The serene philosophy of the pink rose is steadying. Its fragrant, delicate petals open fully and are ready to fall, without regret or disillusion, after only a day in the sun. It is so every summer. One can almost hear their pink, fragrant murmur as they settle down upon the grass: ‘Summer, summer, it will always be summer. ~ Rachel Peden
As the solstice brings us another season, here in northern hemisphere it is blowing in with a hot vengeance. We have been in the 80s for the last week and this week we have hit 90! I really hope we can level out at a nice 82 without all the humidity, and with a bit of rain every week. Oh who am I kidding. Who knows what the weather will be, but I intend to enjoy it.
Rain–let’s dance
Heat–sit in the shade and sip ice tea
Humidity–head for the gazebo or wander early in the morning before the day heats up
After all it is the Promise of Summer that I am looking forward to this season, and I said my mantra would be:
“Whatever the present moment contains, accept is as if you had chosen it. Always work with it, not against it. Make it your friend and ally, not your enemy. This will miraculously transform your whole life.” ~ Eckhart Tolle
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Of course the solstice doesn’t just bring summer to the world. Winter has begun in the southern hemisphere and closer to the equator there is a whole other world of 2 seasons (rainy or dry). So let’s get the party started and see what celebrations are happening:
Let’s start in the US this time…..
Beth@Plant Postings’s Seasonal celebrations: the plants of summer! showed us all the wonderful plants that reminds her of summer. Daylilies, roses, cosmos, hydrangea and yummy black raspberries say summer in Beth’s garden. Beth and I both grew up in Indiana and we both think of water when we dream of summer. Beth is now in Wisconsin enjoying a wonderful summer. Wishing you lots of berries, Beth.
Sage Butterfly’s post, Breathing Lessons, teaches us about accepting what comes from Mother Nature as there is always something good that comes from it. As Michelle celebrates summer, a bit early weather-wise, I wish her some time to breathe easy and slow as she enjoys her lovely garden.
Southern Meadows in Georgia celebrates their hot summers in the woodland shade. Their woods are just so inviting and peaceful. Karin also says the celebration wouldn’t be complete without water, and lots of time in the water. Of course vacation trips are a must. Enjoy and stay cool Karin!
Holley@Roses and Other Gardening Joys brought us her Time in a Bottle celebration as 
summer rolls around. Her memories of turning in bottles for the deposit money brought back my own memories of doing exactly the same thing. The rare treat of buying another soda was true in our day, but I also used my stash of money to feed my penny candy addiction.
And Holley also let us know she veg gardens for the canning that comes after the harvest. My mom also did a bit of canning especially ice box pickles. Me, I eat what I harvest. We grow a small garden, and are not always successful. I admire all your hard work at growing such a harvest Holley, and I am wishing you a great bounty this summer as you celebrate with canning!
Now we move closer to the equator…..
Andrea in this Lifetime is a wonderful blog from a much hotter and definitely more tropical place, the Phillipines. Andrea is close to the equator where, as she says it, they have 2 seasons-dry and rainy. Andrea has joined us as she celebrates the change of season there with Creatures beating the heat. During their hot weather, the humidity can be unbearable, but you can see the few brave butterflies that emerged. Just amazing.
And if one blog was not enough, Andrea writes a second blog, Pure Oxygen Generators. In this blog she is showing off their amazing tropical flowers, Dry Season Flowers. These are the most amazing red flowers I have ever seen, and I would love to have some for my red garden. Sadly that can never be. The size of her red hibiscus and amaryllis are stunning. It is always a fascinating trip visiting Andrea’s blogs.
As we round out our trip let’s go to Europe:
B-A-G@Experiments With Plants is continuing to follow her London Plane Tree for this celebration of the season. I am so fascinated by these ancient trees that grace many parks in London. If you didn’t see these magnificent beauties, please check out her post. They have the most amazing span, and as they leaf out provide lovely shade. I couldn’t get over how large they can get and how some are still growing after 200 years. The seedheads are like nothing I have seen growing here in my patch in NY. Strange balls of seed hanging from branches. Can’t wait to see them as they move into the slow slumber of fall.
Another London gardener, Laura@Patio Patch, is All set for summer. Laura was kind enough to share the summer blooms and colors of the gardens around London. The colors, fountains and displays are just beautiful (despite the weather they are having still). These gardens are like nothing I have seen here. And I think my favorite is the Japanese gardens. A style of gardening I do so love, but would never be able to maintain. Such a peaceful setting to lose oneself.
I must say that even though I have never been to London, I have learned so much about the gardens around this city. I think once I do get there I will be spending most of my time touring all these lovely parks and gardens. Hopefully I will have as wonderful a tour guide as B-A-G or Laura.
I want to thank everyone who joined in for Seasonal Celebrations during the busy solstice. I know the garden is a busy place this time of year. I do enjoy putting these wrap up posts together because it gives me a chance to re-read such wonderful posts about how folks celebrate the seasons. And I loved sharing some of the early summer blooms from my garden in this post.
I hope you will join in for the next season as we enjoy the equinox. I will be posting about this new season on September 1st. Please remember to visit Beth@Plant Postings as she reveals the Garden Lessons Learned this past season.
“Ah, summer, what power you have to make us suffer and like it.” ~ Russel Baker
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I would be remiss if I didn’t remind everyone that it is Pollinator Week around the world. Pollinators certainly love to celebrate summer with us as they buzz, float and fly about our gardens doing their work with abandon. I am celebrating this week and this summer by participating in Firefly Watch, a Citizen Science Project. If you live in the US and are lucky enough to have fireflies, consider joining. It is so easy and fun. Even the non-gardener husband has had fun as we watch from our gazebo in the evening as darkness falls. I hope to post more on this here and at Beautiful Wildlife Gardens.
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Next up on the blog: Monday will be time for another Simply The Best post that ties in with Diana@Elephant’s Eye, and Gail@Clay and Limestone’s Wildflower Wednesday. I will be featuring my Baptisia. Then it will be time for another walk around the garden in, Gardens Eye Journal.
I will also be linking in with Michelle@Rambling Woods for her Nature Notes meme. It is a great way to see what is happening in nature around the world every Wednesday.
As always, I’ll be joining Tootsie Time’s Fertilizer Friday.
I hope you will join me for my posts, every other Tuesday, at Beautiful Wildlife Garden.
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It seems that though we are miles apart our weather is remarkably similar at present. It is too hot now to be pleasureable to be outside except in the very early morning or in the evening, enjoy your garden in this season. Christina
I am amazed at how similar our weather is…96 today but the heat index will make it more like 105. The good news is that the heat is expected to break over the weekend and we will be getting low 70s weather next week. Wishing you a lovely summer Christina!
Happy summer! Yesterday, fittingly, was the first day it really felt like summer here – 95 and humid. We had a surprisingly long and beautiful spring in central NC…
Sheila how wonderful that your spring was so beautiful. Despite the crazy weather it was a lovely spring here too. We also had the same weather here yesterday. I think the whole east coast was in the soup as they say. Here’s wishing you a wonderful summer. Stay cool!
Great wrap up of the Summer Solstice. We have had some really hot days already….feels like a long hot summer to come.
I was thinking the same thing Janet. Now our long range forecast into next week has a cooling trend for us. Hope my tomatoes like it. So glad you enjoyed the wrap up.
I have to go visit all these blogs although I know Andrea’s blog….Beautiful flowers so soft….Isn’t watching fireflies fun? I think this is my third year and I am getting better at it…pure magic..magic…Michelle
It does take practice to get the hang of watching fireflies since they are so fast and it all looks like a strobe light after a while…it is magic!
I appreciate your wrap up as I had missed one. I am shocked to hear that it will be 96 in your area today! I love summer, but the high heat gets unbearable after a while. Your rose is just gorgeous. Beautiful shades of a sweet and delicate color.
I have to find which climber it is. After 3 years it is finally growing and flowering this year and it is so pretty…I call this spring, The Year of the Roses. We have had several days of 90 so far this spring and now to start summer…so glad you enjoyed the post Holley
Hi Donna,
I hope the weather has cooled a little for you; never happy are we? It’s either rubbish, or too hot! 😀
Lovely wrap up of summer to come; I love the roses!
I’ve had this week off and was lucky to have a few days of nice weather, then today happened and it was awful until afternoon when the sun finally appeared and boy was is hot/humid outside.
Tomorrow is due to be rain, again. Really fed up now.
It would be nice if Summer arrived her sometime soon.
Oh Liz I am so sorry to hear that your summer still is wet and yucky as we say. It has cooled a bit and actually we are due for rain and cool weather next week with a high of about 70. I like it but not my veggies. They have been thriving in the heat. Much of the South US is in a drought with extreme heat and you have too much rain. Sending some sunshine your way!
Thanks Donna – for writing about our blogs in such a complimentary way. I look forward to having the opportunity to show you some London plane trees some day.
B-A-G I hope to take you up on that offer in the near future once I retire from my current profession. The blogs that joined in were so wonderful. It is easy to be complimentary about such outstanding posts. Seems lots of folks are checking out blogs that were new to them. I am excited about that added benefit to the meme. You all deserve a bigger and bigger readership.
It will take some gardening courage in July, to follow instructions and hard prune my roses. They have flowers, and so many buds! Picking with LONG stems as pre-pruning.
I can only imagine how difficult Diana but picking them is a great way to enjoy them and not think about the pruning.
This was a nice post acknowledging the participating blogs. You did a great job summarizing their posts. The way the seasons have been going, there will have to be some kind of referendum in order to reestablish their timing. Summer came more than a month ago and the weather here has been similar to August weather. Even trees are affected with browning and color changing leaves already.
Glad you enjoyed it Donna. Our weather has been vastly different from yours…hot but we are getting more rain…and that with the cooling that has happened from time to time we are just experiencing summer. I thought our trees would be affected by the crazy March heat and cold April, but they have fully recovered, at least the native ones. My beech is definitely not doing well and I am afraid I may lose it.
I am going to have to visit some of these blogs too!!! I know a lot of gardening spots…but there are a few that I didn’t know!
thanks for linking in this week!!! I am sharing this on the Tootsie Time facebook page!
Until next time….Happy Gardening!
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Thx for sharing this Glenda. Glad you enjoyed and hope you enjoy some new blogs.
Donna, I’m not a fan of hot weather, but I must admit that the hot weather on the solstice got me up and out much earlier than I have in a long time. I took my morning walk from 5:30-6:30, before the day heated up — and it reminded me all over again how lovely the world is on a summer early morning. It brought back wonderful memories of a time in my childhood when I would get my mother’s permission to get up on summer mornings and before the rest of the family and “go out to play before breakfast.” In a crowded household in a crowded urban neighborhood of tenement houses, I found those early mornings alone out in the natural world just magical.
Jean your comment brought back wonderful memories for me. When I was 4 or 5 and living in Philadelphia in row house, I would rise with the sun and go out to play by myself until others were ready to come out hours later…I also love going for my morning walk earlier…summer seems to push me to wake before 5 and make the moment of every minute of sun. Happy Summer!
I like your philosophy for summer. We need a good rain again after having such hot weather this past week.
So glad you enjoyed the post..it has taken a bit to get to that philosophy…we are in need a of a good rain again too…seems it may happen this coming week.
I love the Eckhart Toile quote! i am trying to live buy that philosophy this summer. Thanks also for all the great links. I have already clicked on some and am glad I didn’t miss several great posts, thanks to you!
Great to know that the meme helped share some wonderful blogs. So glad to know you really enjoyed the post Deb…
It is nice to see a summary of all the celebrations here. Summer is beginning to get very hot, and I am glad I have completed most of the large tasks. On these early mornings, I am very glad to hear that exuberant song of the wren and to walk among the dew-soaked blooms. Thank you for hosting this most pleasant meme.
So glad you joined in Michelle. The wrens have returned north and are singing up a storm all day…it is so nice to be able to sit and relax while you drink in the beauty of summer.
Donna, I didn’t know about your Seasonal Celebrations but want to take part in the next! Thank you!
Oh that would be wonderful. I would love to have you be part of it. On September 1 there will be a post announcing the next Seasonal Celebrations with information on how to participate. It is really easy. Actually I will have information throughout my August posts reminding folks that it is coming up. So mark your calendar 🙂
Thanks for hosting again, Donna! You’re taking summer in stride a little better than I am. I think a week with 90s, strong winds, and no rain took away some of my enthusiasm. I guess I shouldn’t live in the south, afterall. Now we’re back to the low 80s, and I’m a happier gardener (still doing a rain dance, though.) 😉
So sorry Beth to hear your weather has been beastly. Wishing you rain soon. I really am enjoying working with you on our joint memes. I definitely could not live in the S during summer.
What an interesting post. There are a lot of blogs that you mention that I’ve not seen before, so I learned something new! Thank you, and hope you had a great solstice.
So glad you stopped by and found some new blogs…wishing you a wonderful summer!
Thanks for taking us around the world with seasonal celebrations and for sharing some blogs that I’ve never visited. I hope the heat abates for you soon.
Thx and the heat is leaving us this weekend and all next week. So glad you enjoyed the post/meme. Hope you enjoy visiting some new blogs!
We have had the same very hot weather over the last few days but today is just gorgeous. I always like the quotes you find and especially like the one about embracing the moment.
Today was a stunner here too…the quotes actually inspire me sometimes to write a post or to add to it…so glad you enjoy them…hope you are relaxing a bit these lovely days!
Thanks for the inspiration, Donna. I’ve been complaining about the heat here, too, but I will try to remember the Tolle quote and embrace what is given to us. I’m not usually an early riser, but I’ve found that early mornings are a wonderful time to work in the garden; then I don’t feel guilty about resting in the A/C in the afternoon:)
I am doing the same thing Rose….work early, cool off later inside and the work is done 🙂 This summer is one of opportunity…finding that opportunity as it arises and embracing it is the key!
Donna, thank you so much, your comment meant so much to me. I am barely able to keep up with it all as like you I still have the day job. I am always amazed by your own output to be honest, you manage very well to be in so many many places at one time, producing copy and pictures of such quality while supporting everyone else too!! Thank you again for your warmth and encouragement. Cant wait for your retirement and would love to hear your plans. x
How sweet of you to say so…I am hoping to improve the quality of my copy and pictures enough to publish some things. And then there is the native garden I am still working on that will hopefully lead to actually getting my garden design business going. But just to have time to travel again will be the first order of business when I retire and Ireland may be the first trip with friends.