The right sort of rain?

Barnaby has been enjoying the decent run of uncharacteristically warm weather in the UK this July. Indeed, it has been positively hot, so warm, in fact, that Barnaby was induced to swim in the sea for the first time in about twenty years. (It was still cold).
We have already eaten al fresco more times this month than in the whole of last year and this is shaping up to be one of our better English summers. The plants in the garden have been suffering, however, from lack of water. Barnaby doesn't believe in watering garden plants, except those in pots and baskets and food crops. The lawn is brown and several otherwise hardy perennials are looking distinctly unhappy (this is more or less a euphemism for dead) as well as trees shedding leaves.
Last night, however, we had rain. Not a deluge or a downpour, but steady rain, albeit for only a short time. It was enough to refill the water butts around the house and to wet the top of the soil at least. This morning is bright and clear again, with long sunny periods, though ten degrees cooler than it has been.
So was this the right sort of rain? Well, it came at night, which is always a bonus, it didn't do any damage, but maybe there wasn't quite enough to restore the garden.
For the time being, Barnaby has put away his shorts but he's keeping them close by in case the temperature goes up again. Of course he'd like you to keep his shorts close to you, too, and you can find all five volumes of Barnaby's Shorts at http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/barnabywilde to download in the e-book format of your choice. You'll find that they are excellent reading, whatever the weather.