I do feel a bit of comfort that it's not just me feeling like a failure. I'm still out of town so DH is in charge; we'll see what things look like when I get back home in a couple of days.

My tomatoes are planted in cups, sitting in a sterilite bin. I put the lid on the bin, and flipped the lids back over some of the milk jugs- More to deflect away some of the rain than for cold protection. Some like the toms and zinnias might have benefited from a sheet covering or something, but I guess I just don't care that much any more. I'm pretty sick of it all. Low tonight is supposed to be 44.

I couldn't plant out any of this stuff if I wanted to. Besides the ground being to wet to work, the soil in the containers is so saturated that it would all fall apart. I planted out heuchera about a week ago, and that's what happened.

Karen

I planted out some Bachelor Buttons over a month ago and even they haven't grown....neither have the 'Primrose Gem' Chrysanths.......they are just stitting there doing nothing....I gave one of them a tug and its really rooted in, just no top growth. None of the in-ground annuals grew at all last year until maybe July.........too much rain.

Nothing's doing well here, either. By now we should be hot and dry, but it's still cold and wet. Doesn't seem like this will ever end.

Karen

However, my tomatoes and basil look very lovely siting in my foyer

I was tired of seed sowing so I just bought basil...its still sitting under lights. We're supposed to get some sun on Friday but nothing before then.

I'm going to direct sow my basil. Someday that is...

What a crappy week of vacation. I did plant my 2 Bloommaster baskets for my porch today. Somehow that always seems to take me longer than it should. They're sitting in the garage, in the dark, with everything else. It's supposed to get up to 60° tomorrow, so I should be able to move things back outside tomorrow unless it's raining too hard. My begonias look awful- I think their ultimate fate is the compost bin.

Karen

I'm having a tough time with basil this year.... they keep dying. I had a nice little pot of it... transplanted to a larger pot... within a week it was all dead. I've got two other little pots sown... not much going on... but while i was at home for 4 days... we got a lot of rain and all my containers are still soaked. my Scarlet Milkweeds are not doing anything either. the soil is too wet.

Terese, you should have time to direct sow some basil, right? I usually sow mine when I plant out tomatoes in mid-May, and we have basil to eat with the toms by the time they're ripe.

That is, IF WE EVER GET ANY SUNSHINE!

Yep, still raining here. Incredible

Karen

even though rain is not forcasted.. i peeked at the radar, and there is a 'wave' coming from the east.

karen -- up here, i dont have a lot of sun -i'm pretty shaded... so i was gonna do pots for my herbs so i can move them around. I could possibly direct sow some in the flower beds by the pool. it's a short walk -- thought they'd only get morning sun.

There is still plenty of time to start basil again, either indoors or by direct sowing. I was actually just starting some more today.

Raining again here too. Day 3 of vacation with 0 time in the garden so far.

Yes, basil does want sun, that's true.

I'm right there with you, Linda. Day 3 of vacation and 0 time in the yard. I haven't even taken a walkabout in the yard to see what's what. The yard is a swamp. I guess I should check the WSown stuff on the deck. I haven't even looked at that in days. I hope to move all those plants out of the garage and back outside since it's supposed to get up to 60° today. The garage is too dark. Since the deck has no roof, I'll just put that stuff in daisy trays so they can drain.


Karen

tsc
My basil did the same thing; ;lots of little plants sprouted but now I am down to two that have the first two sets of true leaves.

We're supposed to get some sun tomorrow and through the weekend with a chance of thundershowers on Sunday and Monday. I really need to get some of the WS seedlings planted....some that have actually grown well are so rootbound they are turning colours
We've gotten so much rain this year, one of my peonies has started to stem rot

I CANNOT BELIEVE IT RAINED AGAIN. It's soaking wet out there, must have just stopped raining. Yesterday the forecast for today was cloudy with a slight chance of sprinkles, sun on Fri and Sat Now it's been revised to 50% chance of rain today, 20% chance tomorrow, 30% chance on Sat. Hrrrmph! Will this never end? I'd really hoped my husband would help and I'd make a lot of progress over the weekend.

By the time I weed and mulch and plant, fall will be here. I feel like "Why bother?".

Karen

Now this is weird. Absolutely no rain is showing on local radar. But when I step out on my deck, it's definitely raining! (Sigh) I might spend today reading again.

Karen

we are having rain here too. the few little pots that were still soaked from the rain over a week ago, i have them under the over hang of my back porch... so at least they didnt get more rain.... but they dont dry out with no sun. think my milkweeds are toast.

Karen -- i know the feeling -- almost. you've had SO much rain.
the last time i was home - Last Mon-Wed ... i was out in between storms planting.. i was literally working in the mud.
I was laying mulch in the rain, just because i had to get it done - as we were leaving in a few hrs. But I did at least get a few hrs to work outside... you're not even getting that....

Nope, we've never had rain like this. I'm about ready to throw in the towel. Next week's forecast is much the same, but it doesn't matter what the forecast says, it rains anyway.

I hate to do anything when my clay is so wet. It really does destroy the soil in that area for a while- squeezes out all air spaces and when it dries it like rock after that. I've worked so hard for years to make it nice, I don't want to destroy that in a day or two.

Maybe if the rain stops, I'll try to weed a little and then mulch immediately, one little section at a time. even if I don't accomplish much, it might put me in a better mood, knowing that I've done SOMETHING.

I need some sterile plants that won't reseed. Any recommendations out there? I don't care if it can be started from seed, I'll buy the plant. Nepeta Walker's Low is sterile, isn't it?

Karen

from what i've read... yes, it's a non-reseeding.

I too need to start getting 'well behaved' plants.

i'm finding agastache babies everywhere.... i do love them though.

In finally made a dent today- not a lot done, but a dent just the same. I weeded my front yard bed, and spread 10 bags of mulch there. (I ran out after 8 bags. Went to the garden cntr and bought 10 more bags, and spread 2 more of the new ones). I planted just a few little annuals there, too.

Tomorrow, weather permitting, I'm going to try to plant the coleus out front. I have a lot of them this year- over 100, but I lost track.

You know, hauling around and spreading 10 giant bags of mulch is more than an old lady like me should do in a day. I ache all over. My bum leg is shot. My back aches. My hands hurt. My allergies are raging.

Summer must be here!

Karen