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ellenrr_gw

How can I garden if it won't stop raining?!

ellenrr
12 years ago

wailll.

I just looked at the forecast - next 10 days may be rainy or cloudy, a peek of sun predicted for Thurs only.

Yuck.

I want to plant out and I want some spring weather.

a little cooperation needed from mother nature. I've looked forward to April for so long - it is usually a divine month here -

ok- end of complaint.

just had to get that out. :)

Comments (37)

  • sjc48
    12 years ago

    Ellen - I know how you feel, usually by this time in April, I have the flower beds cleared and ready to go. Everyone always laughs at me for starting so early. But not this year! Rain, Rain and More Rain. On the positive side, and there is always a positive side, the snow is all gone, and I DID go out and pull out the two large clumps of lemon balm that came up out of nowhere! Does that stuff never go away?
    Shirley!

  • gardenweed_z6a
    12 years ago

    ellenrr - I know how you feel. It's cold, drizzly and miserable here and I've only got enough dry firewood for another day or two. The house was SO cold when I got home but now there's a hot fire going in the woodstove and it's beginning to feel more comfortable. I went walkabout to check my emerging perennials and to see what new sprouts might be up in my WS containers but the rain going down the back of my neck drove me inside before I got halfway around the garden. The forecast here isn't promising anything other than more chilly, damp weather. That would bother me a whole lot more if it weren't for the crystal clear memory of last year's drought. It's gonna take me awhile before I forget 4 long months (June - September) with not a drop of rain and spending 2-3 hours every day watering.

  • dorisl
    12 years ago

    This is a good time to DS some of those extra seeds that you never get around to WSing. All this rain will keep them moist and help them germinate. Either that or wash them away down the sewers.....

  • kqcrna
    12 years ago

    I'm in the same boat, pun intended.

    Karen

  • aliska12000
    12 years ago

    Good time to get rid of some weeds in between the rains. I was looking at all the grass in front of my tulips and thought I'd better try to do something about it tomorrow.

    Lots of rain and we're having a major flood here. I'm pretty high so there's just a lot of rain forecast for the next 10 days. The lawn will be awful by then.

    Last spring my life spiraled out of control for some time, and many containers from the year before are sitting out there. I was delighted to see three rhubarb plants and some Sweet William came back in the pots. There may be a couple more but can't tell what they are.

    I'm throwing a lot of my containers away and will never sow so many again. But I thought I'd go look for some redbud seed pods and try to spring sow some.

    I come and go because I'm pretty busy with other things but miss all the friendly people here.

  • ellenrr
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Aliska,
    nice to see you. Glad you stopped in to say hi. I hope things are going well for you in spite of being busy.

    Gardenweed - yes I think about the drought too, but I'm not sure that having all this water now will mean we won't still be watering a lot at the end of the summer. Seems here we always have a drought around August, but perhaps not as bad as the one last year.

    Shirley- I love lemon balm. Have you made tea with it? It is very relaxing. But yes it can be too much of a good thing. Not as invasive as yarrow tho- geesh I have yarrow sprouting up everywhere.
    And rasberries! oh, after this year I will dig them up. They are taking over an entire bed.

    Well tomorrow is forecast sun, unfortunately I went and made a dentist appt. for the morning, but hope in the afternoon to get some things in the garden. Now I've also started buying things.

    oh well this too shall pass and we will get out of our water-logged state.

    It's good to have people understand how impatient I feel.

  • kqcrna
    12 years ago

    We got another 2.25" of rain overnight with 70-80 mph winds. There was a tornado or flat line winds not far from me. Flooding all over the city, and lots of storm damage too. Seems my house is OK though.

    Looking at some of the pictures on the news, I guess I shouldn't complain that I can't garden.

    Karen

  • crazyutahn
    12 years ago

    So this is my first year winter/spring sowing. What a terrible season to attempt this! We have had below temps and so much rain/snow that the rivers are flooding everywhere. For every nice day above 60 the next day we get punished with snow. The good news is that I have sprouts! Petunias mostly. My worry is that they are growing very slow. They have one tiny little leaf on them but have been like that for just over a week now. Will they be ok? I was really hoping they would be bigger by now....I plant out annuals around mothers day here and then we have such a short growing season that I am worried they will fill my beds....

  • just1morehosta
    12 years ago

    I'm with ya sistas,sick of rain and cold@
    Sick I tell you,SICK OF IT.
    Did I say I am sick of it
    cAROL

  • noinwi
    12 years ago

    I would take some rain for a change...it's snowing again today...

  • hostarookie
    12 years ago

    We've had rain damn near every day for the last 2 weeks... and like cAROL, I'M SICK OF IT!!! Today is the second highest temp we've had, low 80's, but it's still calling for rain this afternoon and tonight. The rest of the week is only 60's with MORE rain... UGHHHHH!

  • mmqchdygg
    12 years ago

    crazy, don't worry about the size of the seedling. Likely, your little 'tunias are spending their time putting down an awesome root system. They'll catch up.

  • sjc48
    12 years ago

    Seeing a slight improvement here-we had t-storms and high winds last night, overcast today, but no rain! I think I could handle the cold, if I could just see some sun!!
    Ellen- I use the lemon balm for tea, also. Like it the best of all the "lemon" herbs. I like herb teas made with the fresh herbs, as opposed to the dried. I have problems with storage.
    Crazy-I WSed petunias for the first time this year, I've got 7 jugs out of 17 sprouting; the rest look like they are going to sprout soon. I think they will stay small until warm weather gets here-but wait till you see the root systems on these WSed plants! I planted out my WSed pansies last year when they were about an inch and a half tall. The root systems were 2 inches or better.
    Just checked! My Coral Nymph salvia is sprouting!!
    And the Prairie Smoke? They have gone from 4-5 little seedlings to 12-13, in the past 3 days! So much for the snow!
    Shirley!

  • tomva
    12 years ago

    {{gwi:377610}}
    You gotta get you hat like this..(my grandson)

    Here is a link that might be useful: Going To Church

  • tepelus
    12 years ago

    I'm tired of the rain, the cold, and lack of sun the same as the rest of you. Every time it rains my yard floods because it just can't absorb anymore water. Then it takes a week to dry out enough to just be able to walk on it without a lot of squish squish. I have beds I need to work on for all of these little sprouts and plants I have coming in the mail, but can't do it because everything is mud. So, I've decided that I'm potting up all of my sprouts and letting them grow out until the end of summer when it gets cooler again so I have the entire summer to work on the new beds. Giving them a chance to grow bigger might be a good idea anyway, since the squirrels like to dig up everything I plant. A larger plant would have a better chance of surviving if it gets dug up than a wee sprout.

    Karen

  • crazyutahn
    12 years ago

    Thank you mmqchdygg and sjc48 for the encouragement. I needed that.I think the rain is getting to me.
    Tomva- love the pic! When he is done he can come help me...LOL.My only helper is my little dog. And he doesnt really like to share his backyard with me or my flowers.

  • ladyrose65
    12 years ago

    This happened last spring. But we ended up with a full-blown drought by end of July.

  • kqcrna
    12 years ago

    Not here. Our normal April rainfall is 4.1" but we've already had over 9". And our forecast is rain for 8 of the next 10 days.

    Karen

  • sjc48
    12 years ago

    Sunshine all day today!! Was able to get out there this afternoon and clear 3 beds-found 2 wild indigo plants,WSed last year, and 7 purple empress verbascums, also WSed last year! I've never had Verbascum come back! And my little red buckeye tree, that I thought died, is showing new growth! Lots of stuff coming up! Great day!
    Shirley!

  • kqcrna
    12 years ago

    We had sun today too, but where was I? In my yard? No, I was in the damned OR all day. The sun only comes out if I'm working.

    Another rainy weekend in store. Another 2-3" of rain Friday thru Sunday. Easter. The rivers are already flooding. They're saying this rain, along with what's flowing in, will put the Ohio as much as 7 FEET above flood stage.

    Tina, good to see you! Hi from rainy Ohio.

    Karen

  • sjc48
    12 years ago

    Karen - before I got laid off, my boss, who gardens too, and I used to take turns staring out the window at work, at all the sunshine, and praying for nice weekends. They almost never happened in the spring, so I know where you're coming from!
    Hope it dries up soon for you!
    Shirley!

  • livsauntieshel
    12 years ago

    We had 2 days of sunshine, and I was actually off work those 2 days! Working 3rd shift though, I can usually do some gardening in the mornings after work.

    I make due and garden in my raincoat and boots if I have to. I draw the line at hip waders and a rowboat.

  • grandmachris
    12 years ago

    We had lots of rain Tuesday, some Wednesday and it was
    cold but sunny today. Too wet to mess with soil very much but I destroyed 100 poison hemlocks at the edge of the pasture!! and carted off a huge Way-Cart load of "sticks"
    off the entry lane! cut off a couple hundred Daffodil stems
    down by the pond. Negative gardening but it will pave the
    way for positive gardening!

    Chris

  • ellenrr
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Shirley- re coral Nymph Salvia- I sowed last year for 1st time, loved it. I am hoping they will re-seed. My other salvia re-seed like Crazy. Do you find that coral nymph re-seeds?
    I don't see anything yet, I hope that it is just too early.

    Yesterday was 1st sunny day in ages, and I spent the first couple of hours in the dentist chair, but did make it to the garden for a few hours - glorious! slightly windy but tempsaround 59. perfect gardening weather. Today is sup'd to be cloudy, that will be a good day to plant my sprouts.

    Yesterday I planted some store-boughts, which makes me so happy to see some color in my garden.
    I've seen gaillardia coming back from last years' wintersown, but Rubeckia from last year is not doing much. I am counting on that returning too.

    Hope all of you under water dry out soon!

    ellen

  • sjc48
    12 years ago

    Ellen - this is my first year for the Coral Nymph, but it is a cocchinea (sp) just like the lady in red and that reseeds in my gardens, so the CN might too. I really hope so!
    Grandmachris - I love that phrase "Negative gardening but will pave the way for positive gardening" Great mindset!
    It's rainy and gloomy here, again, today, but I had a great afternoon in the gardens yesterday. Lots of sunshine!
    Have a great day, everyone!
    Shirley!

  • morz8 - Washington Coast
    12 years ago

    livsauntie, I garden in hip boots :) Keeps my legs dry and warm and I'm not soaking or prewashing (or double washing) muddy pants, just hose off the boots. The neighbors are used to me, but the UPS driver passed me on the sidewalk one day and said 'I don't think the water is going to get that high'

    We've finally got a dry day today, but my ground is too saturated to spade in most parts of my beds without wrecking the soil structure - it's going to take a couple more before I can plant.

  • just1morehosta
    12 years ago

    Hey morz8,
    How do you wreck soil structure?
    Thanks,cAROL

  • pitimpinai
    12 years ago

    cAROL, I kinda think that it's so muddy everything gets compacted....I truly don't understand this stuff.
    Anyway, it's not that bad if you add horse manure that has bedding all mixed in. Didn't kill any of my plants even though the ground was muddy.

    My 2 new rain barrels filled up already. I need to go get a few more....

  • northerner_on
    12 years ago

    I heard it announced on radio this week that we will be breaking records this April - We already have had more rain to-date than the present record. The thing that is worse up north here is that we are having snow!! Yes, yesterday morning snow and temps. below freezing almost every day. Today, we had a little sun in the afternoon, but rain is forecast overnight until tomorrow afternoon and then we're back into rainy days. I have only four containers germinated: baby bok choy, lettuce, Sweet William and Maltese Cross. It's still too cold to sow my annuals, so I don't know what kind of a garden I will have this year. What keeps me going are my peppers and tomatoes growing indoors under lights. To make things worse, I've been in bed the last 4 days with a horrible 'flu that's making the rounds in the family and the neighbourhood. What have we done to deserve this???

  • ellenrr
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    sorry Northerner, that you are sick and that your growing season is being shortened.
    Yesterday we had some sun, then last night it rained all night.
    Today is predicted to be cloudy, a little sun tomorrow, then for the next week - rain and clouds!

    My little ones will grow fungus.

    ach.
    and the weeds love it,
    Yesterday I finished sowing my annuals, didn't have as many seeds as I thot I did, so bought some.
    Bought marigold. Maybe buy some more today - give me something to do when I can't go out.

  • sjc48
    12 years ago

    Happy Easter, Everyone! I've been outside all day, got my long, long bed cleared and some "swap" plants planted.
    I did something that I am hoping will turn out well - I cut back all the orange ditch lilies and covered them with cardboard. I've been battling these blessed things ever since I moved in here. They are all gone from the back, but keep coming back in my corner bed out front. I have some really nice plants in that bed but by the end of june they are overshadowed by the lilies. Really hoping this will kill them! I like lilies, but really don't need 1001 of them, especially in the wrong place!
    Shirley!

  • magpie_grower
    12 years ago

    Morz8 - I need to get myself a pair of hip boots! I never thought of that. I'm covered in mud all the time and I am sick of mud stained knees. I've tried kneeling on cardboard, plastic bags, placemats... but I still get muddy.

    Today the rain stopped for a while and it was only misting. Although it was only 46 degrees, the wind wasn't blowing for the first time in days. So I put on my rain coat and went outside. With all the rain in the forecast, I figure this is a great time to do some transplanting. I'm a fiddler. I am compelled to move my plants around from year to year. I feel comforted knowing the temps will be low and the plants will have plenty of water while trying to re-root.

    I moved Goldstrum Rudbeckia sown last year to a sunnier spot. I didn't get any flowers last year so this year I'm looking forward to them. I transplanted Shasta Daisies sown a few years ago. I also moved a whole bunch of ajuga. My backyard is so water logged the ajuga was under 2 inches of water. That stuff is tough! I dug up and divided hosta. Last, I moved some Asiatic lilies too.

  • gardenweed_z6a
    12 years ago

    Still cloudy here but PTL it finally warmed up!!! Temp got up to 71 at noon yesterday. When I was getting dressed I didn't know what to wear!!! I've been piling on layers every day the past six months and had to actually stop and think about what to wear on a warm day. How sad is that?!

    My hostas look like they grew six inches in just one warm day and the WS columbines from last year are really getting some size to them as well. Peonies are up a good 8 inches and my magnolia tree is covered with buds that will pop any day now. Heuchera/coral bells sprouted yesterday but baptisia, blackberry lily, lady's mantle, armeria, gaura and several others stubbornly show no sign of sprouting.

    Today--if the rain holds off--I will spread more cardboard and mulch, pull a few more weeds and maybe plant a few WS perennials I over-wintered in pots stuck down in the ground.

  • caryltoo Z7/SE PA
    12 years ago

    It was warm and sunny in the morning yesterday, thunderstorms and high wind by late yesterday afternoon. Today, it looks beautiful and I think they're calling for 80 degrees. I'm going to get some more stuff planted out. With all the rain there hasn't been much I can do other than grab the few windows of opportunity to transplant my lettuce, broccoli and cabbage until now. But I've been monitoring some perennials I put in last year and man, they're thriving. They looked so puny last summer, but look ready to go this year. My canterbury bells should bloom this year, and I've got some more seedlings to put in so I'll have them next year too. Is it true they're two-year plants, bloom the second year then die? I've never had them before, but they look so pretty on the seed packs.

    Caryl

  • sjc48
    12 years ago

    It is rainy and gloomy here today, so I am fighting back by clearing/organizing my bookshelf in the dining area. It is used for everything but books. So far, I have found:
    my other paint pen-knew I had two!
    a brand new package of safety pins
    my "Trampled by Turtles" CD, and
    my navy blue jumper, in a plastic bag-I have no idea!
    Still have 3 shelves to go!
    Sure hope the sun comes out tomorrow!
    Shirley!

  • tepelus
    12 years ago

    Rain. Rain. Rain. And more rain. I'm going to need a boat here soon. Most likely going to have to brave the slop in the yard this evening when there's a break in the rain and move all of my potted plants to the driveway so they won't drown. Most survived the winter in their pots, I don't want this rain to be what does them in.

    Karen

  • gardenweed_z6a
    12 years ago

    Same here--more rain today only it came down as a fine mist, just enough to make it too wet to work out in it without rain gear. I worked inside the garage tidying up the winter chaos, sorting through pots and assembling a steel shelving unit for my pots until the drizzle fizzled. It tapered off toward the afternoon so I went out and pulled some weeds, spread some cardboard and mulch on top. The clouds cleared away and the sun actually came out about 5 p.m. so I got busy "while the sun shone."

    I organized my WS jugs on the breezeway (again) so all the same types/cultivars are together. About half the seed types I WS are sprouted including heuchera and toad lily so I'm sure the others will be along soon. The lupines are sending out their first true leaves. I'm guessing by the size of the sprouts the salvia, dianthus and rudbeckia will be next.

    Last year's WS perennials are putting on some serious growth now the temp. has gone up a few degrees. Hang on to your hats folks--I'm gonna be posting some amazing pictures this year!!!

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