Dry July: Monthly Photo Challenge

On By Terri Webster SchrandtIn photography
Dry-July-Flowers
Most of my potted, seasonal flowers have dried up.

Dry is still the theme in my photos for the monthly photo challenge hosted by Cardinal Guzman. Last month I posted for June and called it “Dry June.” Since I am so clever and it is still dry, and it rhymes with July, there you have the title of this post. Not a lot of photos to post this month from my yard.

Dry July
Mid July and the Chinese Maple is still happy. The grass definitely is not.

Not sure what else to say other than it is still dry, California is breaking heat records and nearly everyone’s front yards are very dry. Sadly, I see too many neighbors’ yards with dead or dying trees. Here in the Sacramento Valley, the trees shade the houses and keep other costs down.

I have heard many people and other bloggers talking about how residential yard watering uses a small percentage of the water. Big business and agriculture use the most. It is a very political hot potato. Still hoping for El Nino to rain on us this winter!

My hope is simply that during these times of drought, people will learn good water use habits. I know I am much better at turning off the water when brushing my teeth, doing dishes, etc. I set the timer when I turn on the drip hose on the cypress trees. I watered a small patch of grass in our back yard and was amazed at how one 15-minute watering greened up the grass. We placed a five-gallon bucket in the shower to capture water from our short showers. I use the gray water for the flowers and around the trees. Am I saving that much water? My water bill compared to last summer has dropped dramatically, from over $80 per month (in summers) to less than $30.

The next dramatic change to my Chinese Maple tree will be in October. I expect it will continue to stay green. Meanwhile I will focus on some of the summer plants I am trying to plant. Keep your eye on the big pot on the left. I just planted marigolds. They love the summer heat. By August’s post there should be some orange flowers to see! Here is a gallery of the maple tree from each month since January.

June maple
May shows fully mature leaves.
By mid-April the Chinese Maple is in full leaf!
Rainy March day view of Chinese Maple tree
February sunshine on bare Chinese Maple
Chinese Maple on a foggy January day

28 thoughts on “Dry July: Monthly Photo Challenge”

  3. Pingback: Monthly Photo Challenge: The Changing Seasons 07 | Cardinal Guzman

  4. We are pretty dry here in North Carolina too. Not like you, but everyday with no much needed rain is a another day closer to dead grass. We seeded, had bright green, soft grass in May and now it feels like straw, looks dead and hurts the feet. I like the idea of the water bucket in the shower. So going to have to do that, at least then I can water my plants outdoors. Great idea.

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  5. I enjoyed this post Terri and looking back over the progression of your maple as the seasons change. I had to laugh when I read your title. Not sure if you have it there but we have Dry July here in Australia where people abstain from drinking alcohol for the month of July to support adults living with cancer – you get sponsored for doing it. Some people have started doing it just to be healthier for a month 😉
    We are a nation of water conservationists too now since we have had water restrictions in place for many years to cope with drought and dropping water levels in our dams. We seem to be a lot better off these days but still, every little bit saved counts!

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    1. Oh how funny…hopefully I haven’t inadvertently offended anyone!! So much for my “dry” sense of humor! I could probably repost these same photos for August because it will look the same. By October the little maple starts to put on the Autumn show 🙂 California could learn a lot from our Australian friends about water conservation!

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  7. liferedesign101

    If only everyone would conserve water as you are doing. There is no shortage of water here- it seems to rain a couple of inches every few days. It is unusually green and lovely here for this time in July. My backyard looks like a rainforest!

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  8. Terri, I swear that I am so much more mindful of my own water consumption since reading your posts and hearing more and more about the drought out West. I’ve adopted shorter showers and less time washing dishes! A pass with the soapy sponge and a quick rinse is good enough…I am with you all in spirit in water conservation…and yes, here’s to more rain come winter in CA!
    Much love,
    *Lia

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  9. Mom Sees All

    Oh, Terri, I know it’s dry, but I do so miss living in Monterey. It must be as close to heaven as God could create on earth. My flowers were beautiful all year long and I loved Highway 1! So jealous of you and your Chinese Maple!

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