On Wednesday April 18th we finally had a few hours of mist and one shower that lasted about an hour. It was like a magical potion for my potted seedlings, garden plants, and borders.
Potted seedlings like parsley had just been sitting there. With their drink of water every other day (from the municipal water supply), they hadn’t been doing any growing. The minute the rain came they about doubled in size.
Garden plants don’t get any watering. I did have a gallon or two of rain reserve left, but was saving that for newly planted seed and seedlings. The garden LOVED the rain! My cabbage and broccoli doubled and here is three day later and they’ve tripled in size.
Lettuce and greens rationing is over for the time being. Finally getting leaves of lettuce that are 2 and 3 inches long — rather than 1 1/2 inches long. 🙂 And I’m getting twice the picking I was getting before the rain!
Many plants in the border must have thought that rain meant they should start blooming— which they did not long after it stopped.
Touring after a rain that breaks a season of drought is magical. I wanted to share some of the magic, so Bill took pictures for you.
I was especially pleased to be able to get a picture of the garden in almost all of its entirety before it grows so much it would be impossible.
Hopefully, you had a nice rain in your garden. The weather forecast here is calling for a good amount of rain Sunday. I’m hoping we’ll get a soaker rather than just a few minutes.
Bill and I hope you enjoy the walk around the yard and garden.
Turning into our driveway and looking left, these are the borders you see. White iberis has been blooming since the end of February.
This is what you would see to the right of the first picture above. Baths Pink started blooming in profusion right after the rain.
Close up of Bath’s Pink.
Continuing the view, but closer to the house. The azalea by the house started blooming right after the rain.
First daylily to bloom.
As you come up our walk to the house this verbena would be blooming to your right. It was blooming before the rain.
This shows the parking area and our fence border that runs parallel to it.
I planted this rose last year in the fence border. It opens yellow and turns white. It’ll be very noticeable after it get’s a little bigger.
This peony in the fence border is huge and was in full bud before the rain.
Immediately after the rain the buds started to open.
The vegetable garden is the fenced area. I’m picking lettuce.
As I walk into the garden I can see the back border and meadow.
This is a better view of the island bed of clover and poppies in the meadow behind the garden. The distance from this lettuce (bottom of picture) to the fence is about 15 or 20 feet, but it doesn’t appear that way in this picture.
The Poppies were “Closed due to Rain” on Wednesday.
Poppies were open for business the day after the rain.
Sweet William started to bloom after the rain.
The borders and gardens promise me more to come!
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Organic Gardening is easy, effective, efficient — and it’s a lot healthier.
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Lovely pictures.
Thanks Barbara.
Absolutely Gorgeous! Thank you for sharing such beautiful pictures. I’m uplifted by the beauty of them.
I’m so glad! Thanks for letting me know!
Oh, I agree with both comments – just beautiful. Thank you.
Sandra
Great pictures. Sorry about your lack of rain. We don’t have that problem here in northern Illinos, you can tell by the bumper crop of dandelions I have.
Seriously, I hope you get the rain your gardens need.
Hi Danita,
I’m waiting for the rain as I type. We are suppose to get 1 to 2 inches. Sure hope so.
Thanks for the good wishes!
Theresa
Thanks Sandra!