Remnants of the recent hurricane moved gently through the garden. Yes, it was a gully washer, eroding bits of loose debris that required only minutes of cleanup along with several arm loads of small branches brought down in the storm. Areas nearby fared far worse, and while I would have been thrilled with another inch or two of rain, happily, we were spared destructive winds.

Before the storm, the water level in the koi pond had dropped considerably after weeks of drought, so the partial refill was welcomed. Unfortunately, top heavy, waterlogged flowers of tall Joe Pye weeds bordering the pond have flopped and submerged in the pond to be inaccessible to swallowtails (above). There are several still standing on the near side of the pond, and others chomped by deer in late spring that are just coming into flower (below). It’s difficult to get through the dense planting surrounding the pond, so it’s unlikely I’ll pull the flower heads out until the late winter cleanup.

Trenchs dug several years ago for drainage in the damp, lower rear garden were puddled in water for several days following the storm. That’s dried up, but the dampness has encouraged a fresh crop of weeds in the areas of bare ground. Anticipating the rainfall, I planted into the shallow ditch a few days earlier, with plans to transplant several ground covers with cooler temperatures in September to lessen annoying maintenance. I expect that a year from now, I’ll whine that arching stems of overly vigorous perennials are obstructing the path (below).

The shaded patios are littered in leaves brought down by the downpours. Mostly, these were browned by the prolonged drought and nothing to be bothered about, except this untidy garden is a bit more of a mess. But, the plants appreciated the rain, the ponds were refilled, and the garden’s looking good. But, the return to a regular rain schedule would be greatly appreciated.