Rethinking the Summer from Hell

As I trudged through the gardens on Saturday, hose in hand, pondering the expected return of August's 100+ degree temperatures had me in a funk.  Not for the first time this summer, I felt a distinct lack of enthusiasm for the gardens and gardening.  Why do I continue to garden in such inhospitable conditions?  And how long can I continue to do so before I throw up my hands in despair and allow heat and drought to do their worst?  Mental histrionics, it's true, but I've been pushed to the very edge of my limits this summer as never before.   

I've been teetering on that edge for the last month but Saturday evening, I was rescued by a seemingly unlikely group of benefactors.  When the doorbell rang and I opened the gate to a director from the community association, my first thought was, "Oh, frass! What did I do to provoke the yard police?"  It's been over five years since we've received any negative feedback on our unconventional landscape but I've remained wary of offending those who monitor such things for our homeowners' association.  It was a happy surprise to hear the director say that they appreciated all the hard work I put into the gardens and to receive a sign proclaiming ours the "yard of the season" for summer 2011.


Sometimes the support you need to keep calm and carry on comes from an unexpected source.  I am truly grateful to the Nottingham Country Community Improvement Association for recognizing and acknowledging my efforts, and thereby encouraging me to look at this summer's gardening experience differently.  Yes, it's been an undeniably hellatious summer but the gardens are far from bereft of blooms and foliage.  I'm still not happy about the heat and drought and I hope never to experience a summer like this again, but there's beauty on my corner of Katy and I'm not ready to give up after all!