NOAA reports:100 PERCENT OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE IS CLASSIFIED IN A SEVERE DROUGHT...AT LEAST 91 PERCENT OF THE STATE IS CLASSIFIED IN AN EXTREME DROUGHT...AND 39 PERCENT OF THE STATE IS CLASSIFIED IN AN
EXCEPTIONAL DROUGHT.
According to this report, since June 1 Nashville has recorded only 3.87 inches of rain; as for August, we’ve recorded just 0.03 inches.
This is a crisis for a lot of farmers around here, and while I wouldn’t compare the plight of my little suburban garden to that of the people who make their living off the land, it’s pretty sad in my backyard right now. 
Yesterday evening a tree snapped in two in our yard. It had been weakened by NES’ neighborhood tree slaughter operation, to be sure, and the drought finished the deed. (And by the way: no, I was not there to hear it and yes, it fell anyway).
So as far as garden survival goes, I’ve moved from a first aid operation to full-on triage. I’ve given up on the flowers, impatiens were pulled up yesterday, hostas are a gonner. Now the goal is to minimize shrub and tree loss.
Pray for rain.
