Too Much Rain For Your Garden

By Phran Novelli

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - WIth record rains in June and July, lots of lawns and plenty of plants are happy to be so well watered, but others are not. Some like it hot. And dry. Which is why so many annuals - many of which are simply plants that thrive in hot spots - look a lot less perky this year.

My petunias are puny, and many drought-tolerant plants like annual vinca that I put in pots and garden beds precisely because they love strong sun and don't require much water, seem to be struggling after so many summer storms. Full-sun perennials that stand tall in blazing heat can stall, flop, or even rot when the weather is so wet.

Plus too much moisture encourages diseases - bacteria, mold and fungi can flourish - from tomato blight to blackspot on roses (see photo) and powdery mildew too.

While you can't control the weather, you can keep an extra close eye on your plants, to help you find problems early so you can cut off, dig out, or otherwise address whatever may befall your garden after all this rainfall.