EDITORletter

Your editor outside the Candy Kitchen at Rehoboth Beach, DE.

Staying Hydrated in the Summertime

I had my arm twisted a few weeks ago and joined a friend for a few days at the shore at a condo they had rented. It was right on the Rehoboth Beach, DE, boardwalk and the balcony directly faced the ocean. It was a great place to decompress for a few days, although I have to admit I was wondering about my container plantings and hoping everything was not fried to a crisp due to the unrelenting heat and lack of rain that week. The GardenBasics article by Melinda Myers on page 20 spells out several ways to ensure your plants don’t die while you are away. For my many plants in pots, I contacted a member of the Silver Spring Timebank and redeemed some of my accumulated hours in exchange for her coming by a few times to water all the containers. I also arranged with a fellow garden plot owner at my community garden to water my plot while I was away, if there was not enough rain during that period. In turn, I’ll be watering her plot while she travels at the end of summer. Last month, we gave away the Hydro Wine watering system to a few lucky winners; those products are a great help in keeping larger containers watered, even when you are not out of town. Plus, it is fun to have the neighbors ask if you meant to leave those wine bottles inserted around your garden. ;-) My indoor plants were fine for the short period I was gone, but if I had been away any longer, I might have tried the old trick of putting them all in the shower together and filling the tub or base with a few inches of water. This summer, keep your plants well-watered, but also remember to stay hydrated yourself while spending time in the garden!

Happy gardening, Kathy Jentz Editor/Publisher Washington Gardener 826 Philadelphia Ave. Silver Spring, MD 20910 Phone: 301-588-6894 kathyjentz@gmail.com www.washingtongardener.com

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Volume 16, Number 5 ISSN 1555-8959 © 2021 Washington Gardener All rights reserved. Published monthly.

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