Summer Is Still Holding On

Today is the first day of fall, but the weather here hasn’t gotten that memo.  The temperature got up to 90 degrees today.  We’re forecast to have high temperatures all week, and are even expected to break a few heat records this week.

There are definite signs that summer is still holding hold when you walk around the yard.

We have cherry tomatoes.  We didn’t plant cherry tomatoes this year.  Or last year.  We actually stopped planting them a few years ago because they take over everything. 

The butterfly bush still has some blooms.

One of the azaleas on the shady side of the house has a few blooms. 

The hydrangea bush still has a few blooms holding on. 

The pink rose bush is blooming again.  It always has a few more blooms toward the end of September.

The rose bush we bought on clearance, half dead, a few years ago has more blooms. 

The yellow rose bush has a few more blooms.

The roses all bloom early in the season, lose their blooms, and then bloom again in September.  It’s like they want to hold on to summer as long as they can before going dormant for winter.

I still have the summer flag up.  It seems a little too warm to change over to a fall flag yet.

I think the sky is the most beautiful blue in late summer and early fall.

There wasn’t a cloud in sight when I went to lunch today.  It was very tempting not to go back to work this afternoon. 

I wouldn’t mind slightly cooler temperatures, but I’m happy summer is holding on for a little longer.

What about you?  Does it look and feel like fall where you are?  Or is summer still holding on?

We Have More Blooms

I think it’s finally safe to say that the warm weather is here to stay.  The days have consistently been sunny and warm, and it seems like something new blooms every day.  I love this time of year!  Here’s what’s blooming now:

The lavender petunia I bought at the plant sale at the community college.  It has more than doubled in size and blooms.

One of the snapdragons from last year.  These don't usually come back for me, so I'm pretty excited to see it making a return.  And I love the coral color.

The azalea bush on the side of the house.  Most of the azalea blooms are withering now, but this one is always a late bloomer, so it's going strong right now.

And a closeup of the azaleas.

This rosebush.  We bought it on clearance a few years ago.  It was sad and sickly, and we weren't sure it would make it.  It was puny for a year, but now it's doing well.

And a closeup of a rose.

There were several bushes planted in front of our house when we bought it.  I didn't care for most of them, so have been slowly replacing them with bushes I do like, which basically means flowering bushes.  This yellow rose bush is one of the replacements.  I like yellow roses, and I think the yellow looks nice in front of the blue house.  It was pretty small when I bought it, one gallon I think.  It makes me happy to see it growing.

And a closeup of a yellow rose.

Can you guess what my favorite season is?  What about you?  Do you love spring?  Are the flowers blooming where you are?