Nice Slow Steady Rainfall

That’s what we are finally getting - have had 1 ¾ inch total rain today. So soothing, peaceful and welcome.

Rain Check
A friend invited me to an event this week and I asked her to give me a rain check due to a conflict in my schedule. That coupled with the rain had me looking up what exactly is a rain check. First I found that rain check is two words instead of one. In looking up rain check, www.answers.com listed the following definition and explanation:

1. A ticket stub entitling the holder to admission to a future event if the scheduled event is canceled because of rain.

2. An assurance to a customer that an item on sale that is sold out or out of stock may be purchased later at the sale price.

3. A promise that an unaccepted offer will be renewed in the future: declined the invitation to dinner, but asked for a rain check.

Rain Check - BackgroundIt seems the term rain check came about in the 1880’s when baseball games were rained out and attendees were given rain checks to cover a future admission.

Rain, Rain, Come Today
Just this week I had changed the lyrics of Rain, Rain Go Away, Come Again Another Day to Rain, Rain, Come Today and posted on FB. It has been so long since we’ve had a rain here, that I cannot remember when the last time was.

I’d have to say my garden and I are truly thrilled and not willing to take a rain check on this wonderful rain! The soil will be much improved due to the flushing of all the built up salt from the lack of rain. I expect everything will be growing like gangbusters after this.

I’ve put out my glass pitcher to capture rainwater to use as a hair rinse. It’s amazing to me how cold rainwater stays when saved like this.

Nursery Rhyme
Here’s a new twist on an old favorite rhyme that fits the weather this evening:

It's raining, it's pouring,
I’m fixing to be snoring.
I laid down my head
when I went to bed
and I slept late in the morning.

Be Happy - Water Smart

Our Zinnias are in Bloom, Yeah!!

Thanks to my wonderful hubby, we have zinnias blooming

in all different brilliant colors in the garden.

Well, gardening in South Texas has its challenges

with the heat and lack of rain these days.

We all need to keep hydrated and so do our plants.

Following are some tips I've learned that you can do too

to keep you and your Zinnias happy.

Tips for Happy Gardener & Garden

 DO

• Add compost and other good stuff to enrich your soil when preparing your garden bed - this helps your soil retain water
• Build raised beds for better drainage
• After planting use 1-2" or more of mulch - spread around the plants after planting but don't bury your plants with mulch
• Use soaker hoses/drip irrigation when possible (with timers in case you forget to turn off the water) less water evaporation
• Water early morning slow and deeply. Over 90% of plant diseases are fungal related so watering early eliminates alot of problems that are caused by watering late in the day.

  

DON'T

• Let the weeds suck out all the water from your plant - eliminate them using mulch immediately after planting and weeding periodically.
• Water sidewalks, driveways, streets or curbs – concrete - no matter how much you water them, they still won't grow

Benefits of Mulch

• Mulch keeps soil cooler so the water doesn’t evaporate from the soil as fast so less loss of water
• As mulch breaks down it adds to the soil
• Keeps weed growth down
• When weeds do come up, they are a whole lot easier to pull out from the mulch - that means less weeds and easier removal

Placing bags of mulch around the zinnia bed in preperation for putting
around the plants. For the most benefit, you have to remove
the mulch from the bags (he he).



Mulched Zinnia Beds. Happy Zinnias!

Happy Zinnias, Happy Gardener!