Above and Below: My two-year old Congo Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai var. lanatus) is finally making some decent fruit. . .but it likely won't survive the coming heat wave. If I can keep the vine alive perhaps it will try again later in the summer.
This variety was specially imported for difficult (hot/humid) climates. . . and I somehow kept it alive all winter. As its name implies, it is native to the Congo in East Africa. Congo is at a lower latitude than here but the apparent latitude is near zero most of the summer in Florida (as the sun angle is near vertical (currently 81°). Congo's latitude is from 1° to 10°s S. we are located around 28° N.
Below: Some of my coleus 'garden.' These plants were saved all winter like the watermelon. On really cold nights I would bring them inside. I recently separated them into more plants. They are in the mint family (Lamiaceae) and do well in our hot humid climate. There are other mints that are thriving in the garden but have not yet bloomed nor taken on much color. Common coleus is collectively known as Solenostemon scutellarioides (L.) Cobb.
Below: While nothing is really thriving in my summer garden the Rattlebox has taken off. Crotalaria spectabilis is native to Florida and generally grows in open fields. I spread seeds far and wide this year and am letting it do its thing. It will bring great color to the garden in late Summer. All parts of the plant and flowers are poisonous to mammals. I sprinkle them daily and nightly and I like the way the little drops of water just kind of sit on the leaves like a newly waxed car. Rattlebox is in the pea family (Fabaceae).
Below: Just as I wanted it to do. . . the giant bamboo (Arundinaria gigantea) has hidden one of the ponds by the gazebo. Its doing well despite the wicked hot, dry conditions. When it starts to shed its leaves I give it a good soaking to encourage it to start anew.
BRUTAL HEAT SPREADS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES
So is this an historic heat event? Short answer is. . . not yet. While it is being caused in part by the exceptional drought ongoing in the Southwest. The extreme heat will shift slowly eastwards this week, peaking in the mid-Atlantic states on Friday. Temperatures near 100° F. are expected in Detroit on Thursday and New York City on Friday. Detroit has hit 100° F. 18 different years in its 137-year record, and New York City 22 years out of the past 140 years, so this heat wave is expected to be about a 1 in 7 year event. While that makes it a notable heat wave, the most remarkable feature of this July 2011 U.S. heat wave is the humidity that has accompanied the heat. A heat index over 130° F., such as was observed yesterday in Iowa, is very rare in the U.S., and extremely dangerous.
The only place on earth that normally generates such intense heat indexes is around the Red Sea in the Middle east. A major cause of the remarkably high humidities in this Midwest heat wave is the record flooding the region experienced over the past three months.
The heat is forecast to reach Florida on Wednesday July 20. . . and hang around indefinitely. While this is notably hot. . .we have grown accustomed to this weather this year and most of us likely won't notice all that big a difference from 'normal' except for the fact that rain remains scarce. We will be expecting temperatures near 100° F. for the foreseeable future . . . with high humidities. The map above is NOAAs forecast for Thursday July 21 when our heat index will bee in the 105-110° F. range.
Above and Below: This is the guts of the big 5 ton, 15 SEER A/C unit we had pulled and cleaned yesterday. . .just in time for the next heat wave. A gelatinous sludge builds up on the coils causing the unit to freeze up. . . and paradoxically. . . blow hot air.
A SEER is a measure of the energy efficiency of a unit (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio). . . and while 15 SEER is very efficient it goes down to zero once the unit becomes clogged with sludge. Our electric bill was $450.00 last month which promoted the very expensive and time-consuming dismantling and cleaning of the central A/C unit.
While there is some relief to the heat coming this weekend for most of the country. . . the computer weather forecast models predict that the heat will re-amplify over the Midwest next week.
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