June 6th, 2006
Hellishly Hot on 6/6/6
People are always writing to me and asking how to eradicate Acanthus mollis. Perhaps the best thing to do is move where the temperature tops 95.
Last week May ended on a cool and rainy note. This week we’ve skipped straight to July. The sun is shining as soon as it’s risen; no cloud cover to burn off, nor any of the towering cumulus clouds that seem to me so much like summer in Austin. Just stark blue skies and the kind of sunshine that you can feel burning your flesh the second you’ve stepped into the sunlight. However, desert-like, this is a dry heat. As long as you stay in the shade, it’s more pleasant than a typical humid June day, even if the temperatures are reaching for record highs. Margaritas, anyone?
by M Sinclair Stevens
June 7th, 2006
And here I am, sad that I can’t grow Acanthus mollis, because I am zone five. Life’s ironies endlessly amuse, no?
Absolutely. Those of us who want it, can’t grow it and vice versa. I think it’s a lovely plant, but for people on the west coast and in Australia it’s apparently an invasive pest. — mss.
June 7th, 2006
My, my, M. Those search engines bring you some odd questions, don’t they. So all Indian Hawthorn problems land at Zanthan, and Acanthus ones do, too?
A friend grows Acanthus in Austin, sold to her as Greek Pattern Plant. It looked good and she was happy for a couple of years, then her neighbors cut down the tree that gave the plant afternoon shade… it’s now struggling to exist.
Here in NW Austin there’s a nearby person with an online weather site – he claims we hit 104 ∫ today. It may be dry, but for June that is really hot.
Darn hot, but not unheard of. Tuesday (6/6) we tied the 1964 record (96) at the airport and Wednesday (6/7) we were one degree below the 1989 record for both the airport and Camp Mabry. Another friend heard that the heat index, however, was 105 yesterday. But you’re right, I think of June as hot but still pleasant. This feels much more like July: hot and unpleasant. To answer your first question…there are certain plants that people seem to have a lot of questions about. Another example is the Lady Banks rose. Ever since I wrote that the third one I planted also died, I’ve gotten a lot of questions about how to grow them. Well, I’ve killed three of them, so I can tell you how NOT to grow them…Hey! I may sound curmudgeony but keep those questions and comments coming. I love hearing from y’all. — mss
June 9th, 2006
Holy Moley, it is hot there.
I just wanted to swing by and thank you for stopping by my garden blog and leaving your very helpful comments.
I will have to stop by here more often to watch how your garden grows. 🙂