There is a meme on social media that shows up every year in the spring, in which the late Chris Farley, in full Matt Foley bluster, shouts that he wants it to stop raining.

This year was no exception.

“Yes, we have had some extreme weather conditions with lots of rain early in the season, no rain here through most of the summer, so it’s been a little extra challenging for our plants,” said Diane Dallos, Penn State Extension Butler County Master Gardener coordinator.

But then, without fail, the drought-like conditions such as those we’ve experienced over the past month in Western Pennsylvania seem inevitable.

“Last year’s drought was earlier in the season,” she noted

Because of that early rain, if gardeners and backyard enthusiasts were able to get plants into the ground, lawns and plants were really starting to develop roots.

Then, long stretches of dry, hot air set in.

According to the Pennsylvania Drought Report, as of Aug. 26, about 32%, or 14,526 square miles, of the commonwealth is abnormally dry. It’s a situation that has made plants struggle in their production phases, Dallos said.

Although it has been warm in Pennsylvania, according to the state Department of Environmental Protection, 2024 was hotter and drier than 2025. The DEP notes the heat and low rainfall in 2024 led to the worst drought conditions in parts of the state in over two decades. Conditions in 2025, while warm at times “have been closer to normal, with no state-level drought watch in effect as of July 2025.”

When Pennsylvania has adequate rain, lawns and plants can be lush. However, due to the long stretches of rain-free days, plants must adapt.

“There’s always going to be plants that need less water than others and this is where, especially when we’re talking about landscaping and having plants that are resilient to our climate, those that are zoned appropriately for our Zone 6 growing conditions and those that even are native perennials and such will endure these climate conditions better than many other plants who are, maybe, kind of out of their home space and not as resilient to these situations,” Dallos said.

Having a Zone 6 climate means the landscape is characterized by a moderate climate with a growing season suitable for a variety of cold-hardy and heat-tolerant plants, including those common in regions in the Northeast, the Midwest and the Pacific Northwest. That distinct four-season temperature range allows for a broad variety of plants, from cold hardy to warm season.

Zone 6 gardeners can anticipate a growing season that usually runs from mid-May to mid-October depending on frost dates and soil conditions.

“As long as they’re in the appropriate climate conditions and zone for our area, they’re going to be resilient and they’re going to survive. That’s where making good plant selections is really important, especially for those long-term perennials,” Dallos continued.

She also said gardeners enjoy all different types of vegetables, flowers and annuals.

“That’s always of interest to people,” she said.

Whether it’s green beans, peppers or flowers for beautification, when the frost comes, those gardening seasons come to an end.

Dallos advised gardeners and landscapers to consider conditions closer to home.

“Look at things like perennials. Move toward native plants that are originally found and naturally occur in our community,” she noted those plants are easier to care for. “They’re better pollinators, and better for landscapes overall.”

The warm days and nights do cause stress to plants. Dallos noted gardeners are taking special care of their vegetables as water conditions are, “really starting to hurt your tomatoes, your peppers, your things that are in production right now” into the late summer and early fall.

“So, when you have those stresses, it makes plants much more resilient to pest damage and also to diseases like powdering mildews,” she said, adding they also promote bacterial wilts.

In recent days, temperatures have started to dip into lower temperatures.

“Cool evenings really inhibit their production,” Dallos said.

She noted it’s important to leave perennial beds untouched for fall and into winter, “to provide habitats for our overwintering pollinators, so anything in, especially landscaping beds, that we can leave standing for the winter is helpful because our pollinators stay over winter in the ground in stems.”

It is also important for plants and gardens to have the protection of leaving the perennial beds standing.

“It’s very helpful for them,” she continued.

Leaving leaves in areas for pollination is also helpful, according to Dallos.

With weeks, if not months, of arid conditions, there is less frequency in mowing one’s lawn. Grass needs nutrients down into the roots and, with brown outs, the yield is not as hardy. If homeowners need to mow their lawn, they are encouraged to raise the blade deck.

“You know, it’s really a great idea to just let that grass go,” Dallos said. “It’ll help improve the health and resilience of your lawn.”

With higher blades going into the fall and winter “they’ll come back stronger in the spring,” she said.

Dallos said fall is also a great time to perform soil testing on your garden beds so that you can “make amendments in the fall and they have more time to settle before spring.”