Could woodchucks be the real culprit feasting on hosta plants?

DEAR SUN SPOTS: Thank you for all you do and all the information you provide. I have two unrelated questions. First, can you tell me if all the Sam’s are owned by the same person or company. Second, I have been watching a show called “Hart of Dixie” on cable and wonder what is the name of the song they play at the start of each show. It is kind of catchy, and I would like a copy. Thank you. — No Name, No Town.

ANSWER: Assuming you are asking about Sam’s Italian Foods, which has a total of 13 locations in Auburn, Augusta, Brunswick, Freeport, Lisbon Falls, Lewiston, Rumford and Waterville, then yes, they are all locally owned by Rick Michaud. If you are asking about Sam’s Club, the national retail warehouse, membership-only, club chain, then the answer is still yes. All Sam’s Clubs are owned and operated under the Walmart corporate umbrella. If you’re asking about a different “Sam’s,” then please write again to provide Sun Spots a few more details.

“Hart of Dixie” aired its last season in 2015 and followed the story of characters living in fictional Bluebell, Ala., and the zany Zoey Hart, a fun-loving-city-girl-turned-small-town-country-doctor. The theme song is difficult to find because it was composed by Jeremy Adelman specifically for the show and was therefore never produced for radio play. There are no lyrics, and it is simply called, “Hart of Dixie Theme.” You can watch it as part of show-related background music on YouTube, and you can download it, most often as a ringtone for your phone, at sites like www.televisiontunes.com.

DEAR SUN SPOTS: My son Chris noticed the story of deer vs. hosta in your column. Last year, my wife planted a beautiful row of hosta along each side of our long driveway. As the season progressed, she noticed that some demon animal had chewed many of them to the ground. I found deer tracks trailing the rows.

My wife found a product called “Deer Be Gone.” She mixed the liquid with water and sprayed the pitiful looking plants according to directions. It all seemed to work as promised for a number of days. The plants began to recoup and grew a few inches. A couple of days passed and again something chewed the plants to a shambles. We repeated this process several times, always with the same result and with the plants looking worse and worse. My wife always loved to see the deer in our fields, but by now, her love of the dainty creatures seemed to be fading.

I inspected the grounds again and this time noticed a lack of deer tracks along the rows. A number of evenings later, as I was picking up blown-down tree branches adjacent to the place where hostas once grew, along strolled Mr. Woodchuck. Woodchucks have long been known as garden demons. I suspect a woodchuck might be the actual culprit, but there is still doubt showing in my wife’s eyes about the presumed innocence of the deer. I guess I’ll not push it any further, though, as she is a incredible cook and I truly look forward to my supper surprise. — David, Dixfield.

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