how my garden grows

Most of my plants survived while I was gone, despite a week of no rain and a "return of the woodchuck". (Sounds like a title of a horror film, doesn't it?) We had been very happy not to have any groundhogs around for almost two years. This summer, our luck failed. I haven't seen the beast, but the damage is evident. He/she tried to burrow under my front steps (concrete), but was mostly unsuccessful due to my having put up chicken wire and secured it with stones. The creature did dig a bit and moved a few stones, but it appears he gave up. I had some plant stems broken, but no major damage. He found more fertile ground two doors down at Patty's garden. She also was away and discovered the hole when she returned. Lots of her plants were eaten, more damage than in my garden. She hopes he has left now, as she threw mothballs down into the borrow. They supposedly don't like moth balls. We'll see.

In the back yard, I found a monster vine coming up the deck steps. It's about 10 feet long and has leaves the size of dinner plates. Jack's beanstalk perhaps? Actually it is a gourd plant, sprouting from thrown away gourds last fall. I can't wait to see how big the gourds are. There is one developing already.

We've had lovely weather since I got home. Cool in the evening and warm, but not really hot, during the day. I think this is about to be over. Predictions are for 90s this weekend. At least I've had a few days to accustom myself to the heat. Ah well, it's summer in Maryland, so what should I expect?