So far it’s been a wet and soggy summer here in Maine. We wake up to overcast skies.
We go to bed to overcast skies.
The garden tools keep breaking.
It’s a wet, and soggy summer and it’s and very depressing. So depressing I don’t even want to go outside anymore.
After 3 weeks of non-stop rain, I think we might finally get a break. For two days. Then it’s back to rain, rain and more rain. It’s like living back in the PNW x10 with nothing but rain and clouds in the forecast. And it’s awful.
See those red leaves? Those are the beets I planted 6 weeks ago.
And these are our potato plants. I’m pretty sure they’re all going to rot. Remember the Irish potato famine? If we were subsistence farmers, we’d be screwed.
It’s a good thing we haven’t eaten all the salsa we canned last summer yet.
Because at this rate, with the soil as saturated as it is, even with 100+ tomato plants in the ground, I don’t think we’re even going to get enough to do anything with them canning wise.
At this point I don’t know whether to just give up, or drive to the garden center to see if they have any more tomato starts left so we can replant. But really, if it’s just going to keep on raining… what would be the point of even that?
We did move the 2 Birdie’s Beds down to the garden.
And are working on getting those filled. So who knows, maybe once I get those planted, we’ll actually be able to grow something down in the religious sized family garden.
But so far… It’s looking pretty dismal down there.
Up by the house though we’re having a little more success in the kitchen garden. We have leeks!
And green arrow shelling peas.
Cabbage too!
And even some onions too. So you know, pretty much all the ingredients we need for cabbage water.
So how are things going here at Camp Butterfield these days? AHHH-SOME. Just awesome.
Soggy summers suck. And that’s all I have to say about that.
~Mavis
Mel says
I wonder if the kitchen garden is doing better because you have sort of trenches between the rows. Maybe next year that could rain proof the religious family garden.
We use raised beds, so we have good drainage, but we’re just so short on time. My husband planted tomatoes, but between the baby and the scramble to hire a nanny before I go back to work, we never even got the cages around them. I planted flower seeds, but we struggled to water frequently enough to get them to germinate before heavy rain washed them out.
The baby loves being outside, but it’s too hot and buggy (and we even broke down and sprayed for bugs this year!) to really have him out there with us to garden or even go for walks. So, I ordered a kiddie pool and a pop up gazebo to go around it to keep bugs off. If anyone needs me, the baby and I will be spending our days in there.
Shari Harniss says
I’m so grateful for farmers. What they endure and overcome. How they continue to choose to farm year after year.
I try to be mindful of their incredible efforts in order for my family and I to have food on the table. Our prayers include a thankfulness to farmers and all those who provide our meals.
I’m sorry yall are having a bad summer for growing. But, I’m glad to be reminded that we are heavily reliant on our farmers.
Sue S. says
Amen to that comment Shari.
Tracy says
Such a great reminder. Thank you for that.
Jamie says
I’m in Northern Illinois and we had the driest start to summer on record. So dry we only mowed 1x in June to mow down the weeds. Everything is burnt up and dry. I was watering the garden daily to keep everything alive. Thankfully we’ve gotten a little rain this past week.
Maureen says
I’m in Wisconsin and my garden is dry as toast! I try to water some but I have lots of flower gardens as well as the raised beds for veggies. So HOT and no rain, it’s depressing! It’s been a tough gardening year all around.
Maria Costello says
We’re in northern WI and have been watering 2x a day. Got about 1/2” of rain yesterday. First rain in weeks! But things are growing so we don’t complain much.
Angie says
We have had several rainy weeks here is GA and it has definitely impacted my gardens. I have lost Marigolds and have tomatoes and squash plants that I lot altogether or are struggling quite a lot. I have replanted for the most part but it is not easy and is very depressing. Ah gardening….there is just nothing like it. You make all of these grandiose plans and you really never know what you are gonna get.
Jennifer says
It’s been raining a lot here too and none of my plants are really growing much. This week is supposed to be dry in Ohio so hopefully my tomatoes will take off. We went out of town for a few days and my peas dried out and are done at this point.
One thing I do since I’m not able to grow much in my yard is to go to an Amish produce auction in the summer to get bulk of things like berries and tomatoes so that I can do canning. Last year I was able to talk to somebody at the farmers market and get seconds on tomatoes for a really good price. Maybe one of those options would help you. You might have to go to a state farther south than you that has better weather to get affordable prices though.
Janet says
And its SOOOOO dry and warm in Washington State!!! (the west side!) The garden is good because I water twice a day but we are losing the battle with a green lawn. Send some rain!!!!!!
HollyG says
We could use a bit of rain down in the Willamette Valley in Oregon as well. It was 98° yesterday and hasn’t rained in a while.
Norma says
Yes my flowers and tomatoes are growing like crazy in Graham Wa. We had a slow start in March and April and I was so anxious to move my starts to my unheated greenhouse. This is my first year with it so it’s been a fun learning experience. My Zinnias I started in the green house in May are now starting to bloom. I am trying to keep a garden journal of the temps in the greenhouse as well as when and where I started my flowers. Maybe in retirement I will jump into more vegetables but for now I am plenty busy.
Jeri says
That greenhouse is looking better and better!
Margo says
I’m giving you a virtual pat on the back and an empathetic hug. If you garden, you know the feeling when it doesn’t work and Mother Nature doesn’t cooperate. You might try cloning your tomato plants by rooting some of the leaves. Quicker than seeds. I agree with Mel, maybe mounding up between rows would help with the water draining off. But as we all know, there are just some years that are better than others and some are just awful. Sorry you’re feeling down, but there’s always next year to look forward to. I’ve seen a family in Wyoming grow greens in their basement all winter long using grow lights. Bok Choi, tatsoi, kales…. Maybe you can do that indoors and still have some fresh produce all year.
Lisa in Denver says
I too am struggling with my garden this year here on the eastern side of the rocky mountains. I had hail two days in a row and everything is just smashed to smithereens. It is amazing to me that farmers do it day in day out and year in and year out. People complain about the prices of food but jeez it’s so hard to grow things I am grateful that a tomato doesn’t cost $10 a piece. Last year my potatoes were devastated by grasshoppers. I am grateful that farmers farm!
Carrie says
I feel like that was my childhood experience with early summer in the Northwest. I can’t believe how much our climate has changed. Now summers are hot and dry. We did get some rain in June this year which was great.
LisaC says
I can remember Maine summers just twenty years ago where we used a/c just a couple days per summer because humidity was rare. Now, a/c is a necessity if the temps are over 80 because the air is so dang damp.
Norma says
Carrie this is so true. Western Washington summers are nothing like they used to be growing up
Nancy O'Brien says
Ha! We’ve had the same non-stop rain and thunderstorms up here in Ontario. Except, we’ve also had weeks of record-breaking smog alerts from the gazillion forest fires burning here. That’s really something we haven’t experienced before and it’s quite debilitating for anyone with lung issues. Plus, we’re in the middle of a 40+ C (that’s 104F to you guys) heat wave for the last week or two! Rain, smog, heat! Okay….that’s bad things come in threes….we’re now due for a lovely July and August. Here’s keeping our fingers crossed for our farmers!!!
Nancy says
I’m so sorry!! So frustrating for all that hard work!!
Ashley Bananas says
Summer at camp Bananas has been busy….my son decided he wants an Oculus Quest, I told him to earn the money and buy it himself. He enlisted my help in getting yard work for cash. He’s lined up every day this week, some for multiple jobs. Monday and Tuesday we cut two yards with grass between 2 and 4 feet tall. Mulch, gutters, digging out stumps….it’s endless. I hope he learns a lot about making and managing his money. And…we still need to mow our own lawn.
LisaC says
I’ve been outside as much as possible the last 2 days to soak up the much needed Vitamin D. My poor lettuce drowned. I went strawberry picking at Pineland and more than half was rotted. It’s a big bummer.
Dawn says
Isn’t it awful? Over 30″ of rain here in our part of the state since May 1. I’ve lived here all my life and never remember anything like this. Half of our garden never dried out enough for me to plant it. Anything I direct seeded did not germinate. So many things that I usually grow I was never able to get in the ground this year. I’m down to 2 jars of salsa, and the tomatoes are way behind, and very waterlogged. We won’t starve. We don’t have any forest fires. We have plenty of water! But what a yucky, soggy, depressing start to the summer. Uggh.
Mavis Butterfield says
I saw your cabbage on Instagram, it’s looking really good.
Janice says
I’m so sorry to see things aren’t going well – especially when you’ve worked so hard and the spring held such promise… Would a greenhouse help? It would at least keep the rain off… It can’t solve the whole problem of a large religious size garden but would at least save some of the plants and perhaps tempt you outside to “play” in the dirt,
Nancy says
We have had hot and humid weather. We have had derecho storms causing lots of damage and loss of power for some up to a week. We had excessive heat indexes and ozone alerts. However, my raised bed gardens have done well. Harvesting beans, tomatoes, peppers, beets, garlic, radishes, watermelons ,etc. The drip irrigation really helps out with the watering. It looks like the rest of the summer will be hot and humid weather.
Barbara says
And here we are in the “depressing” Northwest with brilliant sunny skies and luscious happy gardens! Oh well. The weather is ever-changing. Such is the challenge of a farmer’s life, right?
Sue S. says
And as I always say “6 months from now, we’ll be complaining about. . . . Fill in the blank. This time last year I canceled the lawn service because the grass was crispy, it was so dry here on the Cape. Keep the faith Mavis. And thanks for letting me garden vicariously through you. Sue
Carol says
Here in Iowa, we are back and forth. And when it rains here, it rains! Then its too wet to weed and they just go crazy. I can’t keep up. Plus, for the first time, I have Colorado Potato Beetles. Yuck! And the squash bugs are killing my pumpkins. Just when I think I’m making progress, the next irritant shows up. But that’s gardening.
Tain’t nothin’ simple about the simple life 🙂
kathy brown says
I’d happily take some of your rain. We had a very brief rain storm last night, the first rain we have seen in over a month. Record setting temps if 100+ with heat indexes 116-123 for 9 days straight, we needed that break. This is crazy weather no matter where you live!
GrannyB says
I learned as a young girl (over 50 years ago) from my grandma to NEVER empty out the canned goods. There have always been and always will be bad years in gardening, so you have to be prepared and plan ahead. And on a brighter note, I had a volunteer cucumber vine come up (in the middle of my strawberry bed) and it is going crazy. I have picked almost 50 cucumbers in the last week.
Heather in Nevada says
We had major frost in northern Nevada the day before Summer started. The covered tomato plants and zucchini almost died. The tomato plants look horrible, but are starting to get new leaves. We picked the first zucchini today. It’s about 4″ long.
Pam says
Here in Michigan we have had the opposite problem of no rain and temps at or near 90 most of the time, which is not usual in June here. So I’ve been dragging hoses and watering everything. Luckily we’ve finally gotten a bit of rain and cooler temps. Hopefully it’s enough to break the drought
Teri says
Hope it gets sunnier and warmer for you. Did you place your order for a greenhouse?
Mavis Butterfield says
Not yet. Still thinking it over.
Mary Neathway says
Here on the interior of the west of Canada, we have no rain, scorching temperatures for over a week, hordes of mice and gophers eating the spinach and peas. I’m not at all thrilled!
Kathleen Williamson says
I can understand how frustrating it is. I’m in Missouri, and we are in a drought. We had weeks of no rain, cracks in the yard an inch wide. Then a bit of rain this week, just pop up showers. It’s disheartening to see rain to the north or south, so close, so far away. Our gardens are good with watering every 3-4 days with a good soak. The yard… well the grass and clover are dried to crisps, and the weeds- you know the ones that can survive anything? Yeah they’re drying up as well. On a lighter note no need to mow, lol. It’s feast or famine. Don’t give up anyone, no matter rain or shine.
Kiln Guy says
Spoken like a true Mainah
Mavis Butterfield says
But we’ll always be considered from “Away”. 😉
Marti Clark says
I’m in SW Wisconsin right on the Mississippi River and we had had no rain since Mother’s Day weekend–that is when I planted the garden. Plus it was very HOT so many things never germinated and I had to replant many times. My garden is a distance from a water source so I really rely on Mother Nature to cooperate. I’ve have a fairly large garden and have never worked so hard to get it going as this year.
Finally this weekend we had about 2 inches over 3 days. It was glorious.
Linda Practical Parsimony says
In Alabama, we are having temps of 90F+ and then it rains all the time. I like it hot and dry, but I don’t have a garden. So, don’t mind me.
Mary says
One word – greenhouse – here in Northern Vt, have been eating lettuce and tomatoes from ours every day!
Mavis Butterfield says
We’re thinking about it. 🙂
Meg C says
I’ve seen lots of diy greenhouses utilizing discarded house windows/doors. Your DH is super handy & between the two of you maybe you could cobble one together “on the cheap”.
Barbie says
Gardening/Farming is sure not for the weak of heart. Mother Nature sure can wreak havoc on the best laid plans. Southern Ohio we were in drought mode and several things did not germinate. I had to replant carrots 3 times and beets twice and they still did not germinate great. Drought finally broke and now we’ve had too much rain though not near as soggy as your area. Hoping for brighter days ahead for you!