Riding the Heat Wave

The heat wave hasn't been quite as miserable as I feared it would be. We've had our power the whole time for one thing, and even an inch of rain over Wednesday and Thursday. Last Sunday was the worst day for heat so far due to the accompanying humidity.

Sunday morning I took my camera out to take a picture of this Black Swallowtail and what happened? Instant camera fog. I've never been to the tropics but it had to be what the tropics feels like.

Early Sunday I went down to the pasture to dump and refill the water trough and both horses were soaked with sweat and blowing. The sweat wasn't evaporating and as a result they were overheating. So they got a good hose down and luckily the sky clouded up later and temps cooled down, eventually way down, the result of nearby rain that didn't quite reach us. In the fact the change was so remarkable it seemed strange -- from unbearably hot and sticky to quite cool and ocean breezy. Anyone who thinks that the discussion of weather is boring is crazy imho.

I am so grateful for the rain we got the last two days. It's impossible to keep everything watered in this heat.

I took this picture before the heat wave. The geraniums are sere brown now ~ but they will bounce back.

The biggest hits with the insects now are the Monarda, Mountain Mint, Vitex, and Buddleia. There is a constant buzzing and fluttering around these flowers. The mint looks so cool and silvery that it seems to shimmer.

I really like the combination of Monarda 'Raspberry Wine' with Vitex.

Earlier this summer I added more Monarda and Brazilian Blue Sage around the Vitex (to have it somewhere I could water it easily). It'll take a year for this new bed to fill in so in the meantime I added some fillers.

Such as Kiss-me-by-the-garden-gate (type that 5 times fast)

Did I mention I was grateful for the rain? Me and the seashore mallows. If I hadn't watered them before the rains they'd be shriveled brown husks of themselves now.

Finally, I have Culver's Root thriving in my garden, on the east side of the house. I don't know if it'll ever be as showy as it is up north, but I like it: modest and graceful at the same time.

I have thoroughly enjoyed the daylilies but I won't miss
spraying them with peppermint every. single. evening.

'Hyperion'

Commuter daylily (H. citrina)

Still haven't found a tag for this tall beauty.
I must have had the brilliant idea to just tag one of them.

Hudson Valley is another gorgeous yellow; about halfway
as high as the above, with enormous fragrant flowers.

One more day of intense heat and then we are due for a break. What I hate about these heat waves is that in my memory they swell and grow until they fill the entire summer. They sap one's strength. Even with the refuge of air conditioning after a morning spilling into early afternoon of slogging in the sun. I'll be glad when it's over, as I'm sure everyone will be!