How To Use A Hot Day

I am lying on the porch swing, book and camera at hand, and this is my view.

On a hot day, this is the place to be, listening to the pond water gurgling and the birds flitting by to sample the sunflower seeds in the nearby feeders..

The memory floated by of  the days in Richmond Hill when the kids were tiny. No one had air conditioners--we bought what ever size wading pool we could afford and the kids ran in and out, wet feet marking up the floors but who cared-- the kids were happy and cooled off.

I wonder how many moms in suburbia even know what prickly heat rash is. We used to fluff corn starch on  the  red patches of skin and fan the babies, sponge them with tepid water, anything to help them forget the itch.

Now my babies have grown up babies of their own, all of them with air conditioning.

I hope they are cool in every sense of the word.

So now I'll concentrate on the gurgling water and the munching birds.

Yin and Yang

My first garden tour of the summer was in nearby Stratford. Generally this town  displays gardens surrounding old stone houses with enormous shade trees,  but this year houses under one century were given prominence.

My preference is low-budget- and- huge- imagination properties although it's always nice to see places where the big bucks were spent tastefully (is that an oxymoron?). I love meeting the owners who have done all the scut work themselves and look slightly dazed from the last-minute touch-ups.

Those who agree to host their gardens are in for relentless hours and hours of weeding so the beds will be gloriously displayed for the big day.

I hope the weeders know how much their work is appreciated as well as  their generosity in showing their gardens

The owners of this shed above know how to work an otherwise blank space; there's a lot going on and it is a stunning effect.

But look at this--the other side is bald, with a raised veggie bed squished close by.

.I like to think they're keeping the center space open for a pool and cabanda.

It's their money--let me fantacise.

Clematis Comes out of Hiding

My favorite summer pursuit is taking in garden tours, where I always see  tenderly cared for gardens with each plant accompanied by a neatly lettered marker, identifying the plant in English and Latin.

I love this idea and every year it is my intention to buy a batch of markers and get to it.

In the meantime, it's always a lovely surprise to spot a Clematis peeking out in two places from under the Virginia Creeper.

Do I remember planting the Clematis? Well, not really and that's why the markers might remind me to thin out the vine once in a while to see what else might be living under there..

It's nice to know that right off the bat I have already identified two plants, in case those markers do materialize.

A huge leaf from the Oriental Rhubarb (three!) looks as though it might snap up the competition.

I love the smiley face of this gorgeous bloom.

Smart of me to plant it.
Too bad I didn't remember.