Rain pretty much everyday next week!

yes?

Onto the weather channel for confirmatioin!

I've been hauling the hose all over the garden for weeks. We haven't had more than a misting. This spring we had so much damage from last winter and many of my plants were looking sparse, that I've felt I needed to keep them moist to allow them to recover. We have one Dogwood tree with leaves at the top and only a spattering of leaves on the rest of the tree. So yesterday, I poured 12 five gallon buckets of water around the base, hoping that might help it come back.

Did your Dogwoods bloom or were they sparse ? Last year I had toms of blooms this year I didn't get many and the ones that did open were small and misshaped, just a mess after last winter I lost 2 climbing roses and lots of other plants don't look that great.

The Dogwood tree has leaves and some blooms on about the top 3 ft of a 15ft tree and then just a few leaves coming in on some of the lower branches. I've lost a lot too. Especially miss two Syringa pallibins. Blueberry bushes were just really slow to come in. I bought a new Spice Bush last fall and it looked dead this spring. But about a week ago, I started to see new growth on the lower branches. I had to cut half of it off, but at least it wasn't dead.

Sorry about your climbing roses…that's a shame. Which varieties are they?

Now the weather channel predicts not rain until later in the week and super hot all week, darn it!

The roses I lost were Golden showers and Red Blaze. From I'm hearing from other people its a bad year for Dogwood trees its been to cold for them to bloom, by the time it warms up its to late for them to set buds for next year. I had to water every thing to day by hand, its still cool but the wind is drying every thing out fast.

It is FREEZING today! Windy! I am as dehydrated as my plants.

Gardenbear, Your 'Golden Showers' is listed as hardy to zone 6, so I wonder if we actually had a zone 5 winter this year? I'm surprised by 'Red Blaze' as it is listed as zone 4-9. I have 'Julia Child' which has been so dependable and easy care. It is listed as hardy to zone 5. Ours is planted in our front yard near the front walkway and therefore gets buried under shoveled snow. Last winter there had to be almost 6ft of snow on top of it at some points. I was surprised, that I had new growth all the way up to about 4ft, once it started growing and right now is covered in clean foliage with buds just starting to develop. And I didn't do anything to protect it for the winter either. And 'The Fairy', 'Brother Cadfael', 'Aloha' 'Prairie Sunrise' all came through this awful winter fine.

Wow, it's going to be a hot week. I hope we get some rain out of it, but I'm not counting on it, I have the sprinkler going on the lawn already this morning. I've made the rounds the last couple of days and only have a few more beds to do today. One more air conditioner to go in, then ready for some heat. Sowing squash, pumpkin, cukes, beans, and zinnias this weekend which should all love this heat, along with the roses. At least it looks like it will cool down in the evenings.

They were both planted back in 2003, the Golden Shower wasn't looking to good last fall so maybe it had just on its way out any how, I'm still at a loss to why my Red Blaze didn't make it, my other ones did just fine and are loaded with buds all ready.

When I have plants that are fading without explanation, it is often voles eating roots just below the surface, especially the small feeder roots, or moles tunneling and exposing roots to air. Try pushing on the ground around the plant and see if tunnels collapse.

Terribly dry here in central NH. Our lawn is toast. I am watering my perennials but the lawn is too big. We had some bare spots from the tough winter but I haven't been able to even think about putting seed down when the soil is dust. We get red flag fire warnings daily and the wind the last few days doesn't help. Desperately need some good rain!

NHBabs, The Red Blaze had lots of roots and the same with the Golden Shower but they dried up and turn to wood, not a pretty sight along side my drive way, no voles or any thing else I could find that would have killed them off. I'm going to replace them and hope for the best.

Hi y'all. I am more of a lurker than a poster these days, but I enjoy reading your comments and share many of your concerns. Good news: I am 99% sure that we will have some heavy rain later this week, as my peonies should bloom on Tuesday/Wednesday. They are an excellent weather predictor....

Hi mayalena - nice to see you again! I had to chuckle at your comment. Ain't it the truth? The rain always comes just when the peonies start to bloom...

We got about 3 min. of rain today. I was hoping for a nice shower to water my lawns but no luck .

Hi Mayalena,

Glad to see you come out of the shadows. Your kids must be growwwwing!

How's the back hill you were reclaiming?

That's one reason I got rid of my peonies, in addition to the wilt that plagued them. Great globs of wet kleenex after the inevitable rain storm.

Marie

Oh hurray! Thank you rain gods! We had an afternoon, followed by a night, of heavy rain! I'm sure all my plants and trees are doing the happy root dance!

I am envious, Sped. I put out the rain gauge when it started looking stormy, and what we got lasted about 10 minutes and didn't come half way up to the 0.1" mark. The sprinklers are going.

Oh that's a bummer, NHBabs. I guess this system followed a pretty localized pathway. We even had a good rain again this afternoon with a possible promise of more rain before the day is done. I wish I could send it down your way, as I'm sure you need it badly too.

Yes, we were teased here as well. It's been windy for a few days, *feeling* like rain was coming, and last night we got a little sprinkle, but nothing substantial. Today was also supposed to "rain all day" and it's been sunny and bright. Yay....

Well, after our area also being teased all afternoon by heavy-looking clouds and gusty "storm-type" winds, the weather forecast now says we have a 60% chance of rain tonight. BUT only a tenth to a quarter inch of rain... not even enough to damp down the dust!

And 60 % chance... somehow I think it won't happen at all. Glad some in New England are getting wet though.

Today we actually got some pounding rain for about 15 minutes and made it up to the 0.3" mark on the gauge. That's more than we've had total in the past 6 weeks.

So that's what rain looks like that's good karma.

Hey Marie thanks for the invite. Nice to meet everybody.

At one point this winter we had 8 feet of snow piled up around the driveway. The forecast would say 8 inches and we would get 12 or 20 instead. 10 Snow days in Feb.

I can't believe my town has a water ban in May!!!!!!! We haven't had any serious rain since before the Marathon.

I need the water for my bug ridden trees or they might die. Aaaaaargh.

Thanks for letting me vent.

Terri

My peonies have failed me for the first time in...about 12 years? Always, reliably, predictably, my peonies bloom and it pours. Yet...this year...they are blooming and not a drop of rain has knocked them down. I am in a state of shock....

No rain for us (despite the "supposed" 60% chance of it last night I posted about above), so we are still dustbowl dry here. But it's just lovely to see your photo of a good old rainstorm, NHBabs!

The one positive about this drought is my husband is ecstatic about how he has NOT had to mow the lawn. Really we no longer have enough lawn to mow. In the back it's weeds and bare dirt, and in the front (due to more shade trees) the grass (& weeds) are so thin it doesn't look ragged enough to mow. I suppose at some point we will have to cut it...but I've told him it needs to be a very high cut.

3 mins of rain yesterday - only long enough for me to race around the house to shut all the windows. By the time I was done, so was the rain :(

Not a drop here in Metrowest Boston :( Hopefully Sunday!!

exactly one drop in Lexington.

My god... the soil is literally dust in Seekonk.

Meanwhile in Texas/Oklahoma it's the rainiest month, EVER.

What rain we did get didn't do much for the gardens, there just as dry as they were before the rain. With any luck the rain they say is coming for sun will do some good or at least fill my rain barrels so I can water the veggie garden.

Yard/lawn/Ground is dust here in Hanson too. The 80% chance of rain has turned into a few light sprinkles.

Terri

As did our 60% chance. Very discouraging the way the rain avoids us!

For hours I've been hearing the NOAA weather radio call out warnings about Flash Floods! Heavy Rain! and there was nothing here - all the rain passed to the north.

The front seems to be dropping more to the south now and finally there's a bit of rain coming down as the front pushes the weather system down. There's hope barrettoo1!

Screenshot Weather Underground 5/31/15 6:52 PM

Claire

I forgot to include the front (blue line):

I'm just north of Sandwich on the right side.

Claire

The last time I saw trees this relieved looking was August 2013. We had 15 days of dry, baking weather and it culminated with a torrential soaking. The trees were visibly perkier, greener, and healthier seeming altogether. The air was filled with the smell of plants again.

That's how it feels right now! Praise God, or geo/meteor-ology, or what ever for this blessing of Rain!!!!

Nice to see that many of us are now getting wet and hopefully those who haven't yet will get it tonight or tomorrow.

We had light rain on and off all day, and a few periods of steady rain, but it all added up to about 0.6", so we are now approaching 1" for the month. We are forecast to get a bit more over the next 2 days, so I am hopeful that it will soak in well. Where I was weeding this morning in an area that I haven't watered, even though there was damp soil for about an inch, it was still dust dry below that, so more rain will be welcome.

We had a little rain over night, this morning around 8:30 I took the dog for her walk about 10 min into the walk it started to rain by the time we got back the sun was out, I did some yard work by noon it was raining hard and its still raining, I'll need to week the garden after all this rain but its worth it.

The rain came, a few hours later than predicted. But, it keeps pouring off,and on. Like everybody else, I hope it gets to soak in.

Thanks for all the rain dances.

Terri

Phew! Finally a decent amount of rain yesterday. We had some downpours throughout the day. Actual puddles in the street. Unfortunately, the timing was not the greatest, because it’s been ‘helicopter’ season here for the past couple of weeks. All the surrounding Maples have been dropping their helicopters and we hadn’t had time to get up and clear the gutters. So I’m looking out the window and notice rain coming over the top of the gutter. We were out the door like a shot and up on the ladder in the rain pulling them all out. The gutters were packed with them and the front downspouts were blocked. Now we’re all set and can enjoy the rain.

Persimmons - we have a neighbor with a 60+ year old Silver Maple that looks horrible this spring, after our horrible winter. And they don’t water. I don’t even think they own a sprinkler. I hope this rain might help it recover but I’m doubting it.

NHBabs - Our forecast through Tuesday looks like we may end up with about 3 inches. It really doesn’t sound like much when you think about an entire dry month of May, but 3 inches over 3 days, sounds like it could make a lot of difference. Hope we all end up with that much at least.

There was hard rain overnight and it looks like almost an inch accumulated in a flat-bottomed garden cart (my informal rain measure). I thought I could get away with not washing out and refilling the birdbaths but I looked at one and the water was filthy - probably from all the dust and pollen washed off the trees and plants. The pollen allergy index should be low today with the air cleaned out.

And there's more rain coming!

Claire

Our rain gauge is showing over 1 inch so far. So happy to see this, and hope to see more before it ends. Desperately needed.

Susan

So glad to see that more and more of us are getting some rain! Sadly we still have no significant moisture here on the lower edge of the Upper Cape. As has happened a few nights in the past week, we had a VERY slight bit of misty drizzle that served to dampen only the tops of the trees and patches of open sidewalk and roadway. That dampness raises our hopes every morning but dries to invisibility within an hour....

However, the probability of rain is now 100% tomorrow night! I feel like Little Orphan Annie in the musical, singing, "Tomorrow, tomorrow.... it's only a day away!...." :--}

Aw, barrettoo1, that band of rain never got down to you? It looked so promising! Well, the next one sounds good...

Temperatures are running 20 to 25 degrees below normal according to NWS!

Claire

ahhhhhh

Claire, I think it's still coming to us. Starting this afternoon, we've got some more of the on-&-off light, misty drizzle... so that's dampening things a bit, but I wouldn't call it rain yet. Maybe tonight! (It is indeed cold, though....)

Yayy, we have real rain!! Started in earnest late last night, when I woke to hear the pitter of rain on the windows followed by "glugging" through the downspouts.
Early this morning I went out in it in a mood to celebrate--already the back yard low spot was mushy and the tomato plants had lost their droopy look.

And it's continuing even now with wonderfully robust rainfall, so all the shrunken kettle hole ponds are expanding again and the spring pollen may finally be washing out of the air. Love it!!!

How lovely, barrett001 - may your downspouts keep glugging until your yard is back to normal!

Claire

We also FINALLY got some real rain here in Falmouth - about an inch, according to the bucket I left out on the path - after next to nothing for the past month or more. Not a moment too soon, really, since so many woody plants are still trying to leaf out.

I found lots of seedling hellebores in the top of my 'last stage' compost pile - I think the rain may save them from dying of thirst.
- DtD

There was about 2-1/2 inches of water in my garden cart today after several days of rain. I feel like a criminal pulling weeds out when they've finally gotten hydrated.

Claire