• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Carol J. Michel

Award winner author of gardening humor books

  • About
    • Contact
  • Blog
  • Books
    • Shop
    • Gardening Humor
    • Children’s Books
    • New – The Halloween Hare
  • Social
    • YouTube
    • Instagram
  • The Gardenangelists Podcast
  • Gardening Humor
  • Children’s
  • All Books

May Dreams Gardens

What To Do With Leftover Flowers… And Send Rain!

June 20, 2007 By Carol Michel 15 Comments

We got enough rain today to wash the dust off my umbrella, not nearly enough to catch up from what is being called a “moderate drought”.

The only plants not really suffering are those in containers, because I water them every evening. When I water the containers in the back, my little toad seems to show up and I give him a good shower of water, because I want him to be happy and stay and eat bugs. Up around my patio is one of the only places around for him to not dry out like a lizard right now.

Sometimes I wonder why I water the plants in the containers when throughout the garden there are shrubs, perennials, and trees that thirst for a long drink of water.

I’ve given up on the grass. It is now officially dormant so I won’t worry about it until it starts to rain again. They’ve lifted the voluntary ban today on watering lawns and we are back to the even – odd system. Tomorrow will be an even day, my day to water, so I’ll give the vegetable garden a good soaking, and also water some of the trees and maybe set up some soaker hoses around some of the shrubs and perennials.

In the meantime, isn’t that a pretty geranium with variegated foliage? I’m too lazy to look at the tag to tell you the variety. It’s down there in the pot. It was one of the last plants planted in the containers, and ended up in what I generally call the ‘leftover’ container with a mis-match of plants that just didn’t end up being used any place else. Do you have a ‘leftover’ container of plants at your house?

See the whole container? If you saw it in person, what would you say to the gardener who put those flowers together? “Hmmm… interesting choices”.

You can look all over the Internet at sites that show different combinations for container planting, and I guarantee you won’t find that particular combination. It’s one of a kind!

Now, back to the subject of rain… today’s rain was just a teaser, not enough rain to make a difference.

But there is hope! The weatherman says we might get rain on Friday, maybe Saturday morning. I’ll take it, any time. In the meantime, I am going to do all I possibly can do to get it to rain, like get my car washed, leave all my umbrellas at home, put something in the yard that I absolutely, positively do not want to get wet, participate in the neighborhood garage sale on Saturday, stuff like that.

Do you have any other ideas to conjure up rain? We really need some as you can see from the picture below.

Warning… the picture below is pretty sad looking and may cause some gardeners to spontaneously weep… My viburnum cries for rain!

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: flowers, weather

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Unknown says

    June 20, 2007 at 2:39 am

    Oh, poor plants. I didn’t realize you all had been so dry up there. We are getting so much more than usual and my rainbarrels are completely filled!

    Reply
  2. Anonymous says

    June 20, 2007 at 7:36 am

    Of your various rain-inducing choices, leaving something outside that absolutely positively cannot get wet is the best. I’ve used that one tons of times with great success. Just not on purpose. I suggest a delivery of 35 bags of concrete. That’s a sure-fire winner. I speak from experience. Anyone need 35 bag-shaped concrete bricks? Free, u-haul. ~A 🙂

    Reply
  3. RUTH says

    June 20, 2007 at 7:51 am

    We have been having torrential rain most nights…wish I could send you some! I too always fill a pot with leftovers…it always breaks all the colour combination rules but often turns out the best looking pot of the year!

    Reply
  4. Anonymous says

    June 20, 2007 at 8:01 am

    Plan an outdoor party to show off your gardens and that will FOR SURE bring on the rain!

    Reply
  5. Melissa says

    June 20, 2007 at 10:55 am

    Seal the drive-way.

    Leave for a long walk, run, or bike ride as soon as you see two clouds together in the sky.

    Invite a bunch of children over for a day of wading pools and sprinklers.

    🙂

    Reply
  6. Nan says

    June 20, 2007 at 1:13 pm

    How much water would it take to cheer up the viburnum? A bucketful? I get anxious when we go too long without rain. Most things get along okay, but the vegetables need it more often. What do they say, an inch a week? We have a nice, gentle rain this morning which feels like it might be a day-long rain. You might try hanging a lot of clothes on the line. Pretty much guarantees a downpour. :

    Reply
  7. Anonymous says

    June 20, 2007 at 3:12 pm

    Too bad the wedding is not planned for this weekend, this year. That would surely bring rain, if we were doing it outside.
    Kathy, the older sister

    Reply
  8. Stunned Donor says

    June 20, 2007 at 3:12 pm

    After a month with no appreciable rain we had a series of thunderstorms blow through yesterday. The rain was much needed, but the force with which it fell, not so much.

    Seeing as you’re in a drought, you may want to start using your grey water for the plants. Think of the water that goes down the drain when you’re waiting for hot water at the tap… It takes some getting used to, but capturing just a bit of your “waste” water can make a difference. Put a bucket in the shower, you may not fill it, but it’s certainly enough for that poor vibernum.

    Reply
  9. Anonymous says

    June 20, 2007 at 4:01 pm

    I like that idea of putting a bucket in the shower to catch the excess. I might try it, even put 2 buckets in with me. It might not help much, but it won’t be wasted

    Reply
  10. Molly says

    June 20, 2007 at 5:15 pm

    Silly Carol. It is The Rule that red geraniums must go into a container with a spiky dracaena in the middle! 🙂
    Your poor viburnum! I’m guessing it’s first in line for a good soaking when it’s your turn to water.

    Reply
  11. Iowa Gardening Woman says

    June 20, 2007 at 7:31 pm

    Oh my your viburnum looks so sad, they do like their nice long drinks, don’t they? It is dry here but not quite that dry. We have a chance of rain tomorrow, so I will try to send it on your way if we get any!

    Your geraniums are pretty, so nice to keep the toads happy I love seeing them in the flower beds and vegetable garden.

    Reply
  12. Connie says

    June 20, 2007 at 7:49 pm

    Love that variegated geranium! I have ‘leftover’ containers as well, and since it is soaring into the 90’s here today, I will be clearing out my greenhouse and putting together a few more. I think yours looks quite pretty!

    Reply
  13. Anonymous says

    June 20, 2007 at 8:07 pm

    My toad used to take a nightly bath in the catch pot of the serrano pepper container.

    Your viburnum looks so sad. When we were going through the great Marin County drought of 1990-91, we were on water rationing. The household was allowed to use 50 gallons of water per person per day, we had 4 people. I promise you that is not a lot of water.

    We had a “rain barrel” set up behind the washing machine, and whenever we did laundry we collected all the water in that barrel. It had a sump pump in it, with a hose that snaked out the back door. When the barrel started getting full, we used that gray water for the fuchsia gardens, the rose gardens, the herb gardens, the wisteria, the vegetable garden. It never hurt any of the plants, and saved those gardens.

    Now, if you want to cheer up a bit, I know it is after GBBD, but I posted a gallery of photos I took around the place yesterday and today of the beautiful day lilies that are going on right now.

    Hope you get some rain SOON!

    Reply
  14. Carol Michel says

    June 21, 2007 at 4:34 am

    All… thanks for the suggestions on how to get it to rain, and on using ‘gray’ water. I did water this evening, and the viburnums were first on the list to get a good soaking. I’m anxious to see what they look like in the morning. Until we get more rain, all my watering is concentrated on the trees, shrubs, perennials and vegetable garden.

    Molly… I guess I broke the rule for planting geraniums! I don’t think I bought any “spikes” this year but I’ve planted them in containers in the past, I will admit.

    Reply
  15. LostRoses says

    June 24, 2007 at 11:17 pm

    Carol, even when I plan on what to put in which pot, they sometimes turn out looking like leftovers! Hey, they’ve got to go somewhere.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Updates from Carol Michel

* indicates required
Email Preferences

Categories

  • Blog (3,053)
  • Internal (2)

Blog Tags

annuals Blogging books bulbs dr. hortfreud embrace fairies fall family flowers fruits garden bloggers bloom day garden bloggers book club garden design gardeners gardening gardening geek gardens hoes holidays hortense hoelove houseplants humor indoor gardening insects lawn letters to gardening friends perennials rabbits reviews Secrets seeds shrubs spring tools trees vegetable garden vegetable gardening vegetables weather weeding weeds when a gardener wildflower wednesday winter

The Gardenangelists Podcast with Dee Nash

Gardenangelists Podcast

Footer

Gardenangelists Podcast with Dee Nash

Gardenangelists Podcast

Connect

  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • maydreams icon

Quick Links

  • Home
  • Contact
  • Books
  • May Dreams Gardens
  • Podcast

Updates from Carol Michel

* indicates required
Email Preferences

Newsletter Archive

Copyright © 2023 · CarolJMichel.com · Sitemap · Privacy Policy

Book purchase links are affiliate links and Carol earns a small commission if you make a purchase.

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Do not sell my personal information.
Cookie SettingsAccept
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT