It was a positive thing that we were going to get some rain here in North Texas just as we had finished planting the garden. The timing was perfect to get the seeds soaked into the ground. However, it didn’t take long to see that we were getting a bit too much rain. As much as we try our best to have a successful garden, we just can’t control how much rain we get.
I noticed one area of the garden where we were trying out landscaping cloth for the first time was really getting soaked, much more than our patch of corn. Originally, we were working with lowered beds in that area because of dry weather. While it was raining, my husband went out to the garden and dug some trenches to help drain the water away from the garden. Initially he did just a small part of it, but once he saw that it was successful, he did some more.
It really has helped drain the water, even though it is not the prettiest in places; but we were noticing that our tomato plants are dying. It is a bit frustrating. Tomatoes are definitely a garden favorite for me. I am really hoping things turn around and we don’t get near the rainfall as last spring. Two seasons in a row of a bad garden would not be fun.
The other problem that we have with the heavy amount of rain is our septic system. The area of the yard surrounding it is pretty waterlogged. When that happens, we end up with a bad smell and we have to limit our water use to keep things moving as they should.
The front of the house does not get soaked quite so much. So far, all the things we have growing there are doing well. One thing new this year is Jerusalem artichoke. I have never eaten it, but I keep hearing positive things about it. I hope I like it. It seems to be doing well.
