Even though I like to get cozy inside the house on rainy days, some of my favorite rainy day activities are outside. First and foremost is taking a walk in the rain, but a close second is planting seeds in the rain. I typically have an umbrella while going for a walk, but for plating seeds I just wear a rain jacked and hood. In both instances I’ll wear rubber rain boots – so I can jump in the puddles.
Why do I like planting seeds in the rain? Well, I really like planting bare root plants in the rain for the same reason – I don’t have to water them when I’m done. It’s nice to have a large garden – basically my whole front yard is my garden – but I don’t like to have to water the garden. So, rainy days are a wonderful break from watering, and I can focus that energy elsewhere – like toss a ton of native plant seeds (I’m looking at you, wild bergamot), and catching up on my blogging.
Weather Apps Are Typically Wrong About the Rain
You might ask yourself, instead of braving the rain, why don’t you just plant the seeds the day before the rain? Well, I live near the Chesapeake Bay, which makes our weather pattens somewhat difficult to predict, and it seems that the only time when the rain forecast is actually correct is when it’s actively raining.
Plus, what’s wrong with going outside when it’s raining? Especially if it’s a warm, springtime rain? There’s an old saying, “There’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing” – so as long as you have rainboots, a rain jacket and umbrella, you have no excuse to not get out in your garden on a rainy day – unless you just don’t want to. It is generally bug-free and cool when it’s raining, so it’s actually kind of a nice reprieve during the warmer months.
It’s also super easy to pull up weeds (legit invasive weeds, leave the native plants!) when the ground is soggy.