What do you do when the temperature tops 103 outside? Way too hot to work in the garden. Way too early for the fall bulb catalogs to start arriving.
Why not stroll through some gardens across the country and maybe from across the globe?
First, try a Google search on botanical gardens in Alabama. You will find links to a number of outstanding botanical gardens in Alabama both public and private. Most will outline the different smaller gardens that comprise the larger garden. Some have photo tours so you can take a virtual tour. Now that’s the way to take in a garden in this August heat.
Want to visit the garden in person? Most of these gardens’ Web sites will give you the low down on when they are open as well as what is in bloom and what classes are scheduled.
But don’t stop there. Try another search. This time enter “garden blogs” in your search engine.
You will be rewarded with links to gardeners across the country and world. Their writers share your passion for gardening and often have great information in their blog entries.
For example, an Ohio gardener is reviewing a number of tomato varieties this summer on her blog, This Garden is Illegal. She offers insight on ten varieties—including information on culture, taste and fruit size among others.
Here are a couple of more that I enjoy.
Concrete and Calendula
Greenfish Artist and Gardener
I like both of these blogs because of the photos they include with almost every post. It’s a great way to get ideas for new plants. It’s better than a catalog because you can see the plant growing in real life situations.
My advice—when it’s too hot to work in the garden, visit a garden or two online.