The garden is having a heat stroke, but a few things are holding on. This is Oaxacan green dent flour corn (not an "eating ear). Maybe it's better adapted to the heat. Over the years, I thought I'd become an experienced gardener. But I've never had experience with this kind of consistent dry heat. It's teaching me some new and interesting lessons about which plants grows and thrive, which sulk, which shrivels up and dies.
We're now in our 51st day of 100+ temperatures, due to the high-pressure ridge that's sitting on top of us. I got curious about that the other day, and looked around on the Internet and found that the heat is due to something called the Hadley Cell. The heat and moisture rise along the equator and spreads out in the upper atmosphere, rather like a fountain. The hot air, exhausted of its moisture, sinks back to earth at about 30 degrees latitude, north and south. (Sinking air creates high pressure.) We're at north latitude 30.7. So what we have is a huge blanket of smothery hot, dry air falling across us. Not complaining, just saying.... And just wondering whether next summer will bring a repeat performance. Unfortunately, global warming is likely to heat up the equatorial region, which means even more hot/dry stagnant summer air for us.
Moving forward with the Dahlias, finding several voices for it. I've been listening to Fannie Flagg reading an abridgement of Fried Green Tomatoes, which is helping me to hear Southern voices in my head. Love that book, love her reading even more.
Next week, to celebrate the upcoming publication of The Tale of Applebeck Orchard, I'll be putting up some posts about Beatrix Potter, the Lake District, and other bits and pieces related to the Cottage Tales. There'll be drawings for ARCs of the book. Maybe you'll get lucky and win your very own advance copy! So stay tuned here (and on Twitter and Facebook) for all the details.
Reading note. It ain't the heat, it's the humility.--Yogi Berra