I'm not doing anything except daydreaming about sunshine and what I will plant next. Meanwhile, I have a pile of plants waiting in the wings for transplanting. If I can't find a dry moment this weekend to do some planting, I may just strap on the rain gear and get to it anyway.

But yeah, this dreary weather is the pits!

I miss the sun!

I've been pulling plants that are not where they belong, for the Waltham Garden Club's plant sale on June 4th. Also, learning what's actually weeds and what's not (largely based on what things are doing). And getting very tired of being wet, at the same time as being glad that I don't have to water anything outside, including the fish pond. (although I may still need to do another water change soon)

Did a little trimming of a few bushes that decided they needed to be in pathways, and a bunch more of convincing branches to be behind other ones so I didn't have to prune.

Also, playing with seeds and seedlings. And hoping the tomato and pepper plants that needed to go outside (and are) don't get too upset by the lack of sun. Hey, I suppose it's still more light than they'd get indoors!

Trying to figure out if one of the lilacs in the back yard is drooping because of needing pruning, or if something else causes that. This is a new yard for us, you see!

SIGH.. trying to sell the plants for the sale is about it.. I am asking for the lawn to be mowed...the GRASS and weeds have liked the rain... but since I am at the sale most weekends nuthing is getting done here and the blang nabit rain is hampering the CMN plant sale!

This past Sunday since I saw it was going to be rainy all week, I took advantage of the lousy weather forecast and direct sowed a bunch of seeds to let mother nature take care of the watering. I've been out there pulling weeds which are so much easier to pull when the soil is nice and moist. Also been pruning some shrubs back and trying to keep my wintersown seedlings from drowning in their pots. I have a bunch of annual seedlings under lights upstairs in a bedroom so those help keep my sanity where I can work with plant material where it's warm and there's lots of (artificial) light. Oh yeah, I've done lots of plant shopping too! Again, I figure if I plant the stuff in the rain I don't have to worry about them drying out or worrying about watering.

I am still moving poorly sited plants, weeding, and pruning. Actually this wet week has changed my usual course of action enough that I was thinking this could be, would be, should be, the year that I finally start a garden journal/calendar. Marie, do you keep a garden journal? There are so many little details that I tend to yearly in the garden that I forget about until I am faced with the task.

Roberta Clark, the Cape Cod County Extension agent, was on the local NPR station yesterday or the day before, and said that this weather's given her an extended window for dividing and moving hostas and other perennials. I thought it was too late for all that, but maybe not. I certainly wouldn't want to do much digging when the ground's this wet.

DTD I don't want to be on working on bare garden soil for extended periods b/c compaction, but a nice leafy spongy surface would be fine. Could also put down a board to stand on to spread the weight a bit.

Katy, when I first began gardening I kept a journal, and enjoyed referring to it in subsequent years. I learned there's variability and not to 'panic' when blooms and leaves were running late. I had the evidence of how many plants I killed and discarded. But I didn't really use it for a lot of future planning. I feel so inadequate about that, putting things together...the needs present when I'm out in the garden then I just feel overwhelmed. If I only had my husband at my beck and call every day all day.....or, lacking that, a head gardener....

I got a notice from Weston Nurseries about sales for their "preferred customers" which I will be shortly after I arrive at their chelmsford location tomorrow at 9 am. A $65 azalea for $15 and enkianthanis for 25$ insteadof 67. Worth the trip to "fill in" ....always, always filling, filling, filling.....

are you?
Marie

For us, this weather is the best possible gift from the Mother.We are determinedly digging up dead/near dead j maples from winter and replacing them. we have vans of trees, shrubs, vines, perennials to plant in addition to 12 more j maples so i can't tell you how thankful we are for this weather. Looks like i COULD be happy in the PNW.
Plants dug and re-planted or dug and divided- do not skip a BEAT in weather like this.Compacting the soil? Put a board down.

(btw, ida, in our lifetimes that tri color beech will not get really big.now that i realize that, we'll go get one.
just be sure to plant it w/ a green background.)
best,
mindy

I'm with you Mindy on loving this cool wet weather, even though I started getting grumpy by yesterday. By early June last year the heat was getting going and we just started a big gardening job. Spent the rest of the summer watering. That heat and dryness was a miserable and expensive alternative to rain and damp.

I'll give a report on my day-long nursery scouting trip today on another thread.

Marie

I'm so happy to see the sun today. I spent the morning shopping for the rest of my veggie plants and flower annuals. I just spent a few hours outside potting up all my annual planters. But that is about it for me this week.

I've been removing volunteer plants I don't want in my yard, and transplanting volunteers I like that settled in an inconvenient place. I also made the obligatory trip to Katsura Gardens for Rosetone and came home with some junipers instead. The same thing happened a few years ago; no Rosetone so I bought junipers. I was happy that it was cool and wet (happy for the plants anyway).

Just as the sun came out I splurged on some azaleas and a rhododendron at Ocean State Job Lot. I need it to stay cool and wet so I can get these shrubs in the ground and settled in. That blue sky sure looked good though.

Claire