Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Rainy Days are Here Again!




If you are like me and have forgotten what rain looks like, click on the video. (This is my first attempt at uploading a video, so I hope it works!)

I know it's hard to tell from the video, but we have had a steady rain since late morning today. I don't even need to search through my archive of labels to know that every other time I have discussed the rain it's been to complain about it. But not today--after weeks, it seems, of dry weather, I welcome it with open arms. Right now it is falling gently, and the trees and flowers are soaking it up eagerly.

The coral bells are enjoying their shower (click on the picture to enlarge to see the raindrops), along with the other flowers in the shade garden. Watering with a hose just doesn't feel the same to them.

Besides knowing the plants are getting some much needed moisture, I am happy the ground is going to be soft and easy to work with once again. I have a few new plants to put in the ground yet before the cold hits us, including this bargain "Limelight" hydrangea I bought last week. (Yes, I had to go back to buy this one . . .it was too good a deal to pass up.)

I know it's not a very good picture, but I was getting drenched by this time and didn't have the patience to check my camera. I intended to plant it Saturday, but the ground was so hard, I was afraid I would break my spade! Besides this hydrangea and a few other plants, I have so many bulbs to plant. After two different shopping trips to buy bulbs, my first order came in the mail over the weekend and another one is on its way. More rain is in the forecast for tomorrow, which means by the time I have time to plant, the soil should be perfect, I hope.

I hope you are having a beautiful rainy day, too!

Let the rain kiss you.
Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drops.
Let the rain sing you a lullaby.
- Langston Hughes, April Rain Song


Rain is grace; rain is the sky condescending to the earth;
without rain, there would be no life.
--John Updike

33 comments:

  1. Yay Rain! I'm so glad you got a 'Limelight' Hydrangea Rose. It's a beautiful plant & I love mine!

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  2. I always think it's funny how one day we complain about the rain, or cold, or heat and then later we wish for that very same thing. Humans are funny creatures.

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  3. Hi Rose, that is great that you have rain. We are desperate for some here and it is in the forecast for tonight and tomorrow. I know what you mean about the ground being so hard. I have been using a pickaxe to dig in some six by sixes for a path. The bulbs came and were planted, but I could not go as deep as the instructions said. The will just have to pull themselves down by the roots, more bulbs can do that. Limelight is a beauty, good deal!

    Frances
    http://fairegarden.wordpress.com/

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  4. Hooray for the rain! It's needed and very welcome.

    I was glad it waited to start raining here until this afternoon. While the weather cools down, work heats up for me, and I had three clients on the schedule for today. I didn't get to the third one, but am glad I was finishing up the second one as the rain began to fall.

    We had about 7 inches from Hurricane Ike, but the ground here was already getting very dry and cracked again since that was the last rain we had.

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  5. Yup your video worked fine. We must be on the same wavelength - I also posted a video (well a photostory, with pics, not moving). I called it Dancing in the Rain and some of my pics do have raindrops on them.
    And it was the first time for me too.
    Glad your earth is soft now to plant. Enjoy!

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  6. Rose, I could hear the rain patter in the video.

    I always think of rain as a lullabye. I could sleep every time it rains. It is so comforting, until the thunder rolls of course. Even then I think of it as snoring.

    I hope you get your bushes and bulbs planted this weekend. Hopefully the soil will be just right.

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  7. Yeah! Rain! I love the quotes you posted about rain. I'm so glad you got some so you can get your planting done.

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  8. This was a nice rain, not a pounding, torretial, hurricane-type rain like most of them have been this summer. I like this kind of rain.

    Are we to picky?

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  9. Yippee Rose! We are having rain here today and tomorrow! I am thrilled for you! I know you have been pining for rain, as have I! We all need the rain to wash away the dust of decaying leaves and the dust blowing around. Loved the video...it is the best sound, falling rain!

    The Limelight Hydrangea is lovely!

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  10. The video worked great! YAHOO for the rain! Two inches here so far and like you I am happy to get some things planted soon. The quotes were very appropriate. We all have needed rain for so long.

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  11. I'm so jealous of all you guys - Ike gave us zip and today's big rain was 1/4 inch.

    But I really am happy that you got rain, Rose - and the video worked ;-]

    Annie at the Transplantable Rose

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  12. I must admit the rain drops do look refreshing on the photos & help to make great photos.
    However, enough is enough!
    Nothing worse than going back to work in the rain!

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  13. Racquel, I can't wait to plant it!

    Jane Marie, You're absolutely right; this winter I will be complaining about the cold and next summer it will be the heat. We're just never satisfied:)

    Frances, I always put off planting bulbs till the last minute, so I might as well wait until the ground is softer:)

    Garden Girl, I'm sure not everyone was as pleased about the rain as I. You may not have finished your jobs, but it should be easier for you once you go back.

    Wendy, I saw your video/slide show--much more professional than mine, LOL. We must be thinking alike:)

    Lisa, I'm glad you could hear it, because I realized afterward you couldn't really see it:) I had to resist the urge yesterday afternoon to lay down for a nap.

    Cindy, The rain will certainly make planting easier!

    Joyce, I think sometimes I am never satisfied with the weather. Yesterday's rain,though, was perfect, and the last few days haven't been too shabby either:)

    Gail, I am so glad some of this rain came your way! We really needed it, didn't we?

    Tina, the video didn't show the rain as I had hoped. But if you are getting some, too, you know what it looks like:)

    Annie, Sorry you're still so dry in Austin. I shouldn't complain, but there were cracks in the soil and everything was drooping around here.

    Maggie May, Yes, you've probably seen enough rain:) It was desperately needed here, though.

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  14. We are getting a little here too. I have been planning to edge my flower beds so this will make the ground much more workable.
    Marnie

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  15. Good job on uploading the video. I haven't tried to do that yet. While I've been appreciating this rain on the plants' behalf, I'm bemoaning it because of the constant barrage of mosquitoes started by the Sept. 13 deluge.
    Isn't it so much easier to buy bulbs than plant them? I'm learning to rein in my bulb avarice to prevent permanent wrist damage.

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  16. Lovely video of the rain. It looks so refreshing. Send some of it this way, please!;-)

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  17. A beautiful poem of rain! Yes we are getting showers today perfect for making soup and stoking up the embers!

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  18. Hi Rose....well done...I would not know where to start with a video...I am not going to even think about it....a new camera is quite enough at the moment....

    We have had glorious sunshine for two days and the forcast is also warm for the next four days. The temperature is around 18C (68F)...so pleasantly warm.......

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  19. Wow you did a great job of uploading a vid! I've never attempted anything that technical!!

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  20. Pah! Rain, rain, go away! You are welcome to it!

    But I'm glad your garden is benefitting and you are happy. And that you won't break your spade.

    I don't think there's any point us planting bulbs this year - not unless we can do it secretly when george isn't watching!

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  21. Rose, we have rain, too!!!!!

    Soft, gentle rain that might last for two days.

    Heaven.

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  22. Thanks for visiting my blog and leaving your sweet comment. I'm glad you got rain. We missed out on our big chance yesterday, just a few sprinkles.

    Congrats on purchasing that Limelight hydrangea. I know Racquel at Perennial gardener loves that plant. I work at a nursery and yesterday I inquired as to whether we had these in stock. I was told we were out and would get more in the spring. So, I guess I will either wait or maybe search another nursery.

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  23. Rose, wasn't the rain glorious? I like those gentle all day rains where a good nap is in order. :) You could here the rain hitting the leaves-neat! Now you can plant and not worry about hurting your back.

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  24. Rain is so welcome, sometimes. We have had rain, this week, but we are now enjoying beautiful sunshine - or, at least, some of us are. I'm still painting doors, walls, skirting boards etc. (Sigh)

    I was impressed with the video!

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  25. Marnie, I've been wanting to do some digging in the garden, but the soil was just too darned hard!

    MMD, We have had more mosquitoes in the last couple weeks than all summer long. When I start planting all those bulbs, I'll probably wonder why in the world I bought so many!

    Morning Glories, I wish I could send some your way. Looks like most US gardeners would love some, but my UK friends have had enough:)

    Nature Girl, Rain just makes me want to curl up in my favorite chair with a good book:)

    Cheryl, the video was not difficult at all, I discovered--the tricky part is holding the camera still:) I know you don't need the rain as much as we do; glad you had some sunny days.

    Suburbia, The video wasn't hard, as I said. It didn't turn out as interesting as I thought, though:)

    Liz, I'll keep the rain:) Maybe you could get George to dig the holes for the bulbs:)

    Mary, Glad you are getting this wonderful rain, too! The sun is out today, though, so it's time to work!

    Susie, Thanks for dropping by! The local nursery had quite a selection of hydrangeas left, although not every variety. The "Limelight" was 1/2 off, so I just couldn't pass it up:)

    Beckie, As many bulbs as I've bought, I'd better start planting now to get them in before the first snow flies:)

    Mean Mom, I should be getting some housework and indoor projects done, but I know our warm weather will not last. The sun is back out today; we have had a beautiful October so far.

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  26. i'm glad you got your rain, and we are getting ours here too. what a relief it has been to finally see those drops coming down.

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  27. You're lucky to have rains continuously. Here we get it once in may be a week or two. It's so beautiful to see the lush green leaves after the rain. I love it.

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  28. Rose, you did a fine job with the video. Skeeter is the one who inspired me to try, and I've been having a lot of fun with it. It does use a lot of battery juice, though. Thanks for stopping by and commenting. I am so far behind on my visits.

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  29. The best thing about gardening is it makes you happy for rain. I enjoyed your celebration, and I'm sure your plants did too.

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  30. A lovel post, though I passed on the video. We've had enough of rain here this year!

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  31. Dear Rose,
    Thank goodness blogger finally let me comment! My goodness...
    Glad you had rain. I love rainy, cloudy days. I love them for the garden and for photos.
    Sherry

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  32. Rain is such a welcome gift in autumn, Rose, so important for our plants. We had our share recently but now temps are heading near 80 tomorrow, so glad I didn't turn off my sprinkler system with much yet to do before putting garden to bed and planting bulbs. (I'm most impressed ... you're getting quite high-tech!)

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  33. Marmee, Glad you got some rain, too. We really needed it here.

    Chandramouli, We haven't had a good rain in several weeks, so this was very welcome. Thanks for stopping by!

    W2W, Well, it wasn't a very exciting video, but I've been wanting to try one.

    VP, I know rain probably doesn't excite you:) I wasn't too thrilled with it back in June, either.

    Sarah, No one wants their plans ruined because of rain, but a gardener does appreciate it!

    Sherry, My photos cannot compare with yours, but I agree cloudy, rainy days seem to create the best photos.

    Joey, This has been a very warm October; I hope it doesn't suddenly turn cold before I have all my bulbs planted. I wouldn't call myself a techie yet, LOL.

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