I just finished heating up my pizza on a cookie sheet in the sun. It’s 88 degrees outside and the roses and the rhodies are in full bloom at the same time.

Spring was late and summer came early to Seattle, which, after this winter’s freeze, makes for a very durable garden.

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade, right?

Well, now we can have our lemonade and drink it too.

Ah, refreshing, isn’t it?

Now go. Take a walk around your garden. Then take a walk around your neighbor’s garden, and then keep going until you get a good view at all the plants in your neighborhood that are thriving in this heat. Take a picture or note which ones you like.

Chances are, they are the ones that survived the freezing temperatures back in December, and now they are the same plants that are taking this early heat wave like it is something they’ve been doing for years. They are the plants to focus on for a really low maintenance garden.

There have been a couple of surprises in my garden this spring, as I was sure a few of my perennials were not coming back – it was good to see my Calla collection survived from being frozen to ground level. Some perennials bounced back quicker than others, and some, like our Agapanthus, are just taking forever to come back, and might just get the boot!

But, the majority of the surprises came from, and are still coming from, my miniature gardens. Both in ground, and in a pot, I’ve had very few casualties – if any that I can recollect.

In one of my in-ground gardens, my Dymondia didn’t even freeze! (It’s supposed to be an annual in this climate.) And it was right out there, just beside the sidewalk, exposed and open to everything and anything… and still is in this heat.

My miniature and dwarf conifers that I use for miniature gardening are just a joy to grow too. They sailed through the big freeze a lot easier than I did. Now, with this heat, they seem right at home. I just make sure to water them in the late evening, or early morning, and they are all set for the day. My shade plants are in the shade, full sun plants in the sun…

It really is a pleasure to have all these little beauties on my side. Whenever a visitor comes into my studio garden, they are always really impressed by my “two green thumbs.”

If they only knew my deep dark secret: Just add water.