![late summer flowers around a small table and chairs](https://images.finegardening.com/app/uploads/2021/09/15141326/13-700x467.jpeg)
Today we’re visiting with Kim Herdman, in Williams Lake, British Columbia, Canada, who has had a difficult gardening year. Fortunately, many of the plants managed to pull through and perform anyway.
This year was again a series of challenges in the garden. We had a cold spring with late frosts. There were quite a few nights that I had to go out and put pots on top of the dahlias and maybe one or two nights when I got taken by surprise. So now here in September they are still refusing to open, and some never even grew.
![garden full of flowers in bloom](https://images.finegardening.com/app/uploads/2021/09/15141318/2-5.jpeg)
Then when the roses were full to bursting with buds and the peonies were fat and delicious, we had the heat dome! The temperature soared to over 44°C (111°F), and the roses either fried to a crisp when they opened or the flowers opened and were done in a day. The peonies fried, and the lilies that were in bud fried. The only areas that seemed to be able to cope were in the shade of trees or shrubs. I tried to shade things, but it was pretty hopeless.
![hail the size of quarters in a hand](https://images.finegardening.com/app/uploads/2021/09/15141321/8-5.jpeg)
![large leaf covered in holes](https://images.finegardening.com/app/uploads/2021/09/15141323/9-5.jpeg)
![summer garden in bloom](https://images.finegardening.com/app/uploads/2021/09/15141324/11-1.jpeg)
![late summer flowers around a small table and chairs](https://images.finegardening.com/app/uploads/2021/09/15141326/13.jpeg)
![woman next to a tree in her garden](https://images.finegardening.com/app/uploads/2021/09/15141328/14.jpeg)
![summer garden in full sun](https://images.finegardening.com/app/uploads/2021/09/15141330/15.jpeg)
![tomatoes of various sizes in someones hands](https://images.finegardening.com/app/uploads/2021/09/15141334/16-scaled.jpeg)
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Comments
Your garden is beautiful despite the challenging weather!
In all honesty we in Toronto Canada did not think of the destruction to the garden. Our hearts went out to the people of BC and the wild animals trying to cope and survive the perils inflicted upon them. Thank you for sharing this story. It is an eye-opener. You survived as did the garden. Bravo!
What an adventure you have had. Great job.
Adapt is the middle name of most gardeners. All you have done is lovely.
Thanks for sharing the journey of this summer! I garden near Portland so experienced everything but the hail! It’s amazing how a garden can survive and bounce back and look as lovely as yours does in the fall. My main takeaways from this year were 1) shade is good 2) get some drip irrigation going. 3) was going to be move to Canada but now I wonder.
With all those challenges from Mother Nature and you still managed to pull off a wonderful garden!
Wow what an amazing story!
And what an amazing flower garden!
This was such an interesting gardening story!
Just goes to show you how resilient our gardens and the gardeners too, are. Thankfully there was something good happening at the end of the season.
Wow!!! Your garden looks so beautiful despite the unbelievable weather challenges. I feel embarrassed that I've been complaining about the weather here this year... Hope next year will be easier and your garden will be even more gorgeous!
Loved your narrative, Kim! And your garden. I'm outside of Seattle, so also had some of the trials you had, as well as learning some lessons (maybe don't try fuchsia baskets next year, because it was impossible to keep them hydrated!). You truly have a great attitude, and a great garden!
It sounds like you endured practically everything nature could throw at you except a plague of locusts! It must have been terribly frustrating, but your garden is lovely anyway,
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This garden is so beautiful. it's like a paradise. thank you for sharing this article.
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