This week it has been quite rainy, and that got me thinking about what a gardener can do on rainy days.  There's not much that can be done outside on rainy days, but there are quite a few gardening tasks that can be done indoors.

Organize Tool Sheds

During the busy weeks of summer tool sheds can quickly become cluttered and disorganized.  Cleaning, reorganizing, and sharpening tools on rainy days is a great way to get ahead when the weather clears.  This is also a great time to wash out empty planting containers.  Washing flower pots and letting them air dry will help kill bacteria and other pathogens that could transfer to new plants.

Inventory Gardening Essentials

Rainy days are an excellent time to inventory seeds, fertilizer, pesticides, potting mixes, etc. to determine what items are needed for the rest of the gardening season.  It is also a great time to plan for replacing plants that maybe didn't grow as expected.  I'll be the first to admit, I've had my share of ill-advised garden plans this summer that need to be dealt with.  By mid-summer Bob's has many items on sale, so now is the time to stock up!

Design Flower and Veggie Beds

Although next summer may seem a far cry from the here and now, you can dare to dream.  Get out the graph paper and colored pencils and let your imagination run wild.  Rainy days are perfect for daydreams.

RELAX!

 You've been working hard this summer and you deserve a day off.  Fix yourself a nice cup of tea, find a good book, and take it easy.  I love to set on my front porch on rainy days with a hot cup of tea and enjoy the paradise I've worked so hard to create.