It wouldn’t be so bad if it didn’t hurt to breathe! It’s 81 degrees in the potting shed right now and the humidity is only around 70%. But for June it’s hot! And visibility is down to stupid and Rhode Islanders have been warned not to breathe-in this afternoon due to stupidly elevated ozone levels. Usually we can keep breathing at least into the second week of July…

We’re in the last push to plant before the 4th of July (Gail’s deadline since she usually takes next week off). Yesterday the Deadheads finished planting the new beds in the Display Garden and two weather resistant Rockettes planted the last stragglers in the Idea Beds today. I think I can speak for everyone, plants included, when I say that it’s hard not to wilt in all this mug! So we encouraged the volunteers to go home after tea (The Rockettes today had none of that and just moved into the potting shed shade to sort tulip bulbs). My days have been spent watering and pondering things like how sticky I am and how the wind is an awesome garden designer! Asclepias (Milkweed) has self-sown all over the Idea Beds and I am loving every minute of it. I couldn’t have come up with a more outrageous combination than this milkweed and yarrow if I tried (and I do try!).

The pond is looking pretty low – I hope we get rain soon – I hate to think what could happen to my favorite frogs if it stays dry. (Thunderstorms are predicted for tonight and tomorrow but fingers crossed: we’ve heard that one before.) Yesterday I came crashing into the water garden and startled this pretty little heron from its wade. I remembered that I should walk more gingerly this morning only after I had frightened it away again…