Some weeks I feel as though I have nothing positive to say in the “Gardening Corner.” For example, last week I saw online a map of Virginia displaying the number of inches of rain needed to alleviate drought levels in the various regions of the Commonwealth. Our coastal region is down 9.54 inches of rain for this time of year, placing us in the moderate drought conditions category. Much of the rest of Virginia is classified in severe drought, and it is only May. What might we expect by July if this dry spell continues? Over Memorial Day weekend, I hoped for hours of rain to help offset the drought; we measured a total of 1.7 inches in the rain gauge, but after I removed the dead bug that had drowned in the gauge, the total amount dropped to 1.6 inches. It’s a start, but not enough. From the perspective of climate change, we can expect increased temperature rise over the coming years, leading to the probability of more frequent and prolonged periods of drought. As gardeners, we need to ...