There’s been a heat wave in much of the eastern and midwestern United States in the past week — up to nearly 100 degrees here on Cape Cod, which is very unusual. My husband and I used to scoff at air conditioning, since it was usually only unbearably hot for a week or two in the summer. But times have changed. We installed air conditioning in the house and few years ago, and feel lucky to be cool on these hot days. But I worry about our yard and especially our garden.

So I braved the heat and went out to give the garden a good watering last night (the grass can fend for itself!) Even in the extreme heat there’s something meditative about hand watering with the hose for an hour or so, enjoying the garden bounty, and cooling off by spraying myself with the hose as I go. Here are the scenes of the garden during the hottest days:

Hope you’re able to beat the heat where you are. Happy summer!

PS: In case you’re wondering, we cage our veggies because the deer and other critters — bunnies, chipmunks, squirrels, and even birds — are relentless nibblers. It seems to work! xo

—lucy