I am watching rain going across the hills in the distance sideways and now it is so heavy I can’t see the hills at all. Seriously, when is all this going to stop! There is water everywhere. The ground is sodden and I don’t think it can take much more. In the last three days we have had over 40mm of rain, but not that solid steady rain that the ground can absorb drop by drop. We have been getting 15 minute periods of what feels like someone pouring water from a large bucket. Then the wind moves the clouds on and the sun comes out and you think – ‘oh well that was that’. So I pop on my gumboots and head out into the garden to inspect the depth of waterlogging, only to get caught in the next down pour.
There has been strong winds, which normally I don’t mind after a heavy rain as it helps dry things out. But the winds seem to have tangled themselves in the rain clouds and so every time they tug at my trees they seem to release a barrage of raindrops so fat and so heavy, half a dozen is enough to drench you through to the skin! And don’t get me started on the hail. In the last burst of sunshine I became convinced it was all over – and I even checked what the boffins had to say. They didn’t mention anything about hail. Well not at the time. They are constantly changing their opinions. I think there is more than one boffin and they argue frequently and will sneakily change the forecast to suit their own theory when the others aren’t looking! I took this window and planted out my lettuce only to have it torn to a shred by vicious hail less than an hour later!
The thunder and lightning has been frequent and spectacular – if you enjoy that sort of thing. Loud booming cracks right above the house and bolts of light that seem to invade even tightly closed eyes! Which is how I cope with electrical storms. I hate them and cower in a corner repeating to myself “it is good for the garden – nitrogen is being converted into a useful form, it is good for the garden….”
But all this moisture is thwarting my attempts to have any kind of pea crop. I have sown the bloomin’ things three times! Each time has been a respectable period after one of these so called spring showers where the soil is damp enough to give my pea seeds a good start. And as I sit back and wait, fully believing this will be the row that strikes, the heavens open. This last time I didn’t even wait to see if any of the seeds sown two days prior would survive. I just picked up my seed box and glumly headed out to the greenhouse, knowing what needed to be done. I now have a higher chance of enjoying the taste of fresh peas, straight from the pod, eaten right there in the garden. Nestled in warm damp soil in seed trays is a multitude of lovely legumes, hopefully stretching out their seed leaves towards a sunny day to come.
Come again soon – this is not the kind of spring weather I requested.
Sarah the Gardener : o)
We’re in the same weather–on the opposite side of the planet. Good luck with those peas.
Hi There. So for one brief moment, global seasons don’t appear to mean anything! I hope your weather passes quickly into an Indian summer and a mild winter.
Cheers Sarah : o )
Sorry your rain is so excessive. Hope you see sunshine soon.
Hi Lucinda.
It has stopped for now, but I guess that is the unpredictability of spring. It will be summer before we know it!
Cheers Sarah : o )
Reblogged this on Linda's wildlife garden and commented:
AWESOME
oh no! I hope the weather clears for you soon. We loved our peas this past summer. They are so nice to have. (good luck!)
Hi there. The rain seems to have stopped for now. I am determined to keep up my attempts to have peas because it just wouldn’t be the same without them.
Cheers Sarah : o )
Oh dear! 🙁 They do call N.Z. the green isle for a reason you know…I guess the amount of rain is pretty spot on for what we, the rest of the world, think happens in N.Z. whether or not we are actually accurate is another thing entirely. I came from a small town where the “Northerners” in Western Australia would head down to visit on their holidays and they could be spotted from a mile off…not so much by their (envy producing) tans, but more because they could be heard languishing “It ALWAYS rains when we come down here!” but it didn’t seem to be constantly raining to me, who lived there all of the time…I guess you just have to choose your times to visit, and the same goes for peas methinks. Maybe they are your “Northerners”? Here’s hoping that your freaky weather slows and subsides and heads over to places like California where it is completely and utterly needed. Nature is a funny old stick isn’t she?
Hi Fran. The Maori name for New Zealand is Aotearoa which means land of the long white cloud. Which it seams that cloud can be quite leaky! It is funny the perceptions we have about weather in other places. I went to England once and although it was the height of their summer – I assumed it would be cold, wet and miserable so I arrived in winter apparel to the hottest day they had had in 4 years! I got a bit of a surprize!
Cheers Sarah : o )
Gosh, Sarah, I can’t begin to imagine that kind of punishing weather. How frustrating for you. I’m glad you knew exactly what to do, and that you had the tools necessary to jump on it. We’re in our second year of drought with the promise of rain this Friday, but overall the state is parched. The distribution is so uneven.
Hi Alys. It must be alarming to have to be conscious of very drop of water you use. Here we just take it for granted – there is so much of the stuff. If I could send you some I would.
Cheers Sarah : o )
Thanks, Sarah! I think water is going to be the commodity of the next decade. It’s in short supply in some places, abundant in others.
Oh dear Sarah,
After the almost constant rain we saw in 2013, you have my heartfelt sympathies. I have everything crossed for you and your pea crop. Hope nicer spring weather is just around the corner 🙂 x
Hi Elaine. It is still quite cold, but at least it has stopped raining. It won’t be long before we are complaining about the heat!
It would be just my luck for the peas in the garden and the peas in the green house to pop up!
Cheers Sarah : o )
Hi Sarah … the weather has been rotten up in Auckland too. Monday was a shocker. And as for the wind! I’m surprised there are any blossoms left in the orchard. Fingers crossed for your peas.
Hi Julie. I just checked my orchard and there are no petals on my favourite peach. I’m hoping we will still get some. But the apples still don’t have any sign of bursting into bloom yet, which is just as well as I was late setting up the coddling moth traps.
Cheers Sarah : o )
I can share your frustration too. Hawke’s Bay has been very wet and windy and then we get a random scorcher of a day! My peas have suffered too and I have a bunch of spindly things that I’m hoping will suddenly rocket skywards and produce some fruit. I’m also sowing another batch too – fingers crossed!! Comforting to know that other (more experienced gardeners!) are having similar issues to me 🙂
Hi Sarah. I hope your peas are doing what they should. This spring has not been very nice to us gardeners this year! I want to stand out there and yell at the wind to stop! Enough is enough!
Cheers Sarah : o )