Remember that old song by The Carpenters - I just googled they lyrics, boy whoever wrote that song must have been seriously depressed - but I digress.
The weather outlook for this week is not looking very positive. However it's hard to complain about the cool, wet spring we are having here in the Northeast, considering the weather catastrophes that have been occurring in the Southern part of the U.S.
This rainy weather is good for two things though; shopping and planting. Rainy days are my favorite days to go to the nursery. The days are so slow, that you usually have the chance to interact with whomever is in charge of sourcing the plants, and they are generally a great source of information. Ever been to a nursery on that first beautiful Saturday morning in June with every other person in town? Not that pleasant.
Once you're suited up, wellies, raincoats, etc. you may as well get out there and plant. The truth is a ridiculously rainy day is NOT a good time to plant, the soil is too saturated, you risk disturbing the nice soil structure, etc. But, if you've got a week coming up where it's going to be periodic off and on rain, and you get plants in the ground it makes life much easier. To be really successful with transplants, they need a lot of water to get established and recover from transplant shock. That means watering every or every other day. It's also why the spring is a much more optimal time for planting than the summer, there is less stress for everyone, including the plants. In general, once the plants get established I take a "tough love" approach, and only water when really necessary. I know you will be horrified, but sometimes it can be weeks between waterings for me - and my plants live. However right after transplanting they need babying, and that means lots of water.
This is my lovely little crabapple - before it started raining, now it looks like crap.
Yes, more rain here in Nyack today too, ugh! I think I need to get my garden gnome an umbrella. :)
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