Water, Water everywhere Nor any drop to drink….."

We got a tiny taste of what our neighbors in Western Illinois and Iowa have been going through one day last week. We were in the midst of squeegeeing storm water seepage in the basement of our old house when suddenly there was no water in the taps. When it came on a short time later it was a disgusting rusty color and obviously not fit to drink. It didn't even look clean enough to use to mop the floor. Turns out the city had chosen that day to flush the hydrants on our street and the problem was soon remedied.

A lot of our neighbors in Illinois and west haven't been so lucky. They must be feeling a lot like Coleridge's Ancient Mariner by now. We had way too much water during the recent storms here but our troubles are definitely minor compared to those along the Mississippi and its tributaries.

I had turned off our sprinkling system after I noticed it running early one morning in the midst of the deluge. We weren't paying much attention, with water in the basement and scenes on television of our infrastructure and future food supplies drowning in what promised to be a biblical scale flood and forgot to turn it on again. Sure enough, several pots of New Guinea Impatiens soon keeled right over. Some spots in our lawn may still be soggy, but I am watering again. I learned again how quickly the wind can dry hanging pots and the same is true for raised beds.

It may seem a strange time to be reminding you to water your plants. As of this writing it has been a few days since we have had rain and if your plants, particularly annuals, haven't had the equivalent of one inch of water in the last week or so it is time to drag out the hoses.

Martha Smith of U of I Extension says that a great many gardeners encounter problems because of either too much or too little watering. There is not much we can do about Mother Nature's over watering, but we can guard against doing the same ourselves. Unfortunately, there is no set recipe for watering. You just have to look at your plants and take into consideration the soil conditions etc.

Sandy soils have large air spaces that hold water very poorly; clay soils have smaller air spaces that hold water tightly. Wind conditions contribute to evaporation of water. Plants in sandy soils may need water as often as every five days; plants in clay soils less often. If the soil around the plant feels dry on the surface use your trowel to check four to six inches deep around the base of the plant. Garden plants generally need an inch of water every 7 to 10 days during growing season. At the same time most plants don't like "wet feet" so check to make sure the roots are not standing in water while the surface is dry.

And if you need to water, try to do so in the early morning or early afternoon. Watering in the late evening can contribute to plant diseases. It is obviously going to require a little more attention this year to keep our flowers, vegetables and trees healthy through such a quirky growing season. We need to start checking for plant pests and diseases right now.

So look for black spot on roses, fire blight on apple and pear trees (including ornamentals), grubs and their grown-up selves, June bugs, on ash, crabapple and oak trees, and Japanese beetles on roses, linden trees and the like. Watch out for bagworms on evergreens; they seem particularly to love the numerous arborvitae in our backyard. Also, watch for mosquito breeding spots. We've had so much rain that there could be areas with standing, brackish water you hadn't noticed earlier, including empty pots, out-of-the-way birdbaths and even litter or piles of tree limbs.

It is a bit early for powdery mildew but a cool wet spring practically guarantees that susceptible plants will show mildew in late July or August. Consult your garden center or call the Extension Master Gardeners if you're not sure how to control all of the above.

Right now things look downright lush around here. A little weedy, perhaps, but lush. So enjoy your beautiful plants and trees, pick the last of the lettuces and spinach and admire your tomato and pepper plants, which should be huge by now assuming you found a dry day in May on which to plant.

And don't forget to mark your calendar for Saturday, June 28, when the United Methodist Women will be hosting their annual "Gather in the Gardens" Walk in and around Mattoon. U of I Extension Master Gardeners from Coles County will be on hand for part of the day to answer garden questions and give advice. Consult your newspaper for times and locations of the gardens. Tickets will be available in advance as well as the day of the garden walk.