Over 110 degrees F in The Tropical Paradise

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When the temperatures here in the Sonoran Desert get over 110, I call it "getting into the teens" and it's brutal on man, beast, and plants. It's the main reason that my house costs a fraction of what it would cost on Malibu beach. And it's the reason why a lot of people here are convinced that you can only grow cactus, or dirt. But I've been living here in The Tropical Paradise since the 90s and I know that "the teens" will pass.

Even the morning sun, as you see in this picture, is very hot at this time of year. It's not quite 8 am and the temperature is pushing ninety. By afternoon the shade of my house and the olive tree will make a huge difference to the plants here.

There are a few things that you can do to get through "the teens". First of all, create as much shade as you can. Be sure that your plants are under trees, or against an east-facing wall. If you have recently planted, put up some type of simple shade cloth, like an umbrella. The smartest thing that I ever did was to put in artificial turf. Mowing the grass when it's over 110 degrees is miserable. If you were tempted to plant some flowers last month, well, just remember not to do it again next year. May flowers here are killed by June heat. The time to plant annuals here is the fall, not the spring. Get out early in the morning and check your garden, then go back into your air-conditioned house. This is where that automatic watering system really pays off. But be sure that it is working!

Hang on. It will get hotter during July, but here in the Sonoran Desert we get a break in August. That's because, unlike California in the summer, we get thunderstorms here. The news calls them "monsoons", which started as a joke back in the day. No, they're not monsoons, not like in the tropics. But it is blessed rain, just when we need it here. And they will be here if we can hang on through July.

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