Brenda-Yeah this is one of the longest winters and yucky springs that i can remember...lets just hope we have a good summer...Im off to Tampa for the weekend can't wait to feel a little sun and warmth for a change.

We are drowning here - can't walk anywhere except on the driveway. The grass and weeds are getting away from us but there is standing water everywhere, so I can't do a darn thing about it. We have had 3 times the normal rainfall for April, and no end in sight for May - besides going into the winter saturated. It started raining 15 Sep and hasn't stopped yet!

Ah well, the only thing we can do about the weather is complain. Sure hope things get better soon.

-Rosalinda

I hate to be the bearer of not so great news but according the the Old Farmers' Almanac here is our outlook for May

According to the Old Farmer's Almanac the weather outlook from Indianapolis up to Milwaukee and all the way over to Syracuse NY doesn't look much better for May than it was for April

MAY 2011: temperature 56 � (2 � below avg.); precipitation 2.5" (1" below avg.); May 1-3: Sunny, cool; May 4-8: Rain and wet snow, then sunny, cool; May 9-14: Showers, seasonable; May 15-17: Sunny, turning warm; May 18-20: Showers, then sunny, warm; May 21-26: Sunny, cool; May 27-31: Scattered t-storms, hot.

Like everyone else, my beds are too wet to really be worked. I did get out there a while ago to pull some of the larger clumps of weeds that were forming a thick carpet in one bed and were going to take over my Penstemons and my Heuchera but that was as far as I have gotten. I got one perennial moved during that one sunny warm day we had and that has been the extent of my outdoor clean up. Thank goodness the Lobelia cardinalis and the Iris Fulva like water because the are both under water right now.

Penny

Glug, glug,....gurgle, gurgle,.....gulp.....

Yeah, the rain is tiresome. We had a little break last week but now it's another 8 days of rain! I was joking with my Mom. God said there wouldn't be another 40 days and nights of rain but he said nothing about 39 days & nights of rain! LOL!

I did get the flower beds under control yesterday. The veggie garden is not even rototilled yet. I hope Memorial Day weekend is nice so I can get it in.

Well we broke a record yesterday (Sunday May 15th) for the mosty rainfall in a single day. I have very few 'Swamp' plants so this stuff can stop anytime now. It seems to be feast or famine. We either have cold wet or hot and dry. there no happy medium here.

Penny

It's the same here in Ontario Canada (north of Kingston). Disgusted is not the word for it. Depressing is. So much for cool weather crops. Don't want to waste any seeds right now. The only thing I've been able to plant that have started to poke their heads up are beets, carrots, cabbage and a few parsnips. Forget peas, beans. Even corn will be planted later this year so it doesn't rot with the wet cold soil.

Not to mention it's sure messing up my indoor seed starts - they are not happy either. I can't even think about hardening them off outside for short periods - the cold wind around here would do them in for sure.

Anyone want a game of cards and a hot toddy while we're waiting this spring out? I'm even concerned about planting out at the end of May. Geez Louise this ain't funny.

mcpeg
I have one patio tomato in a pot sitting outside and the three Salvias that I planted out for the hummers are swimming. Since nearly everything I grow is for hummers, drought tolerant and heat loving, you can imagine the state of my beds right now. I have three shelves on my porch packed with my seedlings that can't go in the ground and are busting out of their tiny cell packs. The Canna see4d sarters are out on the deck since they can handle the wet weather but not too fond of these cold temps. I put all the seedlings out last week end and I refuse to bring them back inside. At this point it is sink or swim ... literally.

Penny

All this rain let me see the poor drainage in part of my backyard when the water from most of my roof gets discharged there. I made a dry creek bed from the gutter discharge to a low spot at the fence using many bags of pea gravel and stones from Home Depot, and that part of the backyard is now dry. I noticed that during all this rain my sump pump is running much less now.
So for me all this rain had a benefit. A dry creek bed is also a nice addition to a landscape.
Bernd

Quick! Run outside! Weed, weed, weed! Mow, mow, mow! The sun is shining! Remember the sun?

Yeah, I had to dust off my sunglasses this morning. Unfortunately, I'm at work and they're predicting thunderstorms for later on today.

Keeping my fingers crossed about the weekend though!

It has poured here all week, and we have standing water everywhere. I can't get to anything to weed, mow or till. The farmers can't get in the fields to plant, though they took full advantage of the dry week we had last week, as soon as they could get a tractor in without sinking - working by headlights until 1 AM.

I am starting to worry that my plant swap offerings will be meager, since I can't get anything out of the ground.

-Rosalinda

Rosalinda,
It is pretty much the same way here too. Last Saturday I did pull one Heuchera out and divided it. The rain after probably worked to my advantage on that one plant since it rained the next day and every day since. Hoping they will develop some new roots before the swap but at least they look perky. Can't get to my Copper Iris as they are all under water. Cardinal flower is also underwater. My seed grown Silene virginica are just starting to develop their first set of true leaves so they probably won't be far enough along. Now if anyone would like mushrooms, I can supply everyone with those! They are coming up everywhere! My front bed is covered with them.

Penny

Another 10 days of rain ??? !@$#&*!!!!!* EXPLICATIVE!!!!!

I thought we were suppose to get a break from the rain this weekend, but the weather channel is showing another 10 days of rain. That means not only will this weekend be a washout, so will Memorial Day weekend! I stopped at a favorite farm stand and bought some plants yesterday. The farmer said we really need sun NOW and lots of it. Worried for more than my little garden.

Anyone know where to buy kelp seeds?!? :)

I think I have to get something done in the vegetable garden this weekend regardless of the weather.

Well, at least its not just me. I've had 2 hours all spring in the garden and that's it. There's no way everything will be mulched and weeded in time for the plant swap this year. But at least you all will understand. Hopefully we don't get soaked then too!

On the good side, it's supposed to finally be nice this weekend! I've got nothing planned except spending both days working in the gardens. I am so looking forward to it.

getting ready to row my way to the farmers' market here in NT to see if I can find anything colorful to add to my yard that can grow in water. Yes the sun is out today but may get showers tomorrow. Looks like a lot of my stuff will end up in pots this year so that they can be moved during deluges if necessary. Spring perennials aren't blooming yet and my cross vine is just starting to get a couple of leaves. It should have already bloomed by now. Neither honeysuckle has a single bloom nor any bloom buds.

Penny

I have algae growing in the grass and on places where there is bare ground, and it is starting to smell like rotting vegetation. This is getting desperate.

I sloshed around in the mud to check on the gardens, and the weeds have covered everything. My tree peony is blooming, but much else looks really bad, having had way too much water. I hope this doesn't kill everything, though I am sure the willows just love it. they might be all I have left if this keeps up.

My dwarf red iris has just finished flowering, and the columbines have just started.

Sure wish I could get into the gardens, though the house building continues to keep me fully occupied inside.

-Rosalinda

I did get out there this weekend and cleaned up and got the garden rototilled (Sore. Nothing like dragging a rototiller through soft, soft not quite mud!). Hoping we get some moments of dryness over the next week so I can start planting.

We went away for the weekend. Did I worry about watering my containers? NO Did I worry about watering my transplants? NO Did I worry about watering my seedlings? NO

At least we haven't had to water . . . trying desperately to find the silver lining.

Brenda, its refreshing to see someone finding the bright side in all this. At least we've had a few nice days. I am really hoping it's nice this weekend!

It's suppose to be hairy tonight everyone. Most of NY is suppose to get bad thunderstorms and hail. Those plants that haven't been planted yet, find a safe place to put them. I brought in 12 flats this morning. I had potted up a few eggplants and have them under the eave of the house on the east side of the house.

You wouldn't think it, but I guess we've been "lucky" with just rain.

My ark is sitting in the driveway now so as soon as the deluge comes I can climb aboard! Seriously, I just wish it would dry out enough so that I can get something planted in the ground or at least get my beds cleaned out and ready to plant if it ever dries out enough. I have never had to wait this late in the season to plant things. I have the deepest sympathy for our local farmers who haven't been able to plant yet. Local produce this year may be very late if we have any at all.

Penny

I hear Penny. I was wallowing in mud this morning trying to get some things done in the garden. I lost my shoes in the mud. Gave up and went bare foot. I got next to nothing planted. I'm nervous about what I did plant just rotting in the ground.

The farmers around me need things to dry up & be able to plant within the next 10 days or the season (corn) is lost. The farmer I talked to only has 15% of the crop in. Just too wet.

I wish there was a way to edit posts. That should be "I hear you, Penny."

I agree, I was feeling sorry for myself, but at least I don't depend on my garden for a living. It's mostly flowers for the house & to look at in the garden, and to have vegetables that are fresher than what I can buy. I miss it, but I don't have to depend on it. I was saying that to my husband & he pooh-poohed it, saying that the farmers will have crop insurance. But I don't think insurance ever compensates you 100% for what you have lost.

Anyway, I am thinking maybe we should have at least a couple of raised beds prepared this fall so next spring if something similar happened we could at least get a few of the spring veg in.

I have a couple of flower beds that are on higher ground & sandy, better drained, so I was able to put in some dahlias and acidanthera I saved from last year. But that is about it.

So sad, everything so sad and draggled and weedy and sopping wet.

And mo0re rain overnight. My beds are a swamp yet again. Yesterday I laid down cardboard for a new small raised lasagna bed next to the deck. Just need to pile on the compost and top soil and I should be able to put a few things in this week ... hopefully.

Penny

The hail was a "nice" added touch to the usual rain. I don't think there was much damage to the plants sitting on the deck waiting to go into the garden. I haven't been up to the garden yet to check on the plants I did get planted.

They're threatening us with sun later on today.

Sorry for the heavy sarcasm. I'm sure everyone else is sick of the rain too. Please pass the vitamin D!

Yes I alao wish that a post could be edited after hitting the submit button. I find myself seein spelling errors after I hit that submit button even though I try and check it before hand.

Penny

It's supposed to be dry all week? What's up with that? I'm sure there's a catch somewhere . . .

I am not going to get too excited as I am afraid if I do it will start to rain again. I think I will take it one day at a time, I am going to enjoy the sunshine and try and get some things in the ground as the heat hopefully dries out some of the beds. Keeping my fingers crossed that it will continue to hold at least through Sunday night!

Penny

Thanks for the crossed fingers Penny! I can't believe how soggy it is. Most of the gardens in the back yard were so soaked I couldn't even touch them.

What a year. I hope this doesn't mean we'll have the late tomato blight again.