I've already written a post on that "cold day in July, " a subject I didn't dream I would this normally hot month. Yesterday marked the coolest July 8 in 118 years.
Now comes another subject I didn't think I'd be writing about : Rain. My rain chain has really gotten a workout this year.
We normally have 36 inches of rainfall in Chicago per year. As of July we've had 26 inches or 3/4th of the total. August is usually the rainiest month ( yes, even more than April ) so we are probably going to set another record.
Not that I'm complaining, mind you. Rain is a very precious commodity and its abundance has caused some extremely early flowering of my Clara Curtis Mum and I now see buds on my Rose of Sharon, which usually don't appear until the first or second week of August.
With the exception of annuals and newly planted perennials I've hardly watered the garden at all this season.
We haven't had rain in northeast WI for several weeks. May get some tonight and tomorrow in the form of storms...not the best kind of rain for the gardens. I still think about your rain chain and wish I had one.
ReplyDeleteI believe many plants are blooming early this year... not only due to this year's rain, but also to that of last year! Not watering is a great bonus. The cool weather is fabulous. And like you're experiencing, everything "looks good!"
ReplyDeleteWhen I drove home from work the other day my car said it was 67, at 430. The air conditioning in the house was on and at 72! It was humid and I left it on anyway.I put on some sweat pants and baked banana bread. Its like summer just won't get here!
ReplyDeleteI'm not complaining about the rain either, especially when I visit bloggers in Austin or other parts of the South where their gardens are sorely lacking moisture. And I'm all for cool weather! 90-degree days are highly overrated:)
ReplyDeleteI've heard about those rain chains and wondered if they work - they obviously do! I just had to get a 2nd rain barrel with all the rain we've had, my one 65-gallon can't keep up!
ReplyDeleteHi Carolyn Gail, it was just on the news that this was an El Nino year, meaning more rain for the eastern US. Hooray, is all we can say, don't know about you guys up north. It is most welcome after two years of extreme, the worst category, drought in my neck of the woods.
ReplyDeleteFrances
Sorry to hear that Donna but hope you do get your much needed rain. You can buy the rain chains online, just google it.
ReplyDeleteHey Shady,
ReplyDeleteYou are correct about everything budding and blooming earlier than usual.
I do love a cold day in July :-)
Hi Debbie,
ReplyDeleteThe mornings and evenings have been in the 60's and I've hardly used the AC either which is fine by me. This is the kind of summer we dream about.
You've got that right, Rose. I know our friends down south and southwest are baking in extreme heat.
ReplyDeleteHey Rosemarie,
ReplyDeleteLong time no see. Good to hear from you. Yep the rainchains absolutely do work and have for thousands of years ( in Japan where they originated ). The rain barrels are working overtime this season as well.
What a relief for you, Frances, to have abundant rain this year.
ReplyDeleteI'll never forget seeing the aftermath of the terrible drought that hit the south two years ago. I saw the dried cracked river beds where water once flowed freely and dead trees everywhere.
I don't ever recall having such a drought when I was growing up so I guess we were very fortunate as we depended on rain for the crops we grew.