Symphonies of green, often a concerto of colors, a wild party of bright petunias

Jill Severn

Moments of glory in the garden come thick and fast in this last week of July. A wild party of bright petunias, a bouquet of Shirley poppies, a big stand of Russian sage in a neighbor’s sunny front yard – these sights can make a person smile from the inside out.

There’s plenty more to add to that list, but I will stop with just one: the sight of a hummingbird with its long narrow beak deep in the tubular flowers of Lucifer crocosmia. I don’t know whether hummingbirds are capable of feeling joy, but it sure looks like it.

But wait: there’s also the vegetable garden, where more glory is on offer: We are reminded of what Jack-and-the-Beanstalk abundance comes from planting each green bean seed, how good a bright orange sungold tomato tastes, and what a luxury it is to have fresh basil in salads and on sandwiches.

Next Tuesday will be August 1 – and in just a couple of weeks, flowerbeds will typically pass their prime and start to look weary. Gardeners will be tired of weeding them. There will be other pleasures of the season, but the euphoria of July will pass.

Just in case this high summer happiness hasn’t seized you yet, here are some drug-free ideas about how to achieve this altered state:

• Ogle your neighbor’s front yards. If your neighborhood is like mine, some will be sad, some will be plain . . . but some will give you a reason to just stand and admire. Don’t hurry; stop and really look.

Even some of the unremarkable front yards may have a plant that appeals to you. It’s worth thinking about why this one plant appeals to you more than others. Is it the color? The flower form? The foliage, or the size? The more you look, the deeper the pleasure.

• If you see lilies in bloom, smell them. They are most fragrant in the evening – so fragrant, that if they’re nearby, you won’t even have to trespass to do this. They come and go pretty fast in hot sunny weather, so don’t delay. This is a strong argument for an evening walk.
• Smell the lavender, too. If there’s a plant near the road or sidewalk, gently squeeze a blossom between your fingers and smell your hand. For many people, the smell of lavender will spark memories of a favorite aunt or a grandmother’s house. And unlike lilies, lavender will be around for a good long while.
• Groove on the greens. It’s not just green outside; it’s every possible shade of green. Trees, hedges, shrubs, and groundcovers are playing symphonies of green.

Flowers that look one color from a distance are, on closer examination, often a concerto of colors, some contrasting and others subtly harmonic. Looking closely reminds us how acutely an artist must focus to see and paint them.

• Watch for Dragonflies. They’re the most spectacular of local insects, and they won’t be around for long. Their bulging, complex eyes can see nearly 360 degrees. One cool source says 80 percent of their brains are devoted to seeing. They are a boon to humans, as they eat a prodigious number of mosquitos and other flying insects. They also sometimes eat each other, and various other very small creatures. There are thousands of species of dragonflies, and if they would just sit still for a minute, we might learn to tell them apart. I’ve always wondered if dragonflies inspired humans to invent helicopters.
• Bees are busy. I hope the current focus on “pollinator friendly” plants means more people are watching them. (Though I fear “pollinator-friendly” has become a meaningless marketing term.) In my garden, there are more species of bees around now than at any other time of year. And it seems to be a banner year for big, fat, friendly bumblebees.

This is also a time when all the work we’ve put into our gardens is paying off. The riches (ripe tomatoes!) will just keep rolling in for the next few months. The fun is far from over. But the days are already starting to shorten, and the school supplies are already on sale. Like the man said, “Be here now.”

Jill Severn writes from her home in Olympia, where she grows vegetables, flowers, and a small flock of chickens. She loves conversation among gardeners. Start one by emailing her at  jill@theJOLTnews.com