those summer nights...

 I finally figured out how the northern half of the United States can grow a garden so quickly... some of you talk about snow in March, or later, and yet your gardens pass mine up by the end of June!  I think the secret is summer nights.... WARM summer nights.  Our temperature, right now, at 8:30 pm on a cloudy and after a full of sprinkles of rain kind of day, is still 69 degrees.  And THAT folks is pretty unheard of for us!  I mean, right now, I'm comfortable OUTSIDE, at the end of June, in shorts and a tshirt... without a coat people.  We can go a WHOLE summer without a night like this.

The last few summers have been on the cool side of average for us and I can tell you we've gone almost all summer without having windows open at night, sometimes even during the day (gasp!).  This week the only night I closed the windows was during a thunderstorm complete with rain that came right in my old windows.

Now my dogs may not be thrilled with this weather but my gardens, plants and of course weeds, are loving it.  My window boxes are full and lush and it's not even July yet...

 Soon my infamous sunflower trough will be overflowing with smiling, happy faced sunflowers of all shapes and sizes.

 I'm enjoying this Bonica rose outside of my kitchen window...

 As well as a continuous stream of english roses IN my kitchen window.

The first of the zinnias are here to say "It's summer!"

The peas have almost reached the top of the windmill and are covered with flowers, soon to be pea pods.

My home grown wave petunias are flowering like crazy...

 As are the hydrangeas...

Looking fabulous in shades of blue...

 And pink.

 Looking so fabulous and healthy in fact that this year, this little guy barely peeks out.

So now that I've figured out the REST of the country's secret to gardening, I'd like to request that Mother Nature keep up the good work... 

The weather forecast for this weekend is hot, sunny with hotter days to come.... after catching up on my weeding, well  I think I'll be sipping a tea on the glider for the next few summer nights...

Oh... and about the "those summer nights"?  Well, some of you just may remember a little movie from 1978.... "Grease"?  It's one movie that still makes me think of summer, even after all these years.

linking up to

Fishtail Cottage

Cottage Garden Party