Michelle Davies captured this image of a Blue Clipper butterfly Tuesday at the Botanical Conservatory in Fort Wayne.I built and installed my second rain barrel just before the last rain. It seems strange to be adding a rain barrel during drought conditions but we have had heavy four rains this summer, enough to fill the barrel four times.
I have been trying to conserve water and yet water the plants and trees that really need it. I have a lot of trees on my property that has helped the grass survive the heat. Purdue Extension website https://ag.purdue.edu/extension/eden/pages/drought.aspx has information on how much water it takes to care for your yard during a drought and other drought information.
My vegetable garden is actually doing well, but the tomato and cucumber plants have taken a beating and look it. I been watering my tomato and cucumber plants really well each morning and this has gotten them through the really hot days. I am now starting see lots of tomatoes but I am also now finding lots of half eaten tomatoes laying around the garden. I suspect raccoons.
Squirrels are also digging holes in my pots and garden because the rest of the yard is too hard. I guess they are looking for nuts and can't remember where they buried them.
The sunflowers, sugar water and jam for the birds are keeping them fed well so I really don't know why they insist on digging up my garden.
