Rainy Saturday

It's monsoon season!

Okay, not really...but we did get a LOT of rain on Saturday, despite J. insisting that we did not.

I got up and traveled through the mist to Home Depot for some roses to plant in my newly empty front planter. No one in the Home Depot would venture to the garden center, because it's open to the elements. Silly, I thought, it's just a little rain. I was prepared: in my husband's coat, sweatpants, and a hat. By the time I left, the rain was coming down harder, and it was windy. The wind whipped the rain at angles toward my legs. I arrived home in time for a downpour. It was the type of downpour you only see in states that are not California. States that are, perhaps, designed to accept rain, not to flood and puddle and crack. By the time I reached the front of the house my planterbox was full of water. I plunked those roses in the water and retreated inside to hide, and watch the Duchess (which I liked, btw).

I did get my planting done, during a brief break (perhaps the eye of the storm!) in which the sun peeked out from behind the clouds. By the end of my planting the rain started again, and was building in velocity, so I went back inside to wash the mud off of my hands, forearms, face...you get the picture. It was muddy.

The finished planter -- no it's not exciting yet, the roses need to grow! I planted some tuberoses around them...we'll see how they do, but they are very pretty!

I planted three types of roses: Barbara Bush (pale pink), Peace (a yellow with peachy-orange edges), and Cabana (pink with darker pink striations). Peace roses were my uncle David's favorites, and on his last trip to CA he planted some in my parents' front yard as a "host" gift. I am excited to carry on the tradition, and plan on planting these wherever I go. :)
The flooded planter, mid-monsoon! The tuberoses are in pots, that's how deep the water is!
My backyard and the torrential downpour (yes, I'm going to play this up as much as possible) and my delightfully scented Pink Star Jasmine.
Koal is a very good helper, and convincingly human when he sits in the car like this!
This was the misty and early-morning scene when we first started our adventure. Ohhh isn't it frightening!?!