plague

This weekend, I had a chat with a fellow gardener and I mentioned that I had yet to see the dreaded j. beetles, those demonic creatures that strip roses, hollyhocks, and other perennials.

"Oh," she told me, "they've already started hitting my garden."

And yesterday morning, as Franklin the dog and I made our morning tour of the garden, I saw the little devils chomping away at what they would call the produce section -- I call them hollyhocks.

Alas, they are back for their season of destruction.