"SIZING UP SUMMER"

 "SIZING UP SUMMER"

Late summer heat ignites reason to plant heat tolerant plants in the early spring. Doing so, can pack your summer garden with late color blooms that can offer up food for the soul. In late summer, when sitting in my own garden, I often think back to the past. Some of the plants that bare late summer blooms take me back to another time. The late August heat sometimes reminds me of sitting on my late grandmother's porch swing back in the late 50's. I loved being outside, no matter the heat. I remember that porch so well. It had wide, white steps, as high as I was tall that were built off the ground and her sweet cocker spaniel, "Peaches" would hang out under there to escape the heat of the day. The old wooden porch would squeak as soon as my tiny foot would step on and waiting for me beyond, was a curved wooden swing,  hung with two heavy grey chains, suspended with the largest hooks I have ever seen. In the late summer I remember sitting in that old swing. I would swing as high as my little feet could push, just to catch a small breeze.

 Looking out into her front yard were two tall crepe myrtles, covered in large white blooms, that would rain down like tiny snowflakes at the slightest breeze. There was a large sycamore tree in the distance. The long, green covered limbs shading the earth, made it a wonderful place to sit in the shade and daydream, while making necklaces of  green clover with my cousins when they would visit. Sometimes, my dad would cut fresh stalks of sugar cane and cut them up in tiny slices for us to chew until all the sweet juice was gone. Spitting out the left over cane was always so much fun and made us all laugh at each other. I learned to shell butter beans and peas sitting on that old wooden swing, while drinking coke out of those cute little glass bottles. But, nothing was as nice as the aroma of my grandmother's "old time roses." She always planted so many here and there and the sweet fragrance floating in on a slight summer breeze, surrounding me with the precious smell of late summer, was a true August delight.

If I could size up my late summer, it would include all the memories I packed into my own little piece of heaven. I can still hear my children's laughter while playing as I toiled in my beautiful garden to bring forth the late summer blooms that I enjoy every single day. Memories that taught me at summer's end, it is so nice to have some of the late summer blooms that I remember so long ago. Sitting on my precious grandmother's porch, sipping my cute, small, glass bottle of coke, looking out at those majestic crepe myrtles and remembering the sweet, sweet fragrance of those "old time roses" was indeed a special time for me. Thank you, grandmother, for showing me that it really is the simple things in life that make us the happiest.  Even in the heat of August, when I remember you, I always remember the comfort of your wonderful front porch and the laughter of our family and the way things USED to be. The swing that I loved so much as a child still swings ever so slow in the memories that you gave to me.

 Staging a memorable late summer show is easy with a little pre-planning skills and a few memories of a garden's past. "SIZING UP SUMMER"....
Easy..............Wait till early evening ..........Be sure to turn on the outdoor fan..........Kick back in your favorite chair............Enjoy some of your late summer garden blooms ........Add a few sweet memories of late summer's past.........and don't forget to have a wonderful ice cold COKE!

Late summer doesn't have to look hot even though it is the sight of shade pulls you in and makes sitting outside seem like the thing to do even though it is so hot in the late summer heat. Oh, and don't forget to grab that ice cold coke....lol

Thinking of you grandmother, thank you for the wonderful memories of late summer!