Hot
Sultry Heat
This summer has broken the record for the highest temperatures ever recorded.
I never thought it would be too hot to be in the garden in summer, but there was something about this year's heat that felt uncomfortable and downright dangerous, so I'm afraid the perennials had to fend for themselves.
One thing about plants, they relish hot weather, the hotter the better, as long as they have plenty of water.
Flowers and weeds alike grew recklessly this summer, trying to outdo each other and turning the flower border into a tangled, intimidating jungle after I retreated indoors away from the sweltering heat.
I was hoping for a bit of relief from the hot weather to put some order into the chaos, but the record temperatures are expected to continue well into September.
August doesn't usually get much rain, but fortunately, it rained plenty this year and gave the plants some relief from heat stress.
The climate is changing, no doubt about it, and I wouldn't be surprised to discover this area is now part of zone 7.
Scented August
During one of those winters when the thermometer lingered below zero, I promised myself I would never complain about heat again. I'm very close to breaking that promise, but not just yet.
It's hot as an oven, and the warmth prompts all things green to release an exquisite fragrance, concentrated and made more intense by the blaze of the afternoon sun.
August is a month of abundant fragrance: the scent of cut grass turning to sweet hay, sweetbriar roses' apple aroma, the lily scent of August hostas, overheated mint's refreshing fragrance, and the sweetness of ripe fruit during harvest season.
In a few months, it will be cold enough. According to the wise, happiness lies in enjoying what you have, hence I'll relish the warmth, sunshine, lush vegetation, and sweet scent of August.
Lazy Afternoons
Nothing compares to the peace of a late summer afternoon, where the air is hot and heavy and the world takes a break to rest in the shade of a porch or a tree.
These are the moments that make memories. The heat is soon forgotten. The beauty of a lazy afternoon filled with the scent of grass, flowers and overheated herbs, you get to keep forever.