I thought it might be something like what you described, so after clipping the infected leaves I�ve only been watering right at ground level. I also applied the disease control spray and fertilized heavily just to cover my bases. We�ll see what happens. BTW, the beans are mulched heavily, just not with straw. I mulch with a heavy layer of compost to keep down weeds and it does a good job of holding in moisture. Not to mention the nutrient benefits. Maybe something splashing up from the compost is doing it. I�ll just have to wait and see. It would suck to lose the plants, but it would be worse to not know why. I don�t want to make the same mistake next time. Thanks for the compliment on the dog. They are my rabbit and squirrel removal team. Red Dogs

I've heard that this could be partially due to the nitrification of the air due to lightning strikes; resulting airborne nutrients are then supposedly carried to the ground via rainwater. Sounds good, anyway. Mostly, it's probably just a response by the plants, which have been receiving increased light and warmth, and whose growth is triggered by the sudden abundance of rain. Plants like Hosta tend to make most of their growth for the season in one push, anyway, so there's a mechanism that lets them take advantage of the opportune time to do it. However it happens, it is one of life's little miracles.

Thanks for your posts. While you were posting I was looking into cork flooring. I currently have tile and while I like the look, it is hard on my feet after a few hours. Lavastone will probably be out of reach. The cabinets are already spendy and I will probably have to settle for something less expensive on the countertops. Cork flooring worries me in a humid environment. We have no heat, no AC, just fans and tradewinds. It's certainly not as humid as the east coast and the south. I read that it naturally repels insects. And oh, it sounds so comfy on my feet. There is another product which is a combination of cork and recycled rubber. I also liked the Marmoleum with its great array of colors. The salt spray (we're about a quarter mile from the ocean) shouldn't be a problem if you wipe the cabinets down now and then. It's the same with our painted garage door, a spray now and then to keep debris off keeps it looking good. Inside the house, the upkeep will be even less. I'm leaning towards darker lower cabinets (either chocolate, graphite gray or iridescent blue, and lighter uppers I like sea glass or or biscuit. I saw a kitchen with the iridescent blue and loved it....but will I in a few years? I have an actual paint chip brochure and the colors on the website are a little off on my computer. Seaglass is the palest aqua...really just like seaglass. You can also order any Viking appliance in any of the colors. The only appliance I need to buy is a range hood so I might go with Viking. Still struggling with countertops. Kind of like a solid white or stainless.

Black Walnut heart wood with no stain and Waterlox varnish will look exactly like that. I think the sample picture is natural Walnut without stain/dye because you can see the darkness of the knot and contrast with some lighter colored grain around it. I make lots of things out of Walnut, and never use stain, making sure to carefully select all the heartwood where it will show the best color. The final result is identical to the picture.