Rain, Rain, When Will You Go Away?

Summer is our rainy season, but this year - AGAIN - we are getting more than our share of "free water."   Our average June rainfall is just over five inches but this past June we got over eight!  While we can't get Mother Nature to turn the tap off we can fine-tune our landscape to be more tolerant of her changing disposition.

Do you have any low-lying areas in your yard that are subject to ponding?  Or do you have concerns about soggy areas around your home?  You can plant a "rain garden." that will soak up the puddles and love it!  Read about Rain Gardens on the web.  And you can select plants that enjoy getting their feet wet by using the Florida-Friendly Plant Database.   If your house has gutters and downspouts, you can use a rain barrel to capture the water from your roof; attach a spigot and hose to the barrel and you can use the water to irrigate around the house in dry times or to water your plants under your porch - you can even wash your car (if it ever stops raining...)  Just don't drink water that you've collect and stored.

When you aren't gardening you can still read about it.  The St. Johns County library system has a large collection of reading material (printed and online) that will give you gardening ideas.  There are also fiction books that have garden themes.  Take the kids/grandkids to the library and check out some rainy day reading to help them keep their academic skills sharp.  School is just a month away!