Do you ever sometimes feel like it will never rain, like the storm clouds make a detour to avoid your garden? I've had that feeling recently. After nearly two months with rain every day, the rains dried up two weeks ago. It's rained nearby, as the above photo shows, but not at Squirrelhaven. It's been sunny skies and temperatures in the 90sF. I can't keep up with watering the zucchini,
and a couple of the fruits shrivel on the stem when I had to be gone for 36 hours. Things are starting to look ratty.
The 'Merlot' lettuce has turned bitter,
and cracks have sprouted faster than weeds.
Despite watering this area, the ground gapes.
Plants are starting to show signs of stress
and distress.
It's cloudy now. I can only hope there will be some rain.
17 comments:
Wow, I can't believe that cracking! Your garden (and mine) look how I feel... and this is supposed to be our "new normal?" UGH.
That seems to happen a lot around here - it rains all around us, but not at my house. :(
Austin feels your pain, MMD. Thankfully, our drought was broken over the winter, but we know it can come back at any time. For now we're enjoying a rainier summer than we've had in some time. I hope you get rain soon too.
I add my prayers (and my rain dances) to the mix as well. Here's hoping!
Your poor garden. I hope those rain clouds relent and give your garden some rain.
Yesmam I hear every word...sprinklers are going just about all day. As soon as the sun is off of part of the garden and drag them around. With this tropical storm coming I may be crying just opposite of this. Here's praying you get a good slow soaking rain!
Eek - those cracks in the ground are awful, MMD and I also know that an unwatered container plant can be dead in 48 hours. And I believe that the rain makes detours!
While it's not as bad as 2009, maybe Pam & MSS had rain more recently in their parts of Austin. (MSS got 2X the rain I did from some June storms.) My NW area has had no significant moisture in over 10 days with temps in the high 90's turns the garden hose into an essential accessory. Fingers crossed for both of us.
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
From the looks of the weather map, the tropical depression is swirling around us and going straight for northern IL. Hope you get some relief soon.
Pretty much looks like that where we are here in the Northeast. It's been in the 90s for a week straight with no rain in sight. Sigh.
For heaven's sakes. I always think that whatever weather we get, you get it next. We have rain, rain, rain. Today it didn't rain all day, but the forecast... I'm so sorry.
You probably used the water from your barrel long ago.
It is awful and I'm so sorry for you. It's gonna be 99 here tomorrow and I've given up on some things. Very sad isn't it? Makes me nuts. Feels like I'm burning money.
Here too. Rain in Wisconsin and in southern IL and all over Iowa but this little corridor you and I are in was bone dry...until last night. We got over 2 1/2 inches from that storm that flooded Milwaukee and it's still raining hard here. If I wasn't at work, I'd go outside and stand in it I'm so happy.
Hope you are getting rain at Squirrel Haven.
Marnie
This summer has been a welcome change from that of 2009 ... although our drought was not as bad as Austin's, my corner of Katy received very little rain. I much prefer a rainy summer like this one!
It was rough there for a little while; I was very grateful for the rain today because my vegetable garden was really struggling!
Blackswamp Girl - I refuse to accept "normal." I think it's probably always been like this around here.
Phillip - we should complain to the management.
Pam - I'm glad Austin is doing better this year. I hope it continues.
Annie - I'm sorry you're missing out on the rains.
MGRR - when it rains it pours. We got about 4 inches out of that.
meemsync - I hope you got some from that lovely system.
Shady - the rainbarrel was empty before I went to Buffalo, but the rain that morning helped fill it enough to get me through until we got rain.
Anna - ugh! Gardening is a gamble. Sometimes we lose.
Marnie - we finally got in on it and got a good amount. I wonder when it'll rain again?
Cindy - rainy summers are a lot less work with the watering can, that's for sure.
ROR - at least your plants were in the ground, so they could wait for the rain. My lettuce in the pot is dead, the lettuce in the ground looks great, but it's so bitter now.
We are having the hottest, driest July I've ever seen. I'm trying to keep the vegetable garden watered, but everyone else is on their own.
If I didn't know better I would say those photos of cracked earth are from my garden! It's been one strange summer~ gail
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