Planting in a Drought: Why Bed Prep Matters Most

July planting in 90° heat is miserable—but sometimes necessary. The secret to survival: soil that acts like a sponge. I double-dug clay, tilled in barrow after barrow of compost until the bed was 5'×20' of dark, loose, organic-rich earth. Red clay became brown soil; organic matter holds water; clay particles separated.

Result: Pink caladiums, red/white impatiens, variegated hostas, bleeding heart vine, and coleus thrived. Two years later, an 'Annabelle' hydrangea in a similarly prepped shade bed bloomed on rainfall alone while French hydrangeas wilted daily.

Proper bed prep pays dividends for years. The mailbox never looked better.