the yard. They were born in a narrow drainage pipe that runs under a portion of my street. I first spotted them early one morning when they bravely ventured into the real world to see what was going on.

This little all ears and feet coyote wasn't sure where to go after his two siblings ran off down the wash.
There goes the neighborhood. More competition for the produce in the vegetable garden.

I also have a family of pocket gophers that have taken up residence near the ramada. Although they're fun to watch I know as they get older the gophers will be regular visitors to the vegetable garden. Some of them will end up as part of the food chain as nourishment for roadrunners, hawks, coyotes, or neighborhood cats.

It's been a struggle to get the tomato plants going this year but these eight plants are full of fruit and look healthy.
These Heatwave tomatoes might need some shade from the hot summer sun.

The mourning dove have really taken a liking to the yard and have had nests in hanging baskets, under the ramada, the eaves of the porch, in the mesquites, grapefruit and orange tree. I found at least three clutches of quail eggs although something ate one batch and another was abandoned. Young quail have been scarce this year probably due to the drought conditions of the surrounding desert. Without the winter rains weed seed is scarce and the birds seem to know it.

Greenhouse Buddy Still Around
Tripod the spiny lizard who spent his three legged childhood in my greenhouse is still around. I've spotted him numerous times in the shade of a foothills Palo Verde near the vegetable garden's gate. He's grown into somewhat of a homely brute but now and then I toss him a grub from the compost bin.

Tripod, a former greenhouse resident is still around and not more than 40 feet from where we first met.

New Garden Plantings On Hold
I don't plan to do too much new gardening until fall. I'll plant more squash, and maybe some gourds in the vegetable garden but as far as adding to the landscaping everything is on hold until temperatures once again become tolerable. It's hard enough to establish plants in out desert soils without the added heat stress and constant need to water.

This Echinopsis pictured below was purchased last year (2002) at one of the local farmer's markets for $5. When seven buds appeared, I started to watch the bud growth closely so I wouldn't miss the spectacular bloom.

April 4, 2003	May 31, 2003	June 2, 2003	June 3, 2003

I do have cactus cuttings which I may add to the landscape once they've rooted. But they are plants that are well adapted to our climate and should be able to survive without too much added care.

With summer here my thoughts are geared toward keeping cool, munching on home grown tomatoes and maintaining what's already planted in the vegetable garden and landscape. And there's always hope July will bring a memorable monsoon. One that's not only hot and humid but also capable of quenching the thirst of a very dry desert.

The Tucson Gardener
June, 2003