But not a reason for the blues – although I suppose it could make a song title.  It has rained for almost the whole day today, but it is a good thing for us gardeners who have been fretting about the drought warnings and devising schemes for capturing ‘grey’ water from the house (more in another post).  It means that the seeds I sowed direct last year will at last be tempted to germinate and I will have dark purple Opium poppies (Papaver somniferum) to look forward to in May/June.  Of course it will mean the weeds will be just as busy getting on with growing, so more time spent up close and personal with the borders next weekend to make sure they don’t gain too much of a foothold.  It would also be a good time to mulch, if you are that sort of gardener – I’m not.  There is no point at all putting mulch on ground that is dry, as when it does rain the mulch will soak it up and so the soil remains dry. Ideally the ground will be freshly rained upon (but not waterlogged), then you will put down the mulch, after which it will rain just a little more – if only the world was that obliging.   The photo in this post is of Crab Apple blossom, don’t they resemble tiny rosebuds?