A taste of summer

I like slouching in my new $18 Adirondack chairs from Lowe's, while taking short breaks from gardening.

The weather was glorious last week, especially coming off the wettest rainy season on record in Seattle history.  Between October and March we've had nearly 44 inches of rain.

To put that in perspective, our annual average precipitation here is 34 inches, so we're 10 inches ahead, even if it doesn't rain another drop for the rest of the year. (ha ha)

The temperature reached 70 last week, 15 degrees above average. This is heaven on earth for the flowers and plants. Their roots have been drenched for months, and now everything is taking off like crazy in the warm sun. Ditto the weeds.  I'm sure I post this same tulip picture each April, but it's a pretty sight I never get tired of.

However, my new little Billy Goat Gruff, who traveled up from the high desert with my sister, is getting wet for the first time this morning.  But never mind, it's supposed to be 70 again by the end of the week.

This elephant ear looking plant is called a Ligularia.  Surprise! It's never been this big before.  The gardener's mind tends to race ahead to Fall, when all this rampant growth must be cut back and hauled off.  Stop that. Enjoy the moment.