October 10, 2011

What Do You Do When It Finally Rains?


Yes, it finally rained!  We are rejoicing for the rain that fell this past weekend.  Looks like about an inch and a half fell in my garden. 

As I walked this morning surveying the goings on I couldn't help but stop and pull the wayward Zoysia grass out of the flower beds and tidy up the perennials.  Suddenly this gardener felt invigorated to garden again! 

The columbine needed tending.  All the dead foliage begged to be pulled out along with the army of oak sprouts that had popped up among the foliage.  Barehanded I began to pull at the mess. 


You'll never believe what happened...The oak sprouts actually came free from the earth!  They didn't just rip at the stem leaving only leaves in my grip, they came up root and all!  Now if you don't have Live Oaks this may not seem like such a big deal.  But if you do have them, then you know what type of celebration ensued.


Oh yes, it was a happy day indeed.

To all of you wonderful friends out there, thank you so much for joining us in praying for rain.  Please continue to pray.   We will need many more slow, gentle rains like this one to end the drought that grips our state.


30 comments:

  1. Oh, yea! I was hoping y'all got some rain, too. I was looking at the radar, and I could swear the rain areas on the radar were splitting when it hit Austin and went around on each side. So I am relieved for you. We got at least an inch, maybe two here, as well. I could hear my garden singing when I walked outside -- or was that me? God has been gracious.

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  2. Oh, look at the length of those roots! And they came out cleanly, with no breaking off. Amazing. I'm always thrilled when a weed comes out of the ground in one fell swoop. Rain is wonderful stuff, isn't it? Hope you have some more wonderful showers soon.

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  3. Our simultaneous prayers worked, haha! It stopped coming here for one week now, while the floods in some towns are being evaporated. And the rains supposed to be dropping here went to your areas. Very good for now. However, it looks like we have pending typhoon again expected to land on Thursday, which is synonymous to rains again. I hope flooded areas will not receive much this time, and it will just drop by your place.

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  4. I hope you get lots more lovely rain soon. Here in South Australia it's pretty special too :)

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  5. Praying for lots of soft, gentle, soaking rain for you this fall - with good bouts of sunshine and crisp fall air mingled in!

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  6. Rain. Beautiful rain. The essential element, and you finally have some. Here's my heartfelt hope for more, more, more for you! And a little less for us up here : )

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  7. Oh I think we should all do a Rain Dance with you... Yippee!

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  8. I am happy for you, I too walked outside this weekend with a big smile on my face. I live north of San Antonio and we received close to 3 inches over the weekend. My lantana and Texas sage are loaded with blooms!

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  9. Here in my Southeast Texas garden, we got a total of 3.3 very welcome inches of rain over the weekend. It was more than we had received during the previous six months. Best of all, it was a general rain spread over a wide area. We all have much to celebrate!

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  10. I knew you'd finally get rain!

    One thing I'd like to know: what's with that awesome surface the oak seedlings are on? Tell me and show me more!

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  11. Yippee Cat...praying for more rain to come your way...

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  12. Columbine? i think they mean different things on either side of the Atlantic.

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  13. Loved to hear about the rain! And I love when weeds come out with roots and everything ;-)

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  14. It does bring a renewed energy to the gardener, doesn't it? We got 1.6" and I have been outside every day, enjoying the moist soil!!!! Moist soil!!!! :) Enough to make one giddy!

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  15. Abundantly gracious Toni!

    Thanks Karen, it was amazingly satisfying to pull those buggers!

    Andrea, sorry that you're experiencing such horrible flooding. Just wish it would all even out again and be 'normal'.

    Yes, hearts_in_asia, you know all too well the precious resource that rain is...thanks for your warm thoughts.

    Ginny, you make me smile! Yes, nice cool days mingled in would be welcome too!

    Thank you for your heartfelt hope Laurrie. I can feel all the joy through these comments. I don't think there is any replacement for the encouragement and support of garden blogging friends!

    Dancing away down here Carolyn! Thanks for joining in the celebration ;)

    Kim, you lucky girl! 3 glorious inches. Still praying for more!

    We do have much to celebrate Dorothy. It's amazing how "new" the experience of rain felt as we woke Saturday morning. We just left the door open and listened for a while!

    Alan, you're a man after my own heart. That is a little table that I was lucky enough to leave an Austin Garden Bloggers event with. It was given to me by Pam over at Digging. You can see a better picture of it here: http://www.thewhimsicalgardener.com/2011/07/july-gbbd-hunkerin-down-with-annuals.html

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  16. Thank you so much Donna!

    The spring blooming Columbine (Aquilegia chrysantha)Catharine? They became kind of beaten up over the summer but have rebounded nicely. I was just pulling away all the dead foliage and enjoying the evidence of new growth.

    Me too Sandra! It was such a surprise when I tugged and the whole thing came up. I don't think it's ever happened before with an oak sprout!

    Absolutely giddy HolleyGarden!

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  17. I must get out there are pull mine out. The squirrel has planted great clumps of them in the vegetable bed and if I don't get them out soon I never will.

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  18. Frabjous day, calloo, callay! So glad you are finally getting some rain. Hope you get just enough, not so much that the soil is eroded, but enough to replenish underground aquifers and reward all those plants that have been hanging on for dear life. Enjoy!

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  19. Thank god for the rain! Luckily, we have had quite a bit of rain this last season...

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  20. That is such good news! And I wish you many more rainy days!

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  21. I am so happy for you. It continues to rain here. We are just about to break the all time record of 56" for yearly rainfall and it's October.

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  22. So happy to hear you got some rain!

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  23. Dear Cat, I have so missed visiting you and now you have a great new look! I am so happy to read that you have rain! I wonder if you have been seeing Monarchs in your area. Thanks for visiting me and sharing. I hope to be up to regular blogging again soon. I love your new site! Congratulations! Yeah for Rain and hope you get lots more. Carol

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  24. I'm so glad the rain finally came your way. Rain has returned to Maine too but we have almost too much.

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  25. Tried pulling some today Jenny and they didn't slip right out of the earth like they did this weekend. Dang!

    Janet, thank you. You always have such a beautiful way of writing! I love it!

    Yes, thank God Lrong!

    SB, thank you!

    Dang Carolyn, I wish you could will some of that rain this way!

    Thanks NHGarden!

    Welcome back Carol! You've been missed. Of course I keep up with you through your beautiful blog but I must admit to have missed your thoughtful comments ;)

    Sarah your last photos of your beach visit were spectacular. I'm glad you had some warm weather to enjoy before the rain.

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  26. Glad to hear of the good news of the rain and the oak spouts.

    May you continue to receive gentle rain...

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  27. Hi, Cat ~ It was a celebration! We have one little oak growing on the other side of our wrought iron fence. It is growing pretty quickly. I am glad because our cedar tree finally died.
    I would be happy to give you some moonflower seeds and I am definitely going to the go-go...can't wait. Want a ride?

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  28. So nice that everyone's rain made tasks a little easier. Even if part of that is the psych-value of the smell of rain, damp soil / foliage!

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  29. I am so glad to hear that you got some much needed rain. I hope you will keep getting those nice soaking showers now on a regular bases. Have a wonderful weekend!

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  30. I'm so glad it finally rained for you!! I was/am really happy!! I will keep praying that you get a lot more!

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