Hopefully, plants have been properly placed to withstand the week’s deluges. All survived our very rainy late spring, so I don’t expect problems, but several additions were made in recent weeks, so we’ll see. How tolerant one or the other is to constant dampness will be seen over weeks to follow.

The problem area at the lower end of the rear garden was constantly wet a year ago, but considerable digging was done to channel runoff in late winter when planting beds were expanded. So far, so good, but inches of rain falling each day can drench even well drained areas.

A few weeks ago, I was concerned by the transition from the damp and mild spring, to hot and dry, but of course that’s long forgotten. Today, I watch tall maples and tulip poplars sway in another storm, and hope that none come crashing down.

I’ve returned from two weeks of travel, which happily avoided areas deluged by the week’s rainfall. I see a bit of washout in the garden, but hardly enough to clean up after. Weeds are no more of a problem than any other time when nothing is done for two weeks, and most everything looks much happier than the day I left.

I am surprised to see the yellow, small flowered passion flower vine (Passiflora lutea) on the far side of the koi pond. A year ago, there was no sign of it, and I figured it was done in by too much shade from hydrangeas and other brush that is so dense to discourage efforts to keep the area even slightly managed.

One of two purple flowered passion flower vines has made meager efforts to grow, but the first was scalded in early July’s heat, and the current growth is weak enough not to encourage much optimism. Probably, both will be fine, but I have higher hopes for the yellow flowered vine which was not going to be as easily replaced. I wish I hadn’t planted it where it’s so difficult to get to, but the gardener is accustomed to disappointment, and this one is relatively minor.