Bad weather! Pah!

[Cutecumber]

OK, the weather's been shocking.

We've been rained on, flooded out, nutrient leached, wind-blown and, well, generally had havoc wreaked upon us.

So, where's the silver lining to this cloud? There must be one, surely?

Well I think I've found at least one:

the rain has kept off those damn Cabbage White butterflies - I've got some untouched brassicas in July! Never happened before.

So, come on... let's have some more!

I know you can do it - put on your optimistic hats and smile

[OverWyreGrower]

My broccolli (that is still standing) is also untouched by butterflies and caterpillars!!

The rain has made a lovely wild rose (that we didn't know we had) climb and flower, and it looks beautiful

[Cutecumber]

That's great! I knew we could find something to be happy about!

[moggssue]

I have a lovely lush lawn that I wasnt convinced would survive after last summers drought. And I can go away for the weekend in the happy knowledge that my plants wont wilt through lack of water while I'm away. And, ermmm, the ducks on the canal I work beside are Really happy ..?!

[SarzWix]

When there is a break in the rain, the weeds are really easy to pull out of moist soil. My new plants are establishing themselves really quickly without having to water em constantly. And my back garden hasn't gone rock hard or cracked which it usually is by now - surrounding leylandii always suck all the moisture out of the ground - and the apple trees are flourishing.
AND I haven't had any sunburn/sunstroke yet! Yay!

[Flummery]

We have been planting around the road signs in the village for our entry in the Britain in Bloom competition. Someone got a job lot of pink hydrangeas (one of the few plants that I think death is too good for.) The recent floods floated some of them out and dumped them in the drain! Yayy! I went around and gapped up with something nice.

I have nearly finished my niece's wedding quilt as I've been indoors more. Good thing too - the wedding is a month away!

[kirsty b]

My water butts are nice and full, the roses in my front garden are doing well and no blossom end rot on the toms.

As Billy Connolly once said, 'theres no such thing as bad weather, only the wrong clothes'

[Cutecumber]

Ah yes - no blossom end rot for me (yet) either.

And my butts are full too

[pigletwillie]

Full water butts too, plus fat juicy soft fruit, onions that are growing by the day, as are courgettes and the pumpkin and squash plants just love it.

[shirlthegirl43]

haven't needed to water in the seeds which I finally got planted into what used to be the bramble patch. Just as well as that would mean having to buy another hose to reach!

[Alice]

The outdoor cucumbers look miserably bedraggled, but they're making cucumbers - even the cucumber lemon which I thought was doomed. Everything else is growing great so I guess it all happens whatever the weather. But I could use a bit of sunshine. Glad you're all getting a bonus out of it.

[dexterdoglancashire]

We are never happy are we? Having said that a bit of sunshine, or even a break from the rain would be good. At least the wet ground makes it easier to pull out the weeds and as you've said above, the courgettes are doing really well. Bernie

[Sue]

Seared into my memory is the trouble I had watering my potatoes in pots last year, so much water to drag a long way, that at least is one bonus for me this year.
My watercress is doing well.... and having had all my lettuces bolt last year, I can't keep up with them this year.

Last year my celery was tough and stringy, this year it looks wonderful, I'd be happy to buy a head of this down the farmer's market! Which might mean I get some good celeriac too.

For those of us lucky not to be suffering serious problems with the heavy rainfalls, it's preferable to drought, although a little less would be even better.
Sue

[Two_Sheds]

full water butts, so I popped another two new goldfish in them to join the singleton. They;re in fishy heaven...lots of pondweed and mozzie larvae to eat
the blackfly seem to have been washed off all the plants...hardly seen any.
apart from that, I am really HATING this rain. It is miserable having permanently damp/wet/soggy clothes and shoes which I can't dry cos my house is too shady. Every time we try and get out the house, we get about a mile away before it lashes down on us again. You just can't tell when its coming..its so sudden. then seconds later, blazing hot sunshine.

[terrier]

I've been relieved of the daily chore of cleaning the stable yard with all this rain, it's cleaner now than it's ever been...the problem is, where is everything going? Down the drains and if I don't get the drain rods out before it dries, it sets like concrete. The roses are loving all this water, all flowering away nicely. I don't have any water buts, but the well is brim full of ground water so it's nice and easy to pump out. Oh, and I've just finished cutting the grass for the first time in three weeks. It's starting to look like SUMMER.