It’s been a strange summer for weather.
The two previous years we saw higher than normal temperatures, for longer than normal. We have been getting used to smoke filled skies and the constant and pervasive scent of campfire. We have had water restrictions and the rivers have crept north of 21C on the Fraser and its tributaries.
As a result of all of that, my vegetable garden grew well and I was rolling in cucumbers and basil early on. But I also had a lot of stressed plants elsewhere in my garden as the baking hot days and almost complete absence of rain took its toll.
This year has been a bit of a flip.
My tomato plants are half the size they should be, and the cucumber plants are abysmal. However, everything I transplanted when we dug out the centre of the back garden to install the waterfall/stream/pool has survived and thrived because the cool evenings and moist soil has never suffered that baking that the garden was subjected to last year.
As a result, things aside from my vegetable garden (which never has enough sunshine owing to our north and east facing yard) have done exceptionally well this year.
The crocosmias are five feet tall and I’d tear them out because they are too big for where they sit…but the hummingbirds keep coming for a sip of nectar every time I contemplate the fate of the plants.
The ornamental oregano, a plant that I have murdered in the past, is healthy and thriving and producing those magnificent tips that I love so much.
The globe thistle is bigger than it has ever been.
The hostas produced a banner crop of flowers, all of which are now bedraggled and slated for cleanup.
The bear’s breeches produced several tall spikes of flowers this year and the leaves below are bigger than they have ever been.
And the toad lilies are four feet tall.
The garden has been happy with the cooler than usual summer, even though it has felt like fall for weeks.
I’m just sad that I feel like I’ve missed summer somehow.