It only rained for five minutes today

The rain continues to be a big issue in my garden.  We haven't had more than two or three days without rain since the start of August.  Nevertheless as it wasn't raining I decided an hour in the garden would probably go o.k.

I checked on my pea patch and to my delight my peas were all poking through the soil.  Most of the very late garlic I put in was growing well.  No sign of the carrots yet.  I dug over the patch by the passionfruit were I am planting my potatoes.  I even got them planted - it's very wet though and I hope they don't rot.  I weeded the little garden by the front of the deck, yuck just pure mud.

But at least I achieved some gardening.

Spring?

The raspberries are breaking into leaf. Is spring here?

Last year as soon as the plum started to blossom the wind came and blew them all off so we still after two years have not had any plums off the tree

There has been 241% more rain this August than the average

It's rained every day in August.  When will it stop?

Four Seasons in One Day

The title of this post really fit the weather this Sunday.  I woke to the pouring rain and the disappointment that once again I'd be unable to garden.  It's official that this August is the wettest since records began.  By the time I'd managed to get out of bed and down some breakfast the sun had come out and it was warm enough to lose the sweatshirt.  I decided to go get wet.  I really wanted to build a raise bed to grow my carrots and peas in.  So I set to with my unhandy skills.

I think our household is missing a vital gene.  In fact if I didn't know better I'd say we were foreigners.  The great kiwi ability to DIY is definitely missing.  But I do own a rusty hammer and an equally rusty saw.  That was enough to knock together the required bed.  I then barrowed compost from the bottom of the chicken coop up the slope.  Lots and lots of barrow loads.  I was sweating buckets by the time I'd finished cleaning the chicken coop and filling the new bed.

I was covered in mud as I finished but boy was I happy I'd finally achieved something in the garden.  I collected the seeds to plant.  Garlic up the back amongst the black currants (yes I know it late for garlic but I'm going to give it a go), sugarsnap and climbing peas, carrots and a few strawberry plants.  Then the heavens opened at it started to hail.  I ignored the weather and got those seeds in.

After I finished the lightning and thunder started.  Then the rain, then the sun, then the rain, then the thunder and lightning, then the sun - actually I think you are getting the picture.  Four seasons in one day.

Rain, rain go away

 I am so sick of the rain.  It feels like it has rained for a month.  Actually there have only been about five days without rain over the last month.  The chicken run is boggy and I can't get the washing dry.

Dryer use is something in this house we could be more restrictive about.  I use the dryer about every second or third day.  I have a mobile drying rack, an extendable drying rack in the laundry and a rack suspended out over our stairwell.  It takes about two days for clothing to dry on the indoor racks.  I worry about the extra moisture the drying washing causes in my somewhat damp house.  I have been doing a bit of research on this and the amount of moisture drying washing indoors adds is a bit alarming.

I'm not sure of the alternative at this time of the year.  I don't have a hot water cupboard and if I hang it outdoors (weather permitted) then it is damp again by the time I get home for work. 

It something I'm still pondering.