A Perfect Rain

We’ve had two days of perfect spring rain. No downpours, just soft, soaking perfect rain. For those of you who don’t live in the West, it’s important to remember that we only get 14.5 inches per year, on average, and the past couple of years we haven’t even gotten that, so the general mood is one of deep relief and nascent hope for a good season this year. Here on my little backyard farm, the pathetic-looking chard and parsley plants I transplanted on Monday are looking good. They like real dirt. They like soft rain. They’re looking kind of perky, and the chives are looking good too. I planted the first of my raised beds on Monday — one has parsley, chives, chervil, two kinds of arugula and cilantro (and will get thyme and tarragon later, the oregano is going in a container because it’s so invasive, and I have tons of mint already in the front flower garden). The other bed got spinach, mache, frisee endive, carrots and those lovely long French breakfast radishes. I covered the beds with a sheet of plastic, to make a sort of cold frame, although the rain’s been so great I’ve only been covering them at night in case of frost. With this lovely rain, I think I’m going to plant a bunch of the wildflowers that don’t like to be transplanted, since nature seems to be cooperating and keeping the ground damp. It’s spring, and the world is puddle wonderful here in Montana …