You might be a gardening geek on a rainy day if…
You contemplate buying one of those temporary shelters, the kind with the tent roof but no sides, to set up in strategic locations in the garden so you can continue weeding and planting, section by section, in the rain, in the garden.
You go ahead and go to the garden center while it is raining because you figure there will be fewer people there and surely an umbrella will keep you mostly dry. Once there you encounter other gardeners, just like you, doing the same thing.
You walk around your garden in the rain just to see which way the water flows so that later you can make changes to make the water flow where you want it to go.
You use the rain as an opportunity to check your live rabbit trap, find a rabbit, but then it escapes because you are trying to do everything one-handed while holding an umbrella in your other hand.
You are annoyed that your weather station is not working so you don’t know exactly how much rain your garden got, measured accurately to within .03 inches, and instead have to rely on the weather bureau’s data, which just isn’t the same.
You are thrilled that even with the threat of rain, your newly hired gardening-helper-nephew-in-law shows up early in the morning and helps move the last of the mulch bags to the back patio and promises to return when it stops raining.
You start looking at some of the shopping sites for spring-flowering bulbs and end up ordering some to be delivered in the fall for planting. (Really, this is a good time to order bulbs for fall, while you can remember what blooms you liked this spring.)
You have more then ten garden books stacked up on your coffee table to read on rainy day. (Yes, that actually makes you more of a book-reading gardening geek, but let’s not quibble about it, because after all it is raining.)
You worked so hard in the garden the days before the rain that you are actually kind of glad to see some rain so you have an excuse to rest. Well, not really, but you tell people that so they won’t feel so bad for you that it is raining when you want to be out in the garden.
And finally, you might be a gardening geek in the rain if…
You make up a little rhyme. “Rain, rain, go away, Carol wants to garden today.”
I love going to the nursery on a rainy day which is usually in the winter here. The difficulty is managing to hold the umbrella and the coffee that you picked up down the street and push the cart all at the same time.
Thanks a lot. I hadn't had the canopy tent idea yet. 🙂
I know I've checked the rain gauge, watched the water flow, gone to a garden center, etc.
A malfunctioning weather station would annoy me, too.
As long as there isn't any thunder or lightning, gardening in the rain is wonderful. Great time to transplant!
My rhyme would be:
Rain, rain, come and stay!
Dorothy doesn't want to "sprinkle" today.
Alas, it is so dry here.
Guilty!!
How about "You might be a gardening geek if: Your garden gives your the first salad of the season, and you're so excited you do a blog post about it" That's what I did last night.
Happy spring!
Suzanne
Great site, I think we can all learn something from your idea.this is fantastic looking blog..and I love the way you write!I hope you pick up the blog again soon. I have blog about home gardening too, same like you, I love gardening so much.
I live in Seattle. We go ahead and garden in the rain if it's not raining too hard. It mostly just drizzles here. If it's raining hard, I try to catch up on the indoor stuff I've been ignoring because I've been put in the garden. Or I just go visit a nursery.
Rain hats leave your hands free.
Deirdre
I wish it would rain here, and then I could tell if I'm a gardening geek or not. Alas, we have no rain.
I'm so much of a rainy day garden geek that I sometimes pull weeds in the rain, without an umbrella, only a raincoat.
How irksome that the rabbit escaped. Can you post a shot of the rabbit trap?
In the PNW, if you don't garden in the rain, then you don't garden! And real Washingtonians don't use umbrellas.
I'm actually happy to have rain this week – I shouldn't have to water in May, but I have been doing just that recently.
I was singing my own version of "Rain, rain" the other day: Rain, rain, come back soon; I want my plants to reach the moon!
A shelter would be nice!
I'm definitely a garden geek b/c as we all know, it's much easier and great fun to pull weeds in a light rain.
I like weeding and transplanting on rainy days. I have a big rain slicker, but if it is warm enough I just go out in it.
Going to the nursery on a rainy day is perfect–that way you don't waste any gardening time! Yesterday was my first day back from Oregon, and all I could think about were all the garden chores I have to do–but it was raining! I think I'll sing that little rhyme with you:)
My aching back is definitely enjoying the excuse to rest both from clients' gardens and ours. There's so much to do on rainy days, I enjoy them tremendously!
Or you might be a gardening geek if you just keep working even though it is raining on you and the dog is standing there looking at you like you have gone stark raving mad.
I have done all of your geeky things except the rabbit trap and umbrella thing, since I have no umbrella and I don't have a rabbit trap (although I have been contemplating acquiring one due to the large number of little bunnies that are enjoying the gardens this year.).
All but number one; my soil is too heavy for that sort of thing!
You know your rain barrels are full so you are out in the rain redirecting rainwater to every available trash can stolen from the house, milk jugs, anything you can find to hold water.
Carol, I so love your site and your 'gardening geek' posts! I just sit here and giggle as I count how many of the bullet points apply to me, and say "Oh, that's me! I've done that!"