We have gotten so much rain this year. We didn’t get a lot of snow, so I was worried about drought. Not the case. I’ve been collecting rain in buckets and bottling it up (to prevent mosquitoes). Haven’t turn my garden hose on once.

I was going to look into getting rain barrels but the summer climate has changed. My main watering need used to be my Leland Cyprus trees but they look good, no sign of drought or blight.

My neighbor has a rain barrel he set up himself. He said it would show me how he did it when the foliage starts to die back. The episcopal church here has a rain barrel giveaway and lecture on how to use them every spring. As well as building rain gardens. Anyone is welcome. Heathens, like me, too.

I don’t have any gutters on my house. So I set the buckets where I get the heaviest water. I put composted manure on the bottom, when it fills up, I stir it. The plants love it.

Well done!

My Neighbor taught me that. He calls it brown tea. If you catch him in spring he’ll give me cow chips and road apples. Otherwise you can use a $2 bag of composted manure. City water has too many chemicals in it. If you have to use city water, fill a bucket, lay a screen on it.

The chemicals disperse after a couple of days.

I started filling up my watering can with tap water and letting it sit for a couple of days to water my indoor plants. They’re happier for it.

Got it 👍 I’ll factor that into my yard reboot. I’ve got more plants and herbs doing well than ever before. Most new from last fall. So will add more now and see if they take too.

I never had a green thumb. I didn’t have a yard to do stuff in since I flew the nest. Any house plant that entered my home would meet certain death. Now I know more. And so it has been a good learning experience. All my failures are part of it. Failure is a part of learning.

Same. That and dumb luck.

Dumb luck is a learning experience as well

What I want to plant this fall is garlic.

Oh! Another thing I learned (by accident) is I planted Cucumber in one bed and cockcomb several feet away from the cucumber. The cucumber beetles are all about the cockscomb. Haven’t touched my cucumber or squash. Companion planting is a good thing. Will be doing that again next year.