Remembering cooler days

How are you staying cool on these 90+ degree days?  Gardening in this heat can be a challenge, so we're taking cues from the experts.  Watering in the early morning or late afternoon/evening is best.  Resisting the urge to skip breaks in the shade and staying hydrated with homemade fruit-infused waters or agua fresca helps too (click for recipes).   They say the lycopene and carotenoids in the brightly colored fruits also help us handle UV radiation a bit better as well!

Looking over these pictures from our Grand Opening Festival in the garden a few weeks back is another way to dream of cooler days!  We were blessed with a lovely breezy day and plenty of umbrellas and sun shelters kept everyone comfortable.  Such a fun day...

Here are some of the pictures:


Plants that love all of this sun include the nightshades (tomatoes, peppers, eggplants) but make sure to pick and enjoy those fresh lettuces; very hot sunny days tend to make them bitter if you grow them outside during this stretch of the summer.  For more info on which veggies and fruits love sun and shade, check out this link from ehow.com.

Hope you stay cool and have fun!
See you soon. :)

~Marykaye