Bloom Thyme Friday: Singing in the Rain

In the movie Singing in the Rain… they looked so happy dancing and singing in the rain! As happy as those scenes looked, I will confess I am not all that happy with all the rain we are getting and getting rained on again and again. While gardening in the rain poses some challenges, the horrible weather that some of my gardening friends around the country are having is much worse with tornadoes and even snow storms.

When I heard the rain was coming again this morning I went out to take some pictures (and got soaked yet again) and was struck by how good the garden smelled. I do love the smell of rain! Did you know that the smell of rain has a name — Petrichor. I read a Reader’s Digest fact that tells us the “why” surrounding the smell of rain.”Water doesn’t smell like anything, so why does rain produce a pleasant aroma after it falls? Well, it’s because of a molecule, called geosmin, created by soil-dwelling bacteria. When rain falls, it creates air pockets, which contain small amounts of geosmin. The rain traps and then releases these air pockets, dispersing geosmin into the air, where it’s free to travel to human sniffers.”

As much as I want to be working in the garden and can’t… I am learning how little my plants need me. Many are thriving from all the bounty from above. And, we are quickly moving to the jungle stage as the roses and peonies begin to open.

So here is BLOOM THYME for this week…

 

Rugosas and Peonies… oh the fragrance in this spot!!!

I forgot I had this beauty! Fun surprise as I absolutely love it!

Therese Bugnet has been amazing. If you follow me on Instagram, you are probably tired of seeing her picture! 🙂

I live in midwest farm country and would ask that you say a prayer for our farming families. They have not been able to get in the fields to do their spring work. Since it is now so late, they run the risk of having no crop this season. The forecast for the next week is for rain each day.

Friends, stay safe and dry and enjoy all the beauty around you . . . AND carry an umbrella! ☔️😉

About all this rain…

The weather man says 90% chance of rain today and it is sure coming down. ☔️ It rained yesterday. Wednesday we had 1 1/2″ of rain and Monday (or was that Tuesday) we had 4″ of rain. It’s getting hard to keep track!

If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em. I’ve decided to learn a bit more about rain. Next I may need to read up on jungles and rain forests!

For now, here are some rainy facts…

  • THIS JUST IN: In my next of the woods July broke the 1835 record for rain!
  • The highest amount of rainfall ever recorded in one year is 25.4 meters (1000 inches) in Cherrapunji, India.
  • Antarctica is the driest continent on Earth.
  • The umbrella was originally invented to protect people from the hot sun.
  • Louisiana is the wettest state in the U.S, which records an annual rainfall of 56 inches.
  • On average there are over 1500 thunderstorms occurring on earth with 100 lightning strikes per second
  • Rain drops do not fall in a tear drop shape, they originally fall in the shape of a flat oval.
  • Rainbows are caused by the effect of sunlight on countless millions of raindrops.
  • Annual averages for rainfall plus snowfall in my neck of the woods (Indy) is 42.4. No doubt we are breaking records as I type!


Blooms in the rain

Here are a few rain-soaked blooms from a quick garden walk in the rain…
Belinda's Dream
Belinda’s Dream … Yes, roses love the rain!
Phlox
Phlox

 

Stargazers ... I love these!
Stargazers … I love these!

 

Campanulas - Bellflowers
Campanulas – Bellflowers

 

The first bloom of Aloha
The first bloom of Aloha

 

I think tomorrow we have NO RAIN in the forecast … let’s just say I am looking forward to that.

I am itching to get my hands dirty!

☔️☔️☔️



EXTRA! EXTRA!

I was so honored this week when a local paper, The ICON, ran an article about me. If you’d like to read it, click here, open PDF and go to page 12.
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Why Do We Need the Rain Anyway?

When my children were small one of our favorite shows was Sesame Street. In fact, I am proud to say that I carry many of the lessons I learned during that era with me. Important things like…

EXIT is the “way way out.”  -The Alphabeats

Life is better with cookies.  -Cookie Monster

Even grouches are lovable and need friends. -Oscar the Grouch

How to deal with misunderstandings and how to be a friend. -Big Bird

How much fun it is to take a bath with a rubber duckie. -Ernie

It’s not easy being green. -Kermit the Frog

Fashion is not to be taken lightly and always remember to wear lipstick. -Miss Piggy

th-2

DRUM ROLL… The big one for this week…  why do we need the rain anyway! Remember the catchy little tune—It’s A Rainy Day?  Well today I can’t get it off my mind.  The phrase that pays from this video is “every living thing needs water.” I sure wish we could share some of our “blessing” of water with our Cali friends!

After two weeks of mostly rainy days, I can tell you that I am more caught up on inside jobs! My linen closet is even organized!

Many areas in my garden are soaked and soggy but some are just glistening…

Click on any of the pictures to start the gallery feature…

Bloom Thyme Friday: Foggy Morning

This morning was so beautiful in the garden. I love fog, it makes even the rainy days special.