In the two months since my last post the only constant has been the rain. Last year at this time, we were rationing water like crazy. This year it's so wet I haven't watered my gardens at all. Everything is lush and tropical and completely out of control, or drowned and dead. I haven't been able to work on any outdoor projects yet, but I do have a few in mind. Especially since I now have this mini beast!
(the tractor, obviously...I parked her next to Clementine the truck to give a sense of size)
I've used it a few times to try to get the hang of it, but it's been so wet and dismal that mostly it's just sat in the garage.
Some of the vegetables I've planted are loving all the rain and humidity, others are not. My peppers are all stunted and I'm not hopeful they'll recover. The tomatoes went in late and aren't hitting their stride yet. The lettuce, greens, and radish all bolted despite (or due to) the lack of sun and heat. The peas, however, are loaded with fat pods. The potatoes, onions, leeks, pumpkins, and garlic seem to be loving it, too. I planted green beans and cukes late but both are growing happily. My plans to grow the tomatoes and peppers in the little poly tunnel sort of went awry, and they were all planted out into the vegetable garden instead.
The perennials are doing fantastic, too. Some of them have reached heights that unfortunately get them knocked down in the deluges.
I managed to do a little transplanting, too. I moved the foxgloves out of a holding bed and to the outside of the garden fence.
I moved the fall blooming asters from a holding bed to the edge of the lower patio area.
And I moved a variety of moisture loving plants to the bog garden near the water feature.
Since I haven't had a chance to move more plants down to the edges of the pond, I let the grass grow wild to ensure the frogs have a place to get up out of the water, but still be protected. Of course, there was only one little frog in there and it seems to have disappeared. BUT. Remember the frog eggs this spring?
There are now hundreds of little tadpoles thriving in my water feature! And one very large tadpole...which is a little strange, but I'll take it.
My plan to clear the bank and plant corn and sunflowers didn't work out, but there's still a nice meadowy quality about that area.
I've discovered that these grasses will not be stopped. Not even by the dreaded weed block.
So there's a project for me - redoing the path. 😒
I managed to unbox my canopy and get that up, too. It's been a nice dry spot for grilling, if nothing else. I haven't bothered filling the soaking tub since it's been rather damp and raw.
The grill cover stays up because hornets have been trying to build nests in any sheltered places they can find. One of my cushions fell forward and an enterprising wasp used the sheltered area between the back and seat cushions to start making a nest!
My wildflower area isn't really springing to life. The larger plants are from last year's sowing, cosmos I've grown from seed and transplanted, or rampant weeds.
My impatiens that did survive (I had such a hard time with seed starting this year, I don't know why) are doing very well, and loving their new home in window boxes attached to the header that was meant for my deck.
Hopefully we'll have some decent weather soon, and I'll be able to do some projects I want to get done before winter. There are stairs to reset, manure to move, paths to be rebuilt, fencing to be put up, and plants to transplant.
