My garden is looking so HOT and SO TIRED. The dirt is hard-packed, and the plants look like they are just enduring the heat and hoping desperately for a reprieve. Their leaves hang dejectedly and any blooms are limp and sad. Every blade of grass has curled in on itself in an effort to conserve what little moisture they can find. I walk around and offer small and probably insufficient gifts from the hose and watering can. Then I go in and check the last page of the Metro section in the AAS to see if there is any hope of rain in the foreseeable future. (20% chance of rain=no). I know I should spend more time out there digging up those dastardly ivy-like weeds that are the bane of my existence. They grow up strong and vigorous and are seemingly oblivious to the heat, as they wind their evil selves around the plants I care about. I work for a while in a half-hearted and apologetic way, because I know that I am not really going to relieve the garden of its burden of heat and drought.

Alamo Arms

Look at all the tiny hairs on the branches of the vine. They remind me of the mean-looking needle-like spikes we saw along the edges of buildings in Venice to keep the birds from landing. Poor birds must have been exhausted; always flapping, never landing...

Dolichos

Starting to cover up the yards and yards of privacy fence is the Dolichos vine that I grew from seeds. Hurray for Amy, queen of growing-from-seed. I am learning from her expertise and encouragement.

Admiring the Artemisia

I am obviously not the only one who thinks the silvery white of this plant is beautiful. A tiny grasshopper seemed pretty comfortable here too. But check out the size of his legs compared to his body. If he jumped he'd probably land in the next yard.

Proud of the Pride of Barbados

OH. MY. GOD. I am in love with this plant. Does it get any better?? I mean really. Does it? Come on. Show me a more exquisite plant.

Phew. I feel light-headed just looking at the picture. Oh, and can I have a summer dress that looks like this please.

There, that was my gushing statement for the day.

Yellow Light of a Hot Summer Thunderstorm

For my birthday I received, among other things, a beautiful and dramatic summer storm. It bathed the garden in a strange golden glow, and caused a cheeky poltergeist to frolic with joyous abandon on the lawn.

Home Again

Home finally, and reunited with the garden which was very much alive, and displaying a certain wildness of character. I think a few plants are pondering the idea of taking over the world, which is not a bad thing, but we all have to learn to share the space, so I may have to exert my ultimate authority at some point. The question is, how to do it in such as way as to allow the plants in question to know they are loved and encourage them to thrive despite being 'cut down to size' so to speak. You see, plants are just like people really, it's all in how you say or do it. Hmmmm.