Surviving in spite of the heat

The heat has been nearly unbearable and lack of rain has caused everything in the garden to wilt. In spite of the sad, droopy leaves and burned up flowers, the garden is still attractive to many.

The American goldfinches have been flocking to the mass of purple coneflowers in the island garden. I'm having fun at my kitchen window these days seeing how many I can count among the flowers.

What surprised me, though, is that I'm also seeing hummingbirds around the coneflowers. I wouldn't have thought those dried up flowers would be attractive to them. The Missouri Department of Conservation puts out a calendar, the Missouri Natural Events calendar, that says hummingbirds are preparing to migrate and to look for increased numbers around feeders. Their increased numbers are very evident at my place.

We finally got a little rain yesterday. I like seeing the plants looking refreshed. Their sad, stressed look over the last two dry weeks was stressful for me. Yes, I worry over them like children. But, keeping true to my goal of establishing a more natural space, I avoided watering. Only the viburnums planted near the street got water. They looked very close to death, but appear to have recovered.

Now I just have to decide how to make the coneflower garden pretty without driving away the goldfinches.