Garden Day: The Magic of the Rain

The Magic of 
the Rain 

by Jarad Johnson 

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What is it about the rain? Every time I hear the clap of thunder, followed by the torrential downpour that most often accompanies summer storms, I feel a sense of coziness and warmth. Some might say that’s counterintuitive, especially given the fact that my power almost always goes out, but what can I say? I love the rain. 

Sure there are practical reasons; because I’m somewhat lazy, I like not having to water my plants that day, but also the rain holds some strange enchantment as well.  It leaves a magical shimmer over the garden. The moss looks lush and green, rain droplets cling to flower petals, and the frogs sing their melodies in their hidden corners of the yard.

Because of this rain magic, the most delightful time to wander around a garden is just after it has rained. In the summer, it’s usually a little cooler after the rain, making the heat more tolerable. Everything in the garden looks better after a deluge, clean and new. Something about water just makes everything look appealing (this rule also applies to men, but I fear that’s another post entirely).

I go outside immediately after it rains every time I can. I remember once there was a massive storm at my house, the kind where you wonder if you will and your cats will be floating down the river you see outside your window. Then you remember that river is actually a road. I walked out the door as soon as I was sure I wasn’t going to be struck by lighting (I never said my habits weren’t dangerous, but what’s life without a little risk?) and I saw something magical. Toadstools dotted the yard, puddles of water reflected the gray sky in my flower beds, and several flowers had used the opportunity to bloom for the very first time.

There are ponds at the end of the property, and in the summer their water levels often decrease because of the heat. But when it rains, they are once again overflowing with water, (sometimes to the point where I wonder if the whole yard will become a pond) I love to go out and see the ponds encroaching on the house, as if the very geography has changed. Ah well, nature exists in extremes sometimes.

As much as I love my cats, I have never understood their aversion to water. When it rains, they run for cover, hissing at the water droplets falling from the sky (it’s a bit like the scene in Hocus Pocus. It’s the burning rain of death!).They think rain is dark magic. I’m more inclined to stand in the rain, rather than hide from it, waiting for the spells it casts to bring toadstools and rainbows. I’m sure my cats think I’m insane. (Humans do too, but not for that specific reason.)

You should really take the chance to wander around outside the next time it rains. Just wait until the lightning has passed and experience the magic!  
 

Bio:
Jarad recently graduated from college at MTSU, loves tea and coffee, and tries to spend every spare second reading. He is a fervent gardener and is fascinated by all related topics and has spent several years writing about this passion. He has been gardening for 6 years and believes that Nature is our greatest teacher. He majored in English with a concentration in literature and plans to pursue and master’s degree in Ecocriticism. 

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