08/03/2026
Did someone put the entire garden on fast-forward?
RDU recorded 12.16 inches of rain in July, making it the second-wettest July since records began in 1887.
Orange County improved from D3, Extreme Drought, to a mixture of D1 and D2, Moderate and Severe Drought.
And our yards definitely got the rain memo:
🌿 Droopy plants are standing taller
🌱 Leaves are greener, with fresh growth appearing
🌾 Grass is growing almost faster than we can mow it
😬 Weeds have made a very enthusiastic comeback
🍄 Mushrooms are popping up overnight
🦟 Mosquitoes are celebrating every forgotten bucket and plant saucer
🐌 Slugs, snails, and moisture-related plant problems may also become more noticeable
The rain helped drought-stressed plants take up water and begin growing again. It also encouraged dormant w**d seeds to sprout and underground fungi to produce the mushrooms we see aboveground.
This is wonderful progress, but one very wet month does not erase a long drought. The topsoil can recover quickly, while deeper soil, groundwater, reservoirs, and mature trees need more time.
Take a quick walk around your yard and dump standing water from plant saucers, buckets, toys, tarps, and clogged gutters.
Then tell us: What has made the most dramatic comeback in your yard—the plants, the grass, the w**ds…or the mosquitoes?
Photo note: This bright yellow mushroom is Leucocoprinus birnbaumii, sometimes called the yellow houseplant mushroom. Photographed yesterday in a Master Gardener’s garden, this tropical species thrives in warm, moist mulch, compost, and potting soil—which explains why it is enjoying our recent weather! It feeds on decaying organic matter, helping recycle nutrients back into the soil.
