Part 2 of the early summer update......

“When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege

it is to be alive - to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.”

-   Marcus Aurelius 

"On this June day the buds in my garden are almost as enchanting as the open flowers.  Things in bud bring, in the heat of a June noontide, the recollection of the loveliest days of the year - those days of May when all is suggested, nothing yet fulfilled."

-  Francis King

Grocery store Roses

Some of the lovely lilies that grow in the garden

Some bright sunshine to carry us through until October

The Hollyhocks are sad this year, blighted and their leaves full of holes.

The garden at the end of June

Another grocery store rose

The poppies that came uninvited but welcomed with open heart

Sweet William that wandered over from the garden, along with the lamb's ears

Bee balm, a bright spot at the back of the bed

A fancy poppy in red tutu

More lilies

A medley of poppies and roses

The Shasta daisies come into their own

July 24th, 2010

Too much digging in the garden, - not enough writing about it!

A little update on July amongst the current blooms.

Summer arrived on the 21st of June, - still cool and pleasant but since then the days of early morning gardening and snoozing afternoons have come upon us.

But here is the garden while yet the temperature was being kind to the tender fragile blooms.

The roses still flourished, at the height of their first flush.

The new astilbe, a dainty, creamy spire at this stage of the game.

Katie brought a lovely bouquet from her rose garden

A canterbury bell surprised me next to the pathway,  blending in with the miniature bridal wreath.

The lavender daisies

Lilies and poppies and the remnants of the white delphinium. 

Miss Callie sunning herself on the bench beneath the Philadelphia Orange

and at night a full moon smiles benignly down on the sleeping garden

Lilies and roses, again

a gorgeous bloom on the mock orange, pure and fragrant

So green, so vivid, and the evening scented stock smells so heavenly

and, in the evening, it is all just a little mysterious

Observe this dew-drenched rose of Tyrian gardens
A rose today.  But you will ask in vain
Tomorrow what it is; and yesterday
It was the dust, the sunshine, and the rains.-  Christina Rosetti