Seasonal Shifts and Changes

The Summer heat intensified with the Solstice last weekend....it's official. We have shifted from being too wet all spring, losing much in the vegetable gardens to slugs and drowning, to an intense and dry heat wave. Working in Happy Valley is like doing hard labor in a sauna.

Up in Blowing Rock, there is always, gratefully, a breeze. OK, well Friday there was a windstorm right along the ridge where I was working, but the air is almost always in movement in Blowing Rock. The town is full of visitors escaping the heat from down below.

If I correlate the heat of summer, to the emotional temperature of the world, it is heating up as well. So much is shifting on the world stage it is hard to keep up.

In the dog days of summer I like to stay away from intensely colored flowers. Hot colors in the garden tend to make you feel hot and agitated. Of course, this is the time that nature puts out all it's orange and red daylillies, Black Eyed Susan's, and Coreopsis....all hot and intense colors. I drive by gardens filled with Stella D'oro daylillies, and magenta petunia's...I call it technicolor madness. Summer is intense enough in my opinion with out adding more heat to the pallet.

In my own gardens I tend to plant colors that soothe the emotional state if possible. I will usually pick a softer color of the native species if I can find it, Like The soft ivory colored day lilly 'Joan Senior' , or the variety of coreopsis 'Moonbeam'. I love the 'Jade' Sunflower, and the 'Green Envy' Zinnia for that reason. I also tend to hang out in my garden at night. So the lighter colors tend to light up the garden longer in the evenings.

These blooms are fun to sketch as well.

I love this pot of creamy yellow tuberous begonia's mixed with Veronica reptans alba, tucked into the boxwood.

The best part of the hot summer evenings is the fragrance. I love the spicy scent of my nicotiana alata greeting me at the end of the day. That is when I can say Ahhhh, I love summer.

I had a little giggle over finding these sweet potato's growing in my compost bin.....what a nice surprise. Summer is so full of bounty. I am watching the blueberries ripening this week, it will be a great crop this year, just in time for the Fourth of July. Perfect, it is all so perfect, but we could use a little rainstorm right about now.

Sweet Mimosa

I was mowing the grass last night, so happy that it was lush and green again, thanks to the recent and regular rain we are having. I got to one corner of the back garden and smelled it...the Mimosa above me was in bloom. On the ground I found a perfect blossom laying at my feet, picked it up and deeply inhaled. I love the scent of Mimosa. It is so haunting and romantic.

I know my Mimosa tree is an invasive alien pest.....but the scent is awesome. I wonder if all the plant Nazi's were to eradicate this 'pest', which I am sure is quite good at colonizing territory, what would a warm southern summer night smell like with out them?

Also known as the Silk Tree, these exotic ornamental trees are native to Iran though Japan. They were introduced to our continent about the time this country, as we know it was born. They are masters at colonizing along riparian areas, traveling downstream easily. So clever.. that they block out light to other native species. Greed is not limited to humans. I have a few more saplings trying to establish themselves in my forsythia along the property line that I do need to deal with, later. In the meantime I am inhaling every molecule of beautiful fragrance I can get during it's brief time in flower. I am also studying and paint the blooms and the leaves.

How long has it been since I really studied the anatomy of a Mimosa flower. They are so delicate, subtly colored...the feminine reproductive tube is loaded with sweet nectar, hidden in the yellow ...turning to pink at the ends, filament like flower petals. All held securely by spring green colored tiny sepals. If held upright, the petals are geometrically and perfectly spread on a dome shape, all exactly the same length.

According to the British Flower and Vibrational Essences Association the signature of the Mimosa flower and it's healing properties is is used for peaceful sleep and relaxation. The pink color resonates with the heart and encourages forgiveness. Well duh! Who can hold a grudge in the midst of such a sweet fragrance?

I did sleep and dream well last night. Mimosa' motto is "My bright head greets the morning and my leaves sleep at night"

Nature does often blow my mind.