Celia Hart's blog about what's going on in and around her studio.
Art, printmaking, inspirations, gardening, vegetables, hens, landscapes, wild flowers, East Anglia, adventure, travel.

Thursday 27 May 2010

Rain, beautiful rain

It has been over a month since we had the tiniest drop of rain – far too long even in this corner of Suffolk which is probably one of the driest spots in the UK. I know that when the heavens open day after day in July, we'll all be moaning and wishing for dry weather! But the past weeks have shown me that without rain we cannot have lush and green garden, seeds won't grow and newly planted out vegetables suffer and wilt.

Last night it rained. Walking through the garden this morning, I could hear dozens of honey bees buzzing in the wisteria blossoms on our garden wall and all around the plants were singing 'Thank you for the rain'.


Rain, Rain Beautiful Rain
sung by Ladysmith Black Mambazo


There is one garden resident who is slightly disappointed by the arrival of rain and cooler temperatures . . . Tarragon. He has spent the dry weeks working on a new landscaping UGP* – a cool shady dust-bath for his ladies. I'm sure he'll soon start work on his next project!



*UGP = Unauthorised Gardening Project

12 comments:

  1. poor tarragon--no rest for the weary. love the smell of wisteria.

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  2. That lovely slide show/film has relaxed me Celia. The small pebbles have been VERY LOUD so I really needed that - thankyou.

    I loved the post-rain smell in the garden this morning.

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  3. What a lovely show, the music was lovely too. Doesn't Tarragon look magnificent?

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  4. My girls have all been sat around in their dust baths looking just like that! It was good to get the rain though.

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  5. We had just the shortest shower overnight. We could really do with some up here!
    Isn't Tarragon a handsome chap?

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  6. Oh I so agree about the rain Celia. Our garden was really suffering - even established plants were keeling over.

    Tarragon is magnificent :)

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  7. We haven't had rain in this corner of NW Norfolk for weeks either. Luckily we have a system of rain butts emptying into each other and others around the place, so haven't emptied them... yet. But without some rain soon, they will soon run dry. We are told there will be rain on tomorrow, so fingers crossed for a wet Saturday!

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  8. We are due some rain tonight which will put paid to the beautiful dust bath my cockerel has constructed in my herb bed. Things are still pretty green and lush up here in North Wales but my new asparagus beds will welcome the rain, as will the peas (not purple podded ones sadly).

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  9. "UGP" - love it! Our girls are enjoying their new access to an old bonfire site and bathing in the wood ash - hen heaven.

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  10. It's been like digging concrete on the allotment recently so we were very grateful for the rain here too!

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  11. Hooray! Actually I was driving through your Suffolk rain on Thursday on my way up to Halesworth and Southwold! We really do need the rain now it has been such a dry Spring!

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  12. Oh I was so very thrilled to see the rains arrive too. It's been like a dustbowl here for weeks but in poured down all day on Saturday; just what we needed.

    Poor old Tarrogan. A cockerel's work is never done.
    Stephx

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