Drowning

13 years ago

I'm usually a 'bright side' person but this weather this summer is really bummin' me out. I'd throw in the towel on this gardening season, but it decomposed... The grand old Hydrangea here when I moved in years ago looks like it's dying of root rot, a pond keeps forming around it I've never seen before, concrete pad the heat pump sits on keeps going under water - never happened before, toads are coming up on the porch to not drown when the lawn is a lake, paint is coming undried, plants are drowning, that's not enough rain? We have a carport and there are muddy ruts where we park, from water flowing under it, never seen mud in this yard at all before, just sand. Didn't even know it was down there. I guess all of the sand that was on top is on its' way to the gulf now. Apparently it's possible to have more rain, and it's coming. We haven't been to the beach once this summer and it's only 78 miles away.

It's so dark this morning, and I'm chilled, wearing long sleeves. Whaaat?!

The past 2 summers I drove by crops baked and parched by too much sun, no rain. This summer, the same crops are dead from the opposite. Unless you're a mosquito, pill bug, slug, fish, this is a baaad year.

Hardly anything is growing right/well in my yard. Of course when it's raining, the sun is also not around. When it's not raining, it's usually cloudy and looks like it's going to anyway, it's a double-whammy. There's nothing to water, deadhead, prune, it's maddening! Moving things to a pot from the ground to save them from 'overwatering' is ironic (that might be wasted effort, I know how I am, always in recovery) and about the only thing I can find that might be at all helpful, aside from sandbagging flower beds. Watching the OM I worked so hard to get and place flow away, over top of the bricks, makes me want to... well, get more. It's so wet, the grass is drowning in some areas. I didn't know that was possible in a single summer.

Kvetching doesn't help, but whoever else wants to do it, I'll listen...

Never seen so much as a puddle in this area before this year. Usually it's a battle to mow as fast as the grass can grow, especially around those poles.

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Comments (5)

dottie_in_charlotte
13 years ago
Well said and many of us agree this is quite the unusual summer.
For me, best can be said that the giant hardwoods shadowing my house have not tipped over in the constantly wet soil.
louisianagal
13 years ago
I am from the Gulf Coast. I am so glad it is not so bad up here in north MS but it has been a very rainy season. I really feel sorry for all of you there. The only thing that would help me thru that would be (a) vit D capsules - really, (b) take up a project in the house - not really my cup of tea but clean out a closet, get a pretty quilt or comforter, buy some throw pillows, etc (c) buy and paint some birdhouses, feeders, etc to get ready for winter. I cannot survive winter without my birds feeding close to where I can see them.
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Carol love_the_yard (Zone 9A Jacksonville, FL)
13 years ago
Would do anything to have your rain.... 0.10" every time we are promised 4-5".
User
13 years ago
Welcome to gardening with these new realities. I noticed it here several years ago, so maybe ahead of the curve. Every season seems abnormal in some respect--and unpredictable. Rain storms that can become dangerous to life-threatening quickly, alternating with sudden droughts. The growing season now can offer...Santa Ana-like wind storms in early April that chars, tender, new growth, record annual rainfall (80 inches two years ago), tied all time heat record of 110 a couple of summers ago, record early snow on Halloween that brought down trees that were still in full leaf, two hurricanes (Irene and Sandy), ferocious nor'easters in Winter..etc., etc. I really think we gardeners are just much more attuned to the weirdness compared to the average person who may not realize how consistently difficult he weather has become for gardening--not any predictable pattern you can plant/plan for. This season, aside from a hot mid July, has been cooler than normal, very humid (due to saturated ground), not not too bad with flooding, but overcast and gloomy, so my potted citrus are not too happy and neither am I. Seems that the weather gets "stuck" more in these meteorological ruts. Right now stuck in moist flow, but would not be surprised to see Autumn turn hot and dry. Still, would rather have the rain than those Western fires--very frightening (but I tread water quite well).

This post was edited by njoasis on Mon, Aug 19, 13 at 11:24
Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
Original Author
13 years ago
If only, Love-the-yard! What kind of strange force field have you got going on there? The news said this year FL recorded the most rain ever in a summer. ...but those recordings are only as good as the info they're using. I don't know where they get the figures for this ZIP code, but our rain gauges have recorded almost twice as much as it says on weather.com for June, July, Aug so far. I've been watching that the past few years and it's always that way, way different. The nearest weather equipment is 7 miles away. Also love when the radar pic shows it's raining - and it's not! (So you think they'd end up with artificially high figures, but it's the opposite.)

I took cuttings of some stuff Friday that I knew would be under water if it rained again and it really did rain all weekend. I think our giant pecan tree is dying. All of the leaves are turning yellow with brown spots, and falling off. The trunk is usually covered with green lichen, but it just looks black and moldy.

Yesterday we turned off the TV and listened to music for a few hours, a little dancing, a board (bored) game... wearing long sleeves and pants!

Can't remember the last time I looked at our forecast and there wasn't a little rainy cloud cartoon for every day in the foreseeable future! Beginning of June I'm pretty sure. The sun is trying to shine this morning, but the air feels like pudding. I promise I won't jinx anything and put succulents back out from under the porch roof yet! Besides moving pots, gardening hasn't been much of an exercise plan this year. Watching rain from the window doesn't tone any muscles except those that make a face frown.

The only good thing about this is that nobody is alone, everyone in the East is 'in it together' with this years' weather. And water restrictions for next year look extremely unlikely!