The  drought is far from over and may continue into next year.  In general, my drought adaptation strategies worked. Here are some of the most valuable lessons:

1.  I brought my high-value veggies inside the back yard so that they would get over spray from the lawn sprinklers, which we can run3 times a week.  I put my peppers and some tomatoes in containers where they get some other lawn over spray.

2. I grew as much as possible in the east-facing hay bale kitchen garden. The hay bales really helped conserve moisture, and it was easy to water. I’ve have had success there with peas, tomatoes, eggplants, kale, and now winter squash.

3. I planted peas in an area that gets partial shade. What a great discovery. By now,  my peas die off due to heat. But this year, they are still growing and producing. They only get afternoon sun. I will repeat this practice every year.

Less Successful Lessons:

1. Most veggies in containers have not done great. The tomatoes will be okay, but the space-saver cukes toasted in the heat, as did the peas. The eggplant in containers are looking very strange. I have them planted with petunias and they don’t seem to be a good mix.  Only the peppers are thriving in containers.