100 F in the Shade: Summer Heat and Our Gardens

It's hovering around 100 degrees F today and over the next couple of days. Has anyone managed to work in our garden this past week? I came back from vacation and found my own garden hard hit by the summer heat, and I am thinking I can only tend it very, very early in the morning. We've had some serious heat advisories, so everyone should take care and work very early and stay well hydrated.

And here's a question:  my cucumbers (in home garden) are very very pale green, almost whitish in color. Anyone know the reason for that and how to correct it?

Let's hear what YOU are doing to save your garden from this intense heat.

Oh, and don't forget to put out water for the birds and garden friends.

Cypriot Gardens 2011

Thanks to Mary for allowing me to share the gardens discovered during my recent summer adventures.  See you soon friends.  Keep cool!  Demetra


 Cavo Greko gives a breathtaking view of the sea and bears witness to the island’s arid climate so Cypriot gardens take many forms.

My cousin Costa’s vegetable garden.  After his son Michalis, it’s his pride and joy.  We enjoyed sweet yellow corn, eggplant, squash, tomatoes, peppers (bell and hot) and cucumbers.  A staple on our menu was fresh arugula salad (Roka or Rocket Salad) picked from the garden.  

,

Costa and his bounty!

A prayer garden outside a tiny hilltop chapel dedicated to the Prophet Elias.  These two trees were decorated with flowers, ribbons, bits of clothing offered by the faithful in memory of loved ones. 

Some of the offerings and letters hanging from the tree branches. Loving messages were scribbled in so many languages. 

Yet another variety of garden.  This is a Sculpture Garden constructed by my cousin Phillipos Yiapanis and displays his extraordinary work. 

Phillipos has become a renowned sculptor in the country and philanthropist.  His sculptures can be found all over the island at public squares, memorials, and sports stadiums. 

Time to Tend the Garden

Garden Friends, it's time to tend the garden this coming Friday, July 22nd.

Rain has been scarce this past week, so some watering will be first on the list. I will be away in the mountains on vacation, so I'll miss our little group. This is a challenging time of summer for gardens. Things start to fade, wither, and often vegetable production is unpredictible. In my home garden, fresh ripe tomatoes are almost nonexistent because of the interminable battle with the squirrels who steal the tomatoes before we can harvest them. On the other hand, cucumbers abound. I guess this is really part of the surprise and fun of gardening.  Our school garden seems to fare better, so please do pick, harvest what's ripe and enjoy!

Blueberries growing in our garden are a lovely treat.

No doubt the Friday group will decide about a cool beverage and treat as they work in the heat. Let's set the time at 8:30 am as we have done all summer. I hope you enjoy the time together telling about what your summer has been like. One more month before we are hard at work in the classroom. Hard to believe, isn't it? Have fun, dear friends. :)

Time to Reflect...

July brings heat, humidity and a great desire to sit back and enjoy the mid-summer beauty the garden offers us. This got me to thinking about adding a link to the website Debbie Suggs and I created two years ago when we published our book, A Giving Garden.  http://www.agivinggarden.com/   If you look at the pictures on that site, you will see the garden in its earlier stages when it was quite new. You can also read "our story" about how our own giving garden came to be.  Here is a small section:

"We feel that the garden reflects how well Durham Academy works together as a community. This garden has at times been planted by second graders, watered by first graders, tended carefully by third and fourth graders, and has had middle and upper school advisories help out. Teachers now comprise the Garden Committee, and it isn’t unusual to see them work in the garden after school, on a Saturday morning, or during the summer. Many hands work together to make our garden grow. At any given moment, you might find someone gently rubbing lavender or rosemary to smell the fragrant herbs or (with permission) pulling out a fresh radish or cherry tomato to eat.  Butterflies flutter from flower to flower. Children come to talk to one another or play games during recess. Even in the dead of winter, it is the symbol of what a school is all about—nurturing growth and helping to put everything in balance. We give to our garden, but it gives back even more."

[Mary Kendall and Debbie Suggs. A Giving Garden ©2009.] 

A quiet place in the garden

Both photographs are by Debbie N. Suggs ©2009

Our Latest Visitors

Lynn Colleen Streck (second from right in the green shirt)
speaking to visitors about our school garden.

Our guests in our garden look happy!

Earth Partnership for Schools Summer Institute

The North Carolina Botanical Garden and the City of Durham Stormwater Services invite teams of teachers to join the Earth Partnership for Schools. This week-long institute will train teams of teachers to create rain gardens, native plant gardens, or restored natural habitats on school grounds.

During the institute, teachers will learn about North Carolina's local flora, native plant gardening, and using the outdoors as a place for learning. Participants will also have the opportunity to visit some unique natural areas in the Triangle as well as some area schools that have schoolyard native plant gardens. 


We were fortunate in having this year's group of teachers come to visit our very own garden. We hope they enjoyed it.

Welcome Earth Partnership for School Visitors to our Giving Garden

On Wednesday, July 13th, Lyn Colleen Streck, our science teacher and garden founder, will join middle school science teacher, Barb Kanoy (who is a new NCBG group Facilitator) in touring our Lower School garden.

This is part of a wonderful project that includes Barb, Lyn and Katherine Sherrill (all from DA), and others who are part of the Earth Partnership for Schools. Last year they were part of the week-long institute and this year they are part of the group of schools being visited.  Here is a summary of the 35-hour course being taught this week:

"The North Carolina Botanical Garden and City of Durham Stormwater Services invite teams of teachers to join the Earth Partnership for Schools.  This week-long institute will train teams of teachers to create rain gardens, native plant gardens, or restored natural habitats on school grounds. During the institute, teachers will learn about North Carolina's local flora, native plant gardening, and using the outdoors as a place for learning. Participants will also have the opportunity to visit some unique natural areas in the Triangle as well as some area schools that have schoolyard native plant gardens."

I know that all the Garden Committee will be looking forward to hearing what the group has to say--what they enjoy about our garden, suggestions they might make, etc.  All gardeners love to talk gardening--it's a passion we share--and getting new ideas, hearing impressions from new visitors is all part of what makes it all worthwhile.

We wish you a great visit, new friends from the Earth Partnership for Schools. A big thank you to Lyn, Katherine and Barb for bringing us new visitors. 

Gardening and Iced-Tea Anyone?

Pink Buddleia is attracting butterflies galore!

This Friday, July 8th will be a garden care group time once again. Gathering time is around 8:30 am or whenever you can make it (this is very, very informal!). Obviously we have had loads of rain so watering won't be necessary. I haven't been out to the garden this week yet, but I would imagine weeds have grown a lot in the past two weeks. I know they sure have in my own garden and probably in yours. Weeds just love the rain and heat.

I'm not sure I can make it. I have an appointment a little later in the day, but I'll do my best to be there. If you think you will be coming, why not reply in the comment section below (you can do this simply with the anonymous url but sign your name in the message so we can tell who is coming and who is not). I've already heard from Elizabeth who might join us. Given that the heat is awful and she is pregnant with twins, we will find a something appropriate for her to do (harvest veggies to share?) :)  It will be great seeing anyone who makes it.

After we work (without watering, this shouldn't take that long), we can go out for iced-tea or morning coffee. Guglhupf was great last time so I vote for Guglhupf once more!  See you soon!

Stories in the Garden, Part 2

"Oh heart, if one should say to you that the soul perishes like the body, answer that the flower withers, but the seed remains."

Kahlil Gibran

Memorial Fig Tree Planting, March 4, 2011

Farnaz and Kambiz Soheili 

and their daughter, 

Kaynaz Soheili (DA, ’19) 

Mrs. Streck and Mrs. Soheili prepare the site.

Kaynaz and her cousin with the newly
planted fig tree.

Many hands help with planting.

Simple stones remember those who were lost.

The Soheili family and the fig tree.

Learning about one’s heritage is important. Durham Academy parents, Farnaz and K.C. Soheili who were born in Iran, wanted to give their daughter, Kaynaz (DA ’19), a chance to know who her family is and to learn the stories of young family members were who were lost to political strife in the 1980’s in Iran. They arranged with science teacher, Lynn Colleen Streck, to plant a memorial fig tree in the Lower School garden where other children would also have the chance to read and learn about four of their beloved relatives who died far too soon.

The tree will be a living remembrance of these brave people who died to uphold their convictions and beliefs. 

In the words of Mrs. Soheli, “We lost our dear cousins, Afsaneh, Hossein, Namvar and Nilofar, but they will always be alive in our hearts.” 

Stories are shared, planting is done,
and new memories are made