At long last it is raining! The garden and I are very happy because we have had at least a month without a drop of rain.
Yes, this is a case of raindrops on roses….but
…… I couldn’t find a kitten, so a tulip will have to do instead.
Wandering round the garden, between showers, I found raindrops on Hemerocallis with Brunnera Jack Frost
Heuchera collecting raindrops in the centre of the leaf.
I caught these on Euphorbia melliferra before they could slide off.
Raindrops on the honeysuckle over the arbour in the back garden.
There is a raindrop hiding in the sedum on the alpine scree.
Raindrops on Aquilegia semiaquilegia on the scree.
My photo of a hellebore with raindrops before coming in as it was raining again!
What a difference it makes when the grass has just been cut. Everything is looking bright and perky after our showers.
We have more rain promised for tonight, the garden will be very pleased and so will I. I miss it when we have such a long spell without any rain, most of my plants are ones that like a damp soil, but the last few weeks were so dry, some of then were beginning to look miserable!
The same here Pauline! Our shower was very light last night, but we are hoping for more as April has been extremely dry and many of my plants are also looking sad. Love your raindrop photos!
The heat as well as the dryness meant that the narcissus were over far too soon Cathy. We are so used to the April showers that our country usually has, it comes as quite a shock when we have such high temperatures at this time of year!
I too love your raindrops, Pauline. Now we have “sunshine after rain” in Powys but more showers promised for the coming week, thank goodness 🙂
Thanks Rosemarie, the rain was so very welcome, more due today hopefully. The daffodils were hardly open before they were over in the heat that came up from the south, we are back to normal temperatures today thank goodness!
We have no rain, yesterday I braught the nemathodes in the garden and water it again and again. Sun is shining, grey clouds in the sky, but no rain. Each year at this time the same. I wish you a very nice time in your wonderful garden!
Sigrun
We all long for rain Sigrun and when it doesn’t come our poor plants suffer, it makes us all realise how essential it is. I hope you get rain soon to make your garden happy!
The rain was so welcome, it is amazing how much greener it looks after just one day. Your pictures are fabulous too. What camera do you use Pauline? I’m in the market for a new one.
It was wonderful wasn’t it Jessica, I’m sure you had more than us, we just get your left overs! Thanks for the comment about my photographs, but your photos are much better than mine! My camera is just a point and press, Olympus Camedia 5 megapixel.
You have really outdone yourself on these photos, they are fantastic!
Glad to hear about the rain. One of the things I dread most is a dry spring, it seems like everything is gasping for air at a time when it should be exploding with life!
The tulip photo is my favorite. I never noticed many tulips in your garden before.
Why, thank you Frank! It was the poor narcissus that were suffering in the heat and sun, no sooner were the flowers out, but then they were over. In this country we are used to quite a bit of rain in April, we are famous for our April showers and cool temperatures, but the weather was coming up from Africa in the south! We are back to normal now with the wind crossing the Atlantic, picking up moisture on its way.
With my heavy soil I tend to only get a show from tulips for 1 year, they just never re-appear. I must have planted this one about 5 or 6 years ago, it is the only one left in a long border of about 50ft!
Hooray for rain! It makes for some nice photos, but even more important, it makes the plants much healthier and happier. We’re having an odd spring for the PNW, sometimes going for a week or two at a time without rain (for us, in spring, that is very odd). And in summer, we usually get none for at least two months, so I know how much the garden prefers real rain over watering.
We certainly need it don’t we Alison and miss it when it doesn’t come as expected. Most of our weather comes across the Atlantic, but the weather changed and came from Africa instead. The sunny days were lovely but far too hot for the plants flowering at the moment. We’re now back to normal!
I’m so glad you got your much needed rain! Another enjoyment in the garden…..raindrops! I love to see them pooled on leaves. I especially love them on Lady’s Mantle. Thanks for sharing!
We were all very glad to see the rain Sally. Nature is wonderful in that it always provides something beautiful to see in a garden, no matter what the weather, sometimes it just takes a bit of finding!
Breathtaking photos Pauline. The raindrops must have been welcome. We’ve had a lot of rain this weekend.
The rain was so very welcome after all the hot, dry weather we have been having Susie, and the plants are looking much happier!
The garden looks fantastic and the long view is truly beautiful! I love all of the same sorts of plants as you, and sadly we have had similar problems for almost the last decade: the rain has simply become unreliable in the second month of spring, causing havoc with all of the blooms. Your flowers, however still look spectacular despite their dry spell 🙂
Thanks Matt, its good to hear from you, thanks for leaving a message. Having hot weather so early in the year probably means that we not going to have a good summer, but we’ll have to wait and see. The garden looks a lot happier for its spell of rain and we’ve more forecast during the week, so hopefully things will get back to normal soon.
It’s always a relief to get a little rain, and your plants are obviously in seventh heaven! My favourite pics are of the tulip and the hellebore. We could do with a little rain too, three of my hellebores have almost died! A freshly cut lawn is always a treat on the eyes!Yours looks lovely.xxx
It has been known Dina, for me to do a little rain dance when we really need rain, I hadn’t quite got to that stage this time ! I always think that if the grass is cut, the whole garden looks so much better, in spite of the weeds! I hope you get your much needed rain soon, but from the weather forecast it seems that snow is on it’s way for the north!
Hey Pauline,
Such richness in each shot of this type of quality imagery harkens back to early days in Ken Druse’ career. You should be proud of the quality work on your blog. Looking forward to what else we might bring together to embrace unique food choices.
Best,
Patrick
Thank you Patrick, that’s very kind of you!
So glad to hear you had rain….I treasure each drop and try not to complain when we get flooded this time of year.
Yes Donna, sometimes it seems that we just get extremes doesn’t it? Rain is so valuable and we can’t just take it for granted any more. We save every drop we can in water butts around the house and garage which we rely on during the summer, but I never thought I would be struggling to water a few pots in April!
A month without rain is dreadful, and I am glad to see all those raindrops on your lovely plants. Your garden looks fresh, beautiful tended and loved! We have had so much rain the grass grows very quickly. It always looks nice and smells wonderful when it is newly mown. Today was the first day in a while without rain here. More rain is predicted mid week, but tomorrow should be another delightful spring day. Summer is on the horizon…
It is dreadful at this time of year Deb, usually the water butts are full to the top with all the April showers that we have, but not this time. We have more rain on the way so I will look forward to it, it will give me a chance to catch up with the housework!
I’m not sure if we’ve had rain yet – maybe a drop or two the other night but nothing like the heavy rain promised. I’ve been planting in the garden this morning as rain is promised for this week so it will be good to get plants settled in. Most of my garden here is perennial so I don’t have to do too much watering at this stage of the year – it’s when the annual veg crops go in that I have to start looking to the skies! Looks like your rain showers have done your garden good, it’s looking lovely.
We were hoping for some more rain today Caro, but it seems to have missed us, maybe Wednesday’s will reach us! The pots that I’m having to water are all plants that have been bought over the past few months and not got round to planting, my own fault!The garden is looking a lot better since it had some rain but it could do with more as just a couple of inches down it is still bone dry.
Lovely raindrops Pauline, it’s raining hard here right now so maybe I’ll take some raindrop images too! We often have long periods without rain but when it does come the garden always appreciates it and looks better.
We are all hoping that the hot weather we have just had Christina, isn’t our summer! On the weather forecast, we have been told that we have only had 20% of our usual rainfall for April, there is a lot to make up. I hope your garden enjoys its shower of rain!
You have some lovely raindrop photos. Doesn’t it make everything look lovely and fresh/
We were the same – even though rain was forecast it didn’t appear, so I had to water and water and water. Then it rained, and then it hailed and then it snowed! The garden is now lovely and wet, if a bit battered.
I’ve been thinking of you up there in Aberdeen Annette, each time I’ve watched the weather forecast. Your poor garden, I hope the weather hasn’t done any permanent damage. Our garden looks a lot better for the showers we have had, but we are hoping for more rain on Wednesday.
The weather has become so unpredictable hasn’t it. A month without rain? It’s pretty odd for the UK isn’t it? Out in Eastern Canada they still have a dusting of snow on the ground. Here it has been unseasonably cold. Global warming seems to have been a bit of a misnomer. Global unpredictability seems more apt.
How fresh everything looks with raindrops! Everything glistens. I love the long view of your garden Pauline. It looks just splendid.
I agree Jennifer, the weather is certainly changing. Not all the UK had the same dry weather as we did, Northern England and Scotland have had plenty of rain and now they are having more snow! We are all so used to our April showers it comes as quite a shock when we don’t have any! We had more rain last night and there is more forecast for Wednesday so the garden should be very happy!
Apparently, if you spray things with water to produce a rain effect in photos, it is possible to see that it is not real rain because the drops are too uniform in size. Obviously not your problem.
Isn’t a rain nice after several days without it! Nice to fall asleep with the sound of rain in the back ground.
No Alain, I didn’t have to resort to spraying my garden! Rain is wonderful after a spell without. I like to sit in the conservatory and listen to it pounding on the glass roof!
What beautiful pictures, Pauline – we were overdue for rain too, but I’m afraid I didn’t see it as a photographic opportunity. Clearly I should have done!
(Why doesn’t my brunnera JF look as good as yours? Am going out to threaten it now.)
I always wander with camera at the ready Kate, you never know what you’re going to find! My Brunnera is now seeding around so I will be able to move the babies into the woodland to start some off there, don’t threaten yours too much!
Oh glad to read that you have had much needed rain Pauline. The plants will be so much happier for it especially any newly planted ones 🙂 There has been very little in the way of the wet stuff in our part of the north west this month.
We are so glad to have it raining Anna, yes it is still raining, be careful what you wish for! The difference in the garden is amazing in just a week, everywhere is so lush and green, we are hidden from the neighbours once more. I have been waiting to plant quite a lot but held off for the lack of rain, I have no excuse now, the soil should be nice and moist! I hope you have managed to miss the snow that the north have been having.
We’ve had rain, hail, sleet and snow this last couple of days – not that I’m complaining. I’ll settle for any moisture that comes my way. Like your garden most of my plants prefer a bit of moisture.
Your garden looks wonderful and can only benefit from a bit of the wet stuff! Great pics.
You have had it bad up there, I’ve been thinking of you when watching the weather forecast Angie! The garden looks so much better now that we are having a bit of rain each day, everywhere is green again and looks very happy.