Rain, Rain... Thank You, Mother Nature! (Plus, last freeze date has now passed!)

So we've had record-setting rains here in the Pittsburgh region the last day or two. But welcome it is, since we've had a mostly dry Spring, which combined with late freezes has gotten plant growth off to a slow start. Now the ground is saturated, and we shouldn't have to worry about much of any watering for another week or so!

This has also been a good time to check and see if your drainage and irrigation systems are working properly. In the garden, these are usually successfully accomplished by cutting shallow trenches along the fronts of borders, and making slopes by mounding garden soil to one side or another. In the end you want everything to a) get watered, and b) drain so that standing water does not accumulate for too long of a time. Now, with this heavy rain you may still notice washouts and irregular buildups of mulch, silt, or other organic matter. These must be cleared! If not, these buildups will cause you more headaches later in the season, such as drainage problems in the garden or the erosion of pathways and lawn edging. There's also the possibility of water going other places you don't want it to, such as garages, basements, foundations, and adjacent properties.

But I will put in a few more words about the last Spring freeze. Ever want to know the best way to tell this in southwestern PA? Listen for the call of Baltimore Orioles. They are migratory birds and distantly related to robins. Each Spring from April to May they return here, staking out positions high in the treetops to start their yearly mating rituals. My mother once told me "Whenever you hear an Oriole, you know it's safe to plant (annuals)". And uncannily true this turned out to be, as the DAY after our last Spring freeze of 2012, I heard one out back!