And Then The Rain Came

 And Then The Rain Came

After an early spring, our little dry spell ended yesterday with wild winds and today came the torrential downpour of rain, it was so heavy and hard, I fear my plants are trampled by the storm.  

My aubergine /eggplants 5 in total standing a foot tall looked so majestic this morning, I plucked their tiny leaves and bottom stems, and poured garlic water around, and placed crushed garlic cubes in their spaces, hoping it would ward off the evil snails and house snails that would want to gobble up their stems and leaves.  My strawberries in their hole filled barrels, turning red and still have some beautiful blooms.  My tomatoes are only 3-5 feet tall, but full of blooms, and I hope I had enough bees inside the greenhouse to pollinate them.  I have alot of hummers, (bumble bees), but my honeybees seem to have disappeared, and I normally depend on them for pollination.  I'm not sure if its because the bee keeper in the garden has moved or sold them, but my garden was always buzzing with them, but not this year.  The hummers and I have an unvoiced understanding, they are always welcome to visit, and they don't even bother when I move or trim leaves, they just keep on enjoying their snacks, and this year they loved the big blooms from the foxglove, it bloomed early and they can fit all the way inside it's huge blooms.  They have been busy with the rosemary bush, surprising though they don't like the thyme that is now in bloom, but normally the honeybees do.  I guess like us, they have their own ideas of what dessert is :) ..  The bell peppers in the green house are growing with gusto in my tunnel, but in the enclosed they seem to have stalled their growth and have started putting on fruits.  I was tempted to remove the fruits but decided it's nature, let them decide what to do.  My currants were totally full of strands, some even starting to change colors, but I'm afraid the wind and rains have damaged them, and I was hopeful for a good harvest because last years was a total bust.  My raspberries keep sending out new shoots and I keep removing them, I think for next year I am going to grow in 5 gallon buckets so they are contained, it's so much work trying to choose which go and which stay.  My grape vines are putting on lots of leafs, or at least one is, the others seem slow to take off this year.  I was hoping this year I would get to harvest more than a handful.  We have here a type of vole animal that eats the roots and sometimes entire plants, and they have tunneled throughout my garden, the latest victims were my prei, my beautiful prei, totally eten without a bit left in a hole.  Today I replanted those holes with red onions which I had left from the previous year, I let them sprout, then I take off the outer shell and usually have 2-4 or more different small plants which I cut apart at the bottom stem and replant.  I planted a few more of the Cardinal Beans today, I want to provide as many blooms as possible to attract to my aubergines.  

I guess in the morning I will know how much damage was done. 

Here's the tips I was given for growing aubergines / eggplants.

Take the new growth off the bottom and strip all but the top branches to allow the energy to go to producing fruit instead of foliage and new offshoots.  I planted mine in composted manure and biosoil surrounded by normal soil and I added crushed garlic to the hole in hopes of keeping the wool ratten at bay, and I hope I succeed because I have put all five out and have no spares. 

I also caged three in hopes of being able to cover if the rains continue, my thoughts were I could use part of my old green house and tie over the top.  I hope that isn't going to be needed. 

I dreaded the rain returning because it isn't good for my health, the dark dreary days and the rains and cold dampness make my back and joints hurt.  But maybe this year I'll be provided warmth and less pain. 

Happy gardening, and thanks for sharing my gardening ventures.