Through the dreadfully dry summer, I frequently whined and hoped for a deluge that would relieve drought stricken plants and refill the garden’s ponds. And, here it is. Of course, while the remnants of the recent hurricane saturated our parched ground, there were extreme consequences in the mountains of North Carolina where so many of the dogwoods and redbuds in the garden were grown by longtime friends.

Several times over my decades of travel, a summer storm delayed a visit to tree growing nurseries by a day until flooding of bottom land creeks subsided. But, never anything like we’ve seen this week. Today, as I slop through the low end of my Virginia garden, I continue to think about the friendly folks I met and worked with and homes and back roads that have been washed away.

Back in the garden, results of two weeks of rain are not all I anticipated. Yes, the koi pond is filled, and several drought stressed plants have recovered, but weeks of constant dampness and little sun have caused a few problems, though none worthy of mention.