By LYNNE IRONS

Nothing makes me more relaxed than a rainy Saturday in July. Last weekend, in my opinion, was perfect for us gardeners. There is a country-western song out of the West Texas cotton fields with the following refrain:

Sow your seed

In the ground below

Fall to your knees

and pray real slow

For the rain to come

And kiss the seed

To bless you with

All that you need.

I have to share. I purchase workman’s compensation insurance for my employees (it does not cover me) at the tune of $6,000 a year. If I were to make a claim, the premium would be higher. I was called in for an audit several months ago. They picked the time and the place. I missed work in order to meet the auditor. I was told that I qualified for a rebate. I received a check for $2 yesterday. Is it just me, or is everything completely out of whack?

I love the combination of the orange daylily, blue hydrangea, Anthony Waterer spirea, and the Cape Cod rambler Dorothy Perkins. I get the feeling of permanence when I see it. There is a house overlooking Menemsha Pond with that combination that looks like it has been planted for decades.

I am so sad about the loss of Café Moxie. I worked there when Tina Miller owned it. The building was beautiful. People remember it as a candy store and as a barbershop.

I try to incorporate the Big Thighs at the Granary Gallery when giving directions anywhere in West Tisbury. I am amused by the look the inquirer gets.

The Zépherine Drouhin rose is simply breath-taking. It is a thornless Bourban rose with 24 petals. All roses, in their descriptions, have a set number of petals. It is classified as an Old Garden rose. They have been in cultivation since 1867. In my rose book there are more than 80 Old Garden roses. Zépherine Drouhin is a medium climber. Roses are not really climbers as they need assistance to cover a structure. They should be referred to as long cane roses.

I ate my first zucchini. I had started them in four-inch pots but neglected to plant them in a timely fashion. When finally free in the garden, they came right along. I sauteed a mixture of garlic scapes, onions, green beans and zucchini. I put olive oil and balsamic vinegar on the leftovers for lunch. There is plenty of food for the picking. I did, however, have to toss the rest of my lettuce and peas into the chicken yard as they had seen better days. I will replant the area with carrots.

Think twice about planting the invasive gooseneck loosestrife. It will run amok. I only tell the “don’t” when I have had the unfortunate experience myself.

I have fleas. I treated the dog but apparently it was too late for the house. Now, granted, it has been worse. Once, I had to vacuum my legs before climbing into bed. Honestly, I couldn’t make this stuff up! I refuse to bomb so I have resorted to the old-fashioned method which really works. Hang a lightbulb over a pan of soapy water and the pests will be attracted to the heat and fall into the water.

Since last Friday was Independence Day, I have a small political comment. In Dwight Eisenhower’s farewell address, he warned, “In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power will persist.”

The Pentagon’s budget for 2008 is $625 billion, not including $100 billion for homeland security and nuclear weapons. This is to seek and destroy those who attacked us with $20 worth of boxcutters.