December; A long, hot Summer;

Summer days in the country are butterflies and bees, the rich, green  smell of nature expanding its wings;  wanting to dance to the tune of sun and rain. Ts

Summer days in the city, the hot breath of  asphalt,  the sound of tired feet and fast wheels, empty water bottles and discarded fast food wrappers lay defeated in the gutter. The city retreats into itself shivering from over exposure to sun light.Ts

Sunrise in the Valley;

Self sown miniature Zinnia in the herb garden.

“Summer's lease hath all too short a date.” 

William Shakespeare

Rosa Iceberg, can be propagated from cuttings;

My mother had a beautiful white rose bush in her garden, as a child I loved to bury my nose into the fragrance with the result to be stung by a bee. As I am allergic against bee stings, my nose swelled to look like a small potato. It was very uncomfortable and painful  and I had to get a calcium injection.

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Rosa "Elina" is a light yellow Hybrid Tea introduced by Dickson Roses in 1983.
 Cultivars Nana Mouskouri X Lolita.

I have grown this one from a cutting.

 Small mammals, like Possums use Elkhorn ferns as nesting place.

For my birthday the girls gave me a big blue pot, now it has become a fountain.

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“Life is short, Break the Rules.

Forgive quickly, Kiss SLOWLY.

Love truly. Laugh uncontrollably

And never regret ANYTHING

That makes you smile.” 

Mark Twain

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Giant Heliconia, its spectacular flowers are emerging in summer;

Summer days; nothing  in any  season rings so much of careless, fun filled hours of sunlight , like lazy, warm  summer days; Ts

Love thy Labour

 Mangoes; this variety is called Kwan and is very tasty,

The pomegranate, Punica granatum, is a fruit-bearing deciduous shrub or small tree growing between 5–8  tall.

  I covered it with a fine net to protect the fruit from birds, bats and fruitfly; nothig will be left of the fruit if not protected.

Cantaloupe Melons;

Apples ripe in December in the subtropics.

Chllies, scots bonnets; slice finely and add some fire to the salads. They are actually quite mild when the seed and membranes are removed. they are also ornamental.

Small, pear shaped Tomatoes; the tastiest tomato around fresh, or used for sauces, salsa and soups, freeze also very well.

Morning Symphony;

I'm a very early riser, and I love to watch the sun rising over the hill infusing a new day with its light.

Mussaenda, a tropical shrub, semi climber finds its way through and up trees, winking from above with its red bracts.

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“it's a smile, it's a kiss, it's a sip of wine ... it's summertime!” 

 Kenny Chesney

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Sunset colours, tall hibiscus from Cuba.

Great is the sun, and wide he goes

Through empty heaven with repose;

And in the blue and glowing days

More thick than rain he showers his rays.

Though closer still the blinds we pull

To keep the shady parlour cool,

Yet he will find a chink or two

To slip his golden fingers through.

The dusty attic spider-clad

He, through the keyhole, maketh glad;

And through the broken edge of tiles

Into the laddered hay-loft smiles.

Meantime his golden face around

He bares to all the garden ground,

And sheds a warm and glittering look

Among the ivy’s inmost nook.

Above the hills, along the blue,

Round the bright air with footing true,

To please the child, to paint the rose,

The gardener of the World, he goes.

Summer Sun

from A Child’s Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson (1885)

A basket filled with summer's colour;

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Believe it or not:

One swallow does not make a summer; Aristotle;

©2013 Photos/ some texts and quotes Ts/ Lavender & Vanilla.