There should be a horn worm competition at the county fair. Mine need Spanx.
August sucks. The ancient Greeks named it Dog Days of Summer, so sultry heat must have made them cranky too. My chile peppers shut down (they'll rally when it cools down in fall). The tomatoes are surly. But I'm raising a bumper crop of tomato horn worms. God they're fat.
California has used up all its water, so they are making us take baths in buckets. Actually, I'm thrilled to see my lawn turn brown. Lawns belong at Downton Abbey, where there are sheep to keep it tidy and rainfall to keep it green.
The best use I've made of my lawn is planting rainbow potatoes - red, purple, and yellow fingerlings. I forgot them till their flowers turned brown and fell over. That dig was better than an Easter egg hunt, and home grown potatoes taste extraordinary.
Even if your neighbors wouldn't approve, plant potatoes in your lawn. No one will notice until you're out there with a pitchfork. Plant them when it's coolish (like 70 degrees) and cover with rich fluffy soil. Or straw. When the flowers turn brown and fall over, it's harvest time.
The Dog Days of Summer
Mia Myers Myers