Having learned to garden in the heat of Central Texas, I am sensitive to the drying out of soils. But I must say, despite living in an area that was once a massive forest, which means we get the incredible amount of moisture that supported such large trees, I am always surprised at how quickly these clay soils dry out.
The ground is still soft in that early spring sort of way that brings joy to my gardener's heart -- the easiest to work with -- but I have noticed how a thin level of top soil has already turned dry, the result of all the recent winds. And on Sunday, when I had ended the day and removed my nifty new rubber garden shoes (a gift from Partner who has tired of me repeatedly destroying good shoes by wearing them while gardening), I noticed how they were covered in dust.
Rain is coming again by Wednesday. Today is too hot for spring -- our normal temps should be in the mid-50s (F) and we will hit over 70 today -- but this little nudge feels good, if not hot, to our deprived skin, and perhaps it will goose the next cycle of blooming things.
There is a theory in Indianapolis that once the tulip trees bloom, we will get a horrendous storm, snow or some major freezing. I noticed today that these trees are forming rather large and healthy-looking buds. Is bad weather coming soon?
Monday, April 04, 2005
dry weather report
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1 comment:
I too have heavy clay soil. Not only is it hard to work with, but its a dark red that stains everything it touches.
Amazingly, the plants I have are doing well in it. It is I who suffers, my poor hands are blistered and callused from all the shoveling and hacking thru hard clay. But I slog on.
I have rubber garden shoes. Well, actually my sister, the nurse, gave me some of her old rubber nurse clogs. I love them because I can rinse my dirty feet off while in the shoes and then go inside.
nina
http://dirtythoughts.ninaloca.net
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