Many plants don’t like their leaves wet, especially if they’re the slightest bit furry or hairy. Cases in point include tomatoes, clematis, and the begonia seen in these pictures. When possible, I water only the soil around these beauties, to keep them happy. It’s generally a good rule for all plants, as wet leaves in the humid months can lead to mildew and mold, something that is currently afflicting all the peonies. Their otherwise-handsome foliage has been ravaged with powdery mildew, lending a gray, ashen appearance to them, and marring the entire garden. Such things are largely out of control, however, and one of the lessons of the garden is in letting go of that over which we have no say. Such as day-long tropical storm events.
There is just so much shielding one can do for plants in the path of a deluge of wind and rain. And in the natural world, they wouldn’t have a patio for protection anyway, so I try not to stress to much about that. A little rain, while certain plants may not like it on a regular basis, is always good for cleaning things up, getting dust and dirt off the leaves, and refreshing the landscape.
It’s also pretty, especially when the sun first comes up after a day of gray and loneliness. The rain still clings to these dropping begonia blooms, as if they had to shed a few tears to get over everything. Some storm days are like a release. And then it comes time to dry the tears and get on with the summer.
