A Rainy Day in the Garden Shed

April 2, 2018

I look forward to rainy days. On rainy days, when it is not possible to work in our fields and gardens, we welcome the opportunity to catch up on indoor projects that we cannot tend to on sunny days.

Today, we are going over our heirloom seed stocks and choosing the ones that we are planning to plant for the upcoming farming season.

Days like today are also good for drawing up plans for the different crops which will be grown in the various fields.

As the “guardian” of our heirloom seed collection, I am responsible for overseeing all of our varieties and making sure that we have sufficient seed stock to insure their survival. A rainy day like today is the perfect time to go over the collection and keep our written information up to date.

My favorite rainy day activity, however, is writing.

Some people find days of rain to be depressing, but for me, it is the opposite. I find that my best creative work is done on overcast, rainy days. I always look forward to days like that.

Looking ahead, the weather forecast calls for sunshine and clear skies, so tomorrow I will find myself out in the fields with a renewed sense of purpose. There are cabbage plants to be set out and English peas to be seeded. There are also a number of rows which have been laid off for potato planting.

John Coykendall, Master Gardener