Summer

Although Summer officially began on June 21, July and August are its heart, with long, hot days and warm nights that bring on the bounty of the season. Big-flowering plants tower over the scene, aiming for the sky even in shady areas. Although occasionally beaten down by a fierce summer thunderstorm, they usually bounce back lusher than ever from the welcome rain. By mid-August the boardwalk in the Eastern Shore area is enclosed in an impenetrable thicket whose high walls shut out the surroundings to give the authentic feel of a tidewater marsh. Leaning into the sun from the dense growth, the ripening berries of a Beach Plum are jealously watched over by the Catbirds who have laid claim to them. The summery days continue in September with many flowers just peaking and the trees still green and dense. One might not even notice the slowly lengthening, cooling nights, but a puff of Milkweed seeds about to set sail from a ripe pod give the game away: Fall is approaching.