For some ... Summer brings humidity and warmth which brings winter plants back from the dead. For us here in Phoenix ~ summer is more like being in a dehydrator ... low warm temperature air swirling around you all day and all night - even in the shade ... it makes (almost) everything crispy and dead. Even with watering ... the leaves dry up. There are a few plants that do well ... oleander, citrus trees, rosemary but other things are harder to maintain; vegetables, roses (they do fine but are not at their best), and especially potted plants. So to save on water (very important to me since we always seem to be in a drought), time and tears, we 'summerize' the yard ~ the vegetable garden gets cleaned out, rose bushes get cut waaaay back, and potted plants get dumped. Also this gives me some time to replenish the soil ~ the healthier the soil ... the healthier the plant ... the less you need bug killers and fertilizers. I used to live in Denver ~ so I explain to people that this is my 'winter time' ~ things look sparse and I don't go out too often. So I have from now until October to start planning the garden ... which is my second favorite part of having a garden (eating the food is my favorite ... go figure). But I always get a little sad when I clean things out and I know it sounds weird but I try to be conscious to thanks to the ground, the plants and even God for the abundance (or at times ~ lack there of) of food that was provided that gave us so much pleasure. But now I can focus on inside activities: redoing the guest bathroom, jewelry making, sewing (I have been wanting to make a light 'quilt' for the bed) and crocheting new slippers.
