DOG DAYS OF SUMMER

The weather has been out of sync this year. A mild winter, late spring and now a summer where all the flowers are blooming at the same time.

This rose bush is fifty years old. When my father-in-law was going to throw it out twenty years ago, I couldn't bear to see it destroyed so we took it home and planted it. At the time the floribunda bush was thirty years old. It bloomed beautifully for fifteen years in our backyard, but about five years ago part of it died. I had to cut it right back and this year it's almost as high as it used to grow. The mint beside it seems to be competing. I've never seen the mint grow that high.

When we pulled out a dead bush in the front garden I decided to transplant the hostas that grew around it. They're thriving in the back garden alongside the phlox that is many years old and has been separated four times.

It took me four hot, sunny days to prep and paint the deck. I love the pewter gray colour, which goes so well with the gray brick. I found another wood Muskoka chair on garbage day and now have two. The plan is to paint them blue, but that might have to wait until next year. It's hard to believe it's August already. Summer flies by far too quickly. Nothing better than a glass of wine and reading a good book on a warm summer day.