I hope it is four days of a good soaking rain. It will take all that plus more to get the soil moist to 6-10 inches.

I also hope I have the will not to be grumbling by Thursday. If I am there's an open invitation to kick my butt.

Marie

Where I live (MetroWest) we only have a 40% change of scattered thunderstorms on Monday and Tuesday.

I looked up Lexington's long range and we have the same chance for not-much rain. Too bad, my hopes were up.
Marie

Weather Underground says 30% chance for precipitation for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday here. Probably not enough to help the garden, but enough chance so that I'll have to close the windows at night. I hate to close the windows at night when it doesn't rain after all.

Claire

YES! Rain in central CT - been a long time! 7a.m. this morning, nice to see a wet hummer.

Jane

Claire, my weekend coastal garden got a good hose-soaking yesterday, and it doesn't look good for much rain this week. About windows: we put in a bunch (not all) of awning windows that crank out at the bottom. We can leave them open during rain unless it's a deluge; and even then, we can keep an inch or so open. Excellent for locations where one wants lots of ventilation even during rainstorms.

Carol

Jane: that hummer looks very happy (and clean)!

Carol: Awning windows are a great idea. I do have a few windows under overhangs that can stay open in rain unless it's windy. My doors on to the deck and porch are also under overhangs, but I don't leave them open at night.

A little spritz of rain this morning - no more in sight for a while.

Claire

We had a little rain overnight. But the spots underneath the cars were still dry. So it obviously wasn't much.

All that little pissant sprinkle did was wash the dust off the hostas.
Marie

Got lots of lightning and thunder starting at about 3AM this morning, and between 0.5 and 0.75 inches of rain in a plant saucer on the deck. The humidity is really high now.

Claire

claire, i love thunder and lightning. it's funny though, i never thought about it until a friend in seattle told me that that's what he missed about chicago and the NE; that they didn't get thunder and lightning in seattle.funny huh?
best,
mindy

This drought must be confined to the southern NE states. We had a good rain for most of the night and early morning two days ago, and a fair amount of rain during July, esp the latter part.

There's no doubt to me that my area is in drought though I'm sure it hasn't been recognized. All of my hydrangeas are wilting and shriveled despite supplemental watering. My Katsura only has a few leaves left, and the trees around here are starting to turn color.

At this point I'm done trying to keep anything pretty. I just want them to stay alive.

0% chance of precip. While nearby areas get soaking storms.

To my happy surprise, it is raining today. I wasn't expecting it since I haven't bothered to watch the weather forecast for a while now.

Still just a sprinkle here, woe is me. It is one of the dryest summers I remember. The PJMs' leaves are all curled because someone, ahem, has not watered as she should.

Some of the perennials look the way they do in mid-Sept--ready to call it a day. Especially the daylilies.

So strange--100 year floods in March, two weeks apart--and now this.

Northcentral CT ... woke up to the sound of a gentle rain, and been raining all day, including several absolute DELUGES this afternoon. Haven't checked the rain gauge (still raining!!) but it was enough to wash two monarch caterpillars off the milkweed that's currently in a pot on the patio awaiting relocation in a butterfly garden (one landed in the dog's water bowl -- fished it out and thought it was dead since it didn't MOVE for an hour... but then, a wiggle... whew!) I assume they can normally withstand rain?? They must SOMETIMES land in puddles? Does anyone know what's SUPPOSED to happen? I'm thinking I should put each one on a milkweed leaf, then take the leaves out to the meadow and put them on the ground under the big milkweed patch. Then at least they'll be part of a natural cycle (assuming it's not unusual for these guys to get washed off leaves and onto the ground .. just that ground should BE ground, not a bluestone patio or even worse, a dog's water bowl?)

Hi Marty -yes, sounds like a good idea IF your pot of milkweed for multiple reasons cannot support them. How long are they? If they are reaching the 1.5 to 2" length, they need at least a whole large leaf every day- maybe more and at about 2" long, they will stop eating, spin silk and go into a "J" form until the crysalis forms. Then it takes 10-12 days to hatch. Better to be on the milkweed plant and the ground instead of bluestone unless you take the pot inside and protect them. Watching the process is incredible. Those that are in the caterpillar stage now, are the last batch and it is this group that will migrate to Mexico. Special little guys you have there.

Kindly,
Jane

We've had light rain most of the day. Still nothing much to speak of, but hopefully we'll get more some time in the next few days. We haven't had measurable rain here since July 13th, just about six weeks now. I remember clearly because I took a picture of the rainstorm that day, it was a deluge of 2-3 inches. We've had a voluntary water ban for 2 weeks now, the landscape is parched, and some sections of garden are pathetic-looking.

CTlady, I am raising a bunch of Monarchs right now. How large are the caterpillars? Yes they can drown especially the little ones. Personally I would either bring the caterpillars inside or put them back on your potted plants, and then move the plants to a more sheltered location so they don't get washed off again.

Thanks all! I will move the pot to shelter under the overhang tonight (right now!) then will probably take these guys out to the milkweed in the meadow as soon as the rain stops (is that a good idea?) I have a ton of milkweed in my meadow, but this small clump happens to be in a pot temporarily -- never expected the caterpillars on IT! One is TEENY (maybe the length of my pinkie fingernail, tops -- one is larger (maybe 1 inch, the other a tad larger; neither is close to 2 inches, though I watched the largest of the three this morning steadily munching down the edge of a leaf. Wondrous! I took pictures earlier ... will go save my babies right now!

(Update: just went down, moved pot to a sheltered spot under the porch overhang...after careful inspection with a flashlight, located all three!!!)

hey, you guys are going off topic here! but for once, I am tickled pink to read the OT posts. I actually had no idea anyone raised monarchs. that is just sooo cool. i wish i lived next door to you so I could watch! that is just the coolest thing.i hope some little children get to partake in the glory; i can just imagine their faces.
best,
mindy

Mindy (to return to posting subject), did you also have the strong winds on Sunday and today? All night I could hear the thrashing of my shrubs and trees in the 25 mph NE wind. Now daylight, and I don't see too much damage - no limbs on the ground, many leaves, though.

But now the grass is vivid green from the rain, and the wind is pushing large whitecaps onto the shore. Hurray! For me, a garden harvest day without hat or sunscreen!

So I hope the ArboRetum didn't suffer much. Not a hurricane, anyway.

Carol

carol. how beautiful it must be to live on the ocean. we did not have strong winds here and no damage. isn't it a truism that it's always windier on the ocean than not?
(another reason i'd love to live on the ocean ; i love wind.)
best,
mindy

Mindy, I'm raising both Monarchs and Black Swallowtails this summer - raising butterflies is a very fun and addicting hobby. Check out this thread in the winter sowing forum for lots of details and pics. No small children involved here at my house, but I find the whole process quite wondrous too. :)

CTlady, I would not move the little cats to the meadow. This is because they will be subjected to natural predators out there. They may have some protection on your potted milkweed (especially if it's not blooming which attracts wasps and other predators), as it is out of the normal path of predators. Not that it's a problem for them to fend for themselves out there in the meadow, Monarchs do that all the time, but the predation rate is very high and one of the purposes of rearing them indoors is to drastically increase their odds of making it to the butterfly stage.