We are finally getting a little rain today in Lake County; the stress bring on the word little. Some of the rain showers are moving through the area quickly and may be giving us less rain than we think.

The best way to know how much rain you got in your area is to have a rain gauge in the yard. This is an inexpensive tool to help monitor rainfall. As an example, a good rainstorm just passed through Grayslake a little while ago. After the storm passed I went out to check the rain gauge. We only got four tenths of an inch; not nearly enough considering that we haven't had any rain in about 2 weeks.

If you don't already have a rain gauge, invest in one. Knowing how much rain is coming down each week can help you use water more wisely in the garden. Ideally, we would like about 1 inch per week. If we get less than that, then it is time to think about some additional water.