Summer Days and Summer Nights

Hibiscus. Beautiful summer flower. It always begins to bloom when the heat turns up. I grew some from seed a few years ago and ended up with three different colors. You don't know what color you'll get, when you start from seed. They don't always remain true to the mother plant. Beautiful flower, very tropical looking. It's my daughter-in-laws favorite. But then, she loves the heat of summer too.

This is another color with some Purple Coneflower (echinacea) growing along the edge of it. You can also see part of a tomato cage. That's the way I garden. I like to call it Cottage Gardening. Some might just call it a jungle! I love the tangled, natural look of it.
This type of gardening has it's roots in Colonial times and before that, England. The pioneers of this country would often grow their flowers/ herbs/ medicine and to some extent, vegetables, all together. Usually right outside the kitchen door. This might inspire you to make your own. Myself, I just plant it and watch what happens.

Last night, after the sun went down, we sat in the backyard enjoying the cool night air. For my simple camera this is the best night picture I could come up with. Maybe I'll just try to write a word picture for you....

In this part of the country even on the hottest day, when the sun sets, the air begins to cool. The ever present humidity only adds to the coolness. Dampening your skin and cooling with the air. As the light fades, the temperature cools until you are most comfortable. Neither hot or cold.

The fireflies begin to light up the fields and forest edges. First, just a few, but gradually they increase their flickering. I watch the trees darken into soft shadowy mounds. The moon rises just above them.

Then, slowly the chorus begins....Tree frogs, Cicadas and of course the Mockingbirds and other mysterious sounds that I wonder about. Nature has so much to say here. I sit in my backyard and soak it all in. The sounds of summer. The day fades away and once again I sigh in pure gratitude  for His wonderful Creation.