You’ve probably read about the extreme drought here in much of the western U.S., or you are dealing with it yourself and have the biceps to show for it (carrying greywater buckets). The field grasses in our low-lying spot in Sonoma County, California, are turning brown and crackly now, and it feels like late summer, even though it’s only mid-June. Our soil is sandy and riddled with gophers and this is what open ground looks like now: bare dirt dotted with dry grass and pock-marked with gopher activity.
We’ve mostly finished shoring up the drip irrigation system that is keeping the food and habitat gardens alive. The veggies are grown in raised beds in good soil and though they aren’t as vigorous as when they have all the water they like, they are hanging in there. The berries may have a tough year. So it was a happy surprise that one of the established cherry trees yielded a great and luscious crop. We got over four large colanders from one semi-dwarf tree! Thank you cherry tree!
Meanwhile, the birds, lizards, snakes and other wildlife seem to be streaming into the garden for sips of water from the fountain and shade from the mature trees. We’ve seen more lizards than ever, and a wider range of birds than normal. I’m guessing they are thirsty and I’m inclined to keep water out for them despite, and because of, the drought.