Caitlin did a great job keeping the pots watered and alive during our absence - never easy when the plants are small and the weather so unexpectedly hot. Still, the first thing I did after unpacking was to get everything well-watered. I then took stock of how things look.
The good news - no deer attacks (except for a few calendula and zinnia in pots behind the water scarecrow, where the deer were out of triggering range). There was a pretty heavy storm that likely contained some hail while we were gone, which seems to be the reason for a couple of the hot peppers being cut off at the soil line. One eggplant was too small to make it. A few tomatoes are a bit touch and go. But all in all, things look great, and every year has a few lost plants. Tomorrow I will fill in the problems with substitute plants.
There is a big garden to-do list for the week....staking the driveway plants, completing the dwarf planting (after I get the next batch of grow bags and more soil less mix and cow manure) - then on to the big garden - mulching the second row of potatoes, weeding the entire garden border, planting the front dwarf row, and harvesting some garlic, beets, greens, radishes and summer squash - and perhaps some blueberries.
It's great to get away, but wonderful to be back home!