In 2016 I’m doing a 365 Nature project. Learn more about the project and see all the 365 Nature posts.
Last night it rained. When it rains during the day I rejoice and savor every minute of it. When it rains at night, it’s comforting to listen to while asleep. This morning the ground was wet, even to the point of soggy and what a relief it was. The brown, dusty plants feel refreshed, even at the end of their season of growth. It’s like sending them off to hibernation all clean and fresh. Of course, the water droplets on all the leaves are beautiful for any who venture outside and there are some plants that hold onto the water better than others. I’ve long noticed lupine is one of the most beautiful of plants after the rain. The water collects in perfects drops on the leaves which make a clear and minute pool in the center of the leaves. I consider it a bug bath because I often see wasps drinking from them after rain. Other leaves, like the lilac don’t have the perfectly round drops, the water flattens and isn’t as obvious. Our picnic table, which I had stained dark brown, collected a narrow pool which had a beautiful reflection of our tree’s leaves. Perhaps the most stunning were the dark purple hollyhock flowers, the last couple of the season, which collected water into purple marbles on top of the flowers.
