The sun is out at the moment but I woke up to a thunderstorm (or, more correctly, I woke up to a trembling dog who heard the storm long before I could have). Does anyone know a good website or news article that says how many inches over normal rainfall we've had each month?
It is so wet that I'm pretty sure I spied an ark under construction under the viburnum. I dread the powdery mildew that will surely come later in the season, and the mosquitoes are already turning my morning garden walk into a slap-fest.
On the plus side, I have more greenery than most Central American countries...
Would you believe, this is my prairie garden? Just because plants are adapted to heat and dry soil doesn't mean they won't grow like gangbusters given frequent rain and cool temps. It's getting so overgrown I don't even know where to start fixing it. Oh wait, yes I do. I'm looking at YOU, Mr. Dogwood.
I would never purposely plant a pink rosebush. I don't much like roses and I don't much like pink, but this bush came with the house and for a couple of weeks each June it is impressive. The rosebuds are my favorite part.
Mr. Goatsbeard says "Ugh, please stop the rain!!"
So does the garnet laceleaf Japanese maple,
Acer palmatum dissectum. I think I need to move this fella before the burning bush eats it.
Penstemon digitalis (foxglove beardtongue);
Dicentra spectabilis (bleeding heart) in fruit for what is I think the first time ever. Are the seeds easy to germinate?
Thalictrum dasycarpum (meadowrue), which was covered in fluffy stamens just yesterday, today is a sodden mess;
Clematis 'Rouge Cardinal' and
Phytolacca americana (American pokeweed). The pokeweed is a weed, yes, but it's also a native plant that I think is gorgeous and tropical-looking so I let it be. However, I diligently pull out any seedlings I find. One per yard is enough.
My Lemon Queen sunflowers for the
Great Sunflower Project, and my Blue Lake beans for
One Seed Chicago, are making progress. Don't make fun of the tomato cage; I still haven't made it to the store for a sturdier support.
This weekend: douse self in bug repellant and tackle the prairie garden. I can't wait!
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5 comments:
Ooh, that's prairie dock to the bottom right of your prairie photo, right? It's been similarly rainy and cool here, and I have rival greens! :)
M - it *is* prairie dock, and it is taking over! I have to cut off a bunch of the leaves every year. I don't know if it can be divided since it has a taproot.
Yeah it sure would be nice if the rain would stop! I love the japanese maple tree you have.
Mr Goatsbeard looks like he wants to come and live in my garden.
Tom Skilling has a weather blog, or you could try the weather page at WGN's website. He gets his statistics from Frank Wachowski (sp. ?). For more localized stats try Accuweather.
This makes 3 years in a row with unusual rainfall. I think my mostly-dead Aruncus is trying to stage a resurrection. I wish it would just die already. While I'm concerned about the mosquitoes from all this rain, I'm also concerned about the slugs and earwigs that thrive in these conditions. They've already started attacking the Clematis blooms. Not a pretty sight.
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