Summertime and the livin’ is easy.
The Illinois skies filled with billowy ivory clouds against a crystalline blue rival the big skies of Texas that enthralled Georgia O’Keeffe and me.
I cannot remember a more beautiful summer. Temperatures during the day have been a perfect 72 degrees. All things being relative compared to last year’s drought we are at opposite ends of the spectrum for weather conditions.
The corn in the fields is tasseling and looks to be 10 feet tall. Y’all can rest easy; I read that an area the size of the entire State of California has been planted in corn in this nation. That is not an official report. That is your Consulting Rosarians report that lives in the middle of corn country planting rose gardens. And of course, one high yield vegetable garden.
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Roses create a tapestry of color in the garden that changes everyday.
A single flower from bud form to a full-blown rose is its own palette of color. Each day a new painting is revealed in the rose garden. Cooler temperatures preserve the color of each rose bud and slow the unfurling of the flower. As the process of the opening of the flower slows, you are able to enjoy the shades as if in slow motion. Imagine this, your rose garden is a canvas in which the painter is sculpting and painting every moment.
 
Splashes of color just mysteriously appear and disappear.
Some days, based on a mood of the invisible hand, hot and temperamental its as if the paint is washed over the garden. On a day that is cool and temperate the painter thoughtfully applies the paint meticulously leaving each detail a study of shades every minute of the day. A cool day in the garden is a study of color. Here are some pictures of summertime rose garden pictures when the livin’ is easy.
