Rain, Rain, Go Away

I walked to the upper garden today and was dismayed at the state of affairs. The onions seem frozen in time - the bulbs small despite the muck they sit in. The beans are struggling along. It's the squash, however, that are truly a heartbreak. This year we decided to plant Blue Hubbard for its versatility and long storage. We carefully nurtured them through the cold months of March and April and felt we had a good head start on their growth. Then came the rain and the cold. Rain and cold.

As I wandered through the garden and stared at the squashes, I marveled at the moat of water six inches deep around the hills. Small bubbles of air percolated up from the clay beneath as if the ground was struggling to breathe. Mary helped me dig up one of the hills of squash and transplanted them down near the swings. We had to cover them with a milk crate and then floating row cover to keep them safe from the curious geese. I will have to make sure to uncover them to encourage pollination by helpful insects. Papa thinks transplanting may set the plants back a month or so, but at this point they have already been so badly stunted that I can't believe more trauma will do any more damage. It's always worth a try.

On the positive side, the green beans that I planted four days ago in the kitchen garden are sprouting already. I planted them in a raised row, thus the soil is warmer and drier. I also planted summer squash in the cold frame bed where the garlic had been, but have yet to see a sprout. Tomorrow is supposed to be hot so perhaps there will be green seedlings by the end of the week!