My is always a tough time for Lupine seedlings because of the typical heat and lack of rainfall.
According to the National Weather Service in Ruskin, the average temperature in Winter Haven last month was 82.9 F, which is the hottest since the station began keeping records in 1941.
Rainfall was 2.61 inches, but most of that fell in a single day in the middle of the month. There has been no measurable precipitation at my home a mile from the preserve since May 16.
In the first planting area, 8 of the 65 seedlings flagged earlier this year are still alive.
In the second planting area, 10 of the 12 flagged seedlings are surviving.
In the third planting area, which is the worst managed of the site, all four seedlings are dead.
That means that so far the survival rate is about 20 percent, which is encouraging.
Rainfall is predicted this week.
