Dog Days of Summer

The dog days of summer are here.

The steady rise and fall of cicada song greets me every morning when I step outside. It is the sound of an Alabama summer, deeply entrenched into memory from earliest childhood, but I am so accustomed to it that I hardly notice. But I cannot escape the heavy air, already sweltering so early in the morning; it feels exactly like the steamy remains after one shuts off a hot shower. The air smells ripe and moldy. I cannot stay out long, and I wonder how people managed before the days of air-conditioning. 

Watering is definitely the biggest chore in the garden now. With the high heat, many plants, especially those in pots, need a daily supply of water. Fortunately, we have not had a drought this year, and I look to the heavens in hope that watering duties may be suspended for the day.

It is amazing how one minute the sky may be bright blue, then moments later dark clouds are forming as hot, moist air rises rapidly into the atmosphere, fueling a thunderstorm.Torrid air collides with cooler air high above, and the unstable air tumbles violently. Above the freezing line, frozen raindrops crash into each other, creating electrical fields. Soon all this produces a boiling heap of black clouds, high winds, heavy rain, thunder and lightning and sometimes hail, on average releasing the energy equivalent of a 20 ton nuclear weapon: a typical summer thunderstorm, and I am relieved of watering chores for another day.

I took the following photos in my saturated garden after a recent thunderstorm: 

Agapanthus

Close-up, Agapanthus

Anthony Waterer Spirea bloom

Unidentified mushroom

White Pine (Pinus strobus) needles

Southern Magnolia seed pod

Another storm is pounding away as I write this. Whatever the weather wherever you are, be cool!I took this photo a few years ago of Lucee, a friend's dog who definitely knows how to enjoy the dog days of summer!

The June Garden, 2014

Summer has arrived with predictable humidity and temperatures hitting the 90s; but with plentiful rain so far, I can not complain. The June garden is lush with deep green bowers edged with orange, purple, pink, and red summer flowers.

Here is a long view across the arbor by the patio:

A different angle catches the day lilies now in bloom. Planted about 60 years ago, they were here many years before we arrived. The pink flowers belong to Anthony Waterer Spirea:

Here is another view of the day lilies. Behind is a Lady in Red Hydrangea. This plant is the one of the few macrophylla hydrangeas with any blooms this year, following an unusually hard winter.

Anthony Waterer Spirea is one of my favorite shrubs. It is low maintenance, has a beautiful draping form and wonderful summer blooms:

Below are close ups of three hydrangeas currently in bloom:Clockwise from top: Snowflake, Annabelle, and Forever Pink.

Red Cascade Rose always has masses of blooms through the summer:

Here are a few more summer bloomers:Clockwise from top left: 'Tutti Fruitti' butterfly bush with Persian Shield on the lower right, Sedum in front of Day Lily foliage, late blooming Gumbo azalea, Day Lily.

And some pretty foliage and flower combinations for the summer:Clockwise from top left: Persian Shield and Dusty Miller; Leopard Plant, Maidenhair Fern and Variegated Sedge; Anthony Waterer Spirea, Red Knockout Rose and Rosemary; Variegated Hosta, Coleus and Impatiens.

Foliage is a star in my garden in all seasons. These are a few of my favorites:Clockwise from top left: Chamaecyparis pisifera 'Blue Boulevard', Sambucus racemosa 'Lemon Lace', Trident Maple, Hepatica, 'Lady in Red' hydrangea, Cercis canadensis 'Whitewater', Fatshedera, Variegated toad Lily.

Hosta Francis Williams grows in several parts of the garden:

Nothing can beat Tropicana Canna Lily for powerful color through a hot summer:

A tour of the June garden would not be complete without some views of the woodland garden:

Top: Carex 'Everillo' grows in a pot nestled amidst Impatiens. Middle: This variety of Indigofera spreads as a ground cover and has delightful early summer blooms. Bottom: Woodland rabbit; Windchimes in a tree.Nothing like a tour of a summer garden in the Deep South to work up a thirst! Now, how about a cool drink or a slice of watermelon?