I love it when you hear people from the dessert southwest say “Yeah, it was a 108 today, but it’s a dry heat”.  Dry heat my foot. At a 108 you can damn near start baking cookies. I just don’t think I’m a dry heat person or even a low humidity person anyway no matter how much I complain. I remember going to the Denver area for PPA a few years back. While there I didn’t notice the difference in climate and vegetation being all that dramatic. But on the way home? My lands! The farther east we traveled the more green and lush the world became. I could almost feel my skin becoming elastic again as it absorbed moisture right out of the air. So it puts me in quite a perplexing situation what with wanting heat but hating heat, wanting humidity but hating humidity, wanting to eat right but hating anything not made with butter, brown sugar, and salt. Ooops. That last one really has little to do with horticulture.

So what does one do when summer truly arrives? Well, we horticulturists and gardeners eventually take it all in stride and settle on a battle plan. Regardless of the actual temperature some sunscreen is a pretty good idea. I have a hard time remembering to put it on let alone reapply in two hours. Even the greaseless formulas make me feel sweaty already at 7:30 in the morning, a feeling that, believe it or not, is not the least bit pleasurable. But that’s the way it is. I was listening to Fresh Air yesterday and the guest said we need at least a teaspoon just to do the face and neck. If I’m like most people (I know, not likely) then we are way under applying. So now I will put it on thicker ‘cause I dread the thought of ending up with little chunks cut out of my nose or jagged pieces of my ears missing. Now isn’t that a pretty picture?

Sunglasses are essential anymore. When I finally bought my prescription Ray-Bans my eyes practically moaned in ecstasy. I swear I forget I even have them on. I try to remind myself to remove them when talking to visitors. I do not wear them at night. Nor would I wear them to indoor events the way so many idiotic celebrities do. It is unacceptable to wear sunglasses while presenting or accepting at the Oscars, Tonys, GRAMMYs, etc. All of you stop immediately.

A wide brimmed hat is handy for shading the eyes and face. Just ask Scarlett O’Hara. It’s not as good as an oak tree but unlike an oak tree it can move with you.

Water, for me, is like the sun block. I don’t think about it. Don’t get me wrong. Anybody that knows me knows I drink pretty much nothing but water. But I don’t carry a bottle out into the gardens often. When I do it usually comes back to the office full or nearly so. When it gets really hot, close to mid-90’s, then I will consciously drink more water making sure every half hour or so I take the time to open the bottle.

I can’t say enough about the relief of working in the shade in hot weather. Weeds abound in the shade same as in the sun, plants in the shade need mulch too, and since every garden looks better with a good edge, there is never a shortage of work needed in the shaded areas of the gardens. In the summer months shade work is saved for the afternoons when the sun is at its meanest.

And if the areas that need the most attention are in the sun – well, fiddle-dee-dee, that’s life. As God as my witness, I’ll never go without sunscreen again.

I’ve got exciting news to share from the Mile-High City…The IMA Dashboard received the top prize of gold at the 19th annual AAM Museum and Technology Committee Muse Awards. Just a few hours ago, I was happy to accept the award on behalf of the entire Museum and the amazingly talented IMA Web team that collaborated to produce the site.

The Muse award is the second news story from the IMA’s history-making weekend. The first, of course, was the parade on Saturday. As promised, the weather couldn’t have been better, and the air of Fountain Square was filled with an overwhelming excitement as hundreds of participants marched and hundreds of spectators watched art in the streets of Indianapolis. Check out images from the day by clicking here.

Participants, Spectators, Trailblazers, Protesters, Merry Makers, and Performers – Thank you to everyone who made the day a such an enormous success!