How often have you mentioned the weather in the past two hours? I keep imploring my Alexa app to report the latest weather report, hoping to hear that sunshine will make a return, but it goes more like: “Rain and wind with a high of 64 and a low of 60.” It comes with having a nor’easter in our midst. It dampens my spirits even more when I see more precipitation is forecasted even after the big storm moves off. “Light rain,” “AM showers,” and “Mostly cloudy” or “Partly cloudy” seem to be the trend. Oh well.
What can you do?
Bake. My son’s fiancée is baking banana bread as a mood changer. “The apartment smells so nice,” says Traci. That, coupled with watching The Great British Baking Show with Nigella Lawson, the new judge, will surely block out the gloomy weather. Perhaps I’ll make a coffee cake. I so hate being indoors during fair days, so now is the perfect time.
Maybe I need to think about the positives.
The gray, drizzly day gives us an opportunity to slow down the pace. Outdoor activities and projects have halted, so now’s a chance to hit the indoor list. Knitting…changing out the summer clothes for winter…and maybe tackling those oft-put-off indoor painting projects…reading…
A rainy day also gives me permission to do the things I routinely avoid during gardening season — clean the gardening tools, sort through seed packets, organize the potting bench, thumb through gardening books and make lists of all the things I want to plant next spring. Of course, making the list is much easier than actually following it.
And gardeners have a funny relationship with rain. We watch the forecast when the garden is dry, hoping for a few drops, and then watch it again when the rain arrives, hoping it will stop. We complain about too much, worry about too little and somehow believe the perfect amount is whatever is coming next week. Maybe that’s one of the lessons gardening teaches us: We can prepare, plant and nurture, but ultimately, we have to surrender to what we can’t control.
The garden positives include the phenomenal tree growth. Our recent planting of two “Green Giant” arborvitaes will certainly get some much-needed sustenance. Just thinking about the replenishment of water for the garden and, for that matter, our aquifers, gives one a sense of satisfaction.
And then there are the little signs that the garden is enjoying this weather even if I am not. The worms have made their way onto the paths, the moss looks impossibly green, and the leaves seem to have taken on a deeper, richer color. Even the newly planted arborvitaes seem to be saying, “Keep it coming.” Perhaps the garden knows something I don’t.
Rainwater also has benefits for the garden. Unlike treated municipal water, rainwater generally contains fewer dissolved salts and treatment chemicals, making it a welcome source of hydration for plants. Over time, salts can accumulate in soil, particularly in areas that are regularly irrigated, so a good soaking from the sky can be a welcome change.
Rain also interacts with the soil in interesting ways. Because rainwater is naturally slightly acidic, it can contribute to the natural cycling of nutrients in the soil. Most garden plants prefer soil that is somewhat acidic to neutral, although the ideal pH varies considerably from one plant to another.
Beyond the environmental advantages, there is something restorative about a rainy day. The steady sound of rain tapping against the windows, roof and leaves creates its own kind of music. After a while, it becomes background noise — almost nature’s version of a lullaby.
There is also some research into the effects of negative air ions, which are more abundant around moving water and during storms. Some studies have explored whether they may influence mood and relaxation, although the science is not conclusive. Still, there is no denying that many of us find the air after a rainstorm refreshing.
And then there is that wonderful earthy smell that arrives after rain. The word for it is petrichor, the pleasant scent produced when rain hits dry soil and releases compounds into the air. It is one of those sensory experiences that can instantly transport us outdoors, even when we’re sitting inside watching the rain stream down the windows.
Perhaps that’s another reason rainy days can be calming. They force us to pause.
There is something wonderfully democratic about rain. It lands everywhere — the roof, the windows, the deck, the garden beds — creating its own kind of music. The garden doesn’t stop simply because I can’t go outside. Beneath the wet soil, roots are growing. Seeds are waiting. Trees are drinking. Worms are working. The garden has its own schedule, and apparently it doesn’t care whether I approve of the forecast.
Maybe I should take a cue from it.
Instead of looking at the rain as a lost gardening day, perhaps I should see it as part of the gardening process. The rain is doing work I don’t have to do. It is watering the trees, soaking the beds, replenishing the soil and helping prepare the garden for another season.
Tomorrow, of course, I’ll probably ask Alexa about the weather again.
If she tells me, “Rain and wind,” I’ll try not to groan. I’ll make that coffee cake, listen to the rain against the windows and remind myself that the garden is getting exactly what it needs. Gee, maybe I should actually step outside and scoop up some of those negative ions after all.
Let it rain.
Let your love rain down on me. Let it rain.
—Eric Clapton
The Seaside Gardener
By Laura McLean