SUMMER

“So heavy is this summer, the flowers are not surprised to fall”

A line from an old Chinese poem aptly characterizes the hot and humid conditions that so often prevail in Maryland summers, too, and reminds us that we are not unique.  Flowers do indeed fall quickly, weighed down by the heat.  The air is often thick and clinging and morning mist drifts through the trees softening colors and shapes.  But it is also the time of lush and exuberant growth: A young Oak spreads its shapely canopy over a smooth green lawn, the scarlet blooms of Cardinal Flower shoot up from a patio planter like fireworks, and perennials and grasses overflow their borders.  In a quiet corner away from the Garden’s center a sundial marks the hours from within a cloister of dense green foliage.  And even in late September there’s still warmth and color in plenty.  Fall is coming, but not just yet.