It’s official . . . I hate the summer. One would think that a garden-type person would appreciate what hot, humid weather does for the rapid growth of plants. Working outdoors in this week’s weather is putting a damper on my otherwise cheerful nature. Last Thursday’s downpour really helped clear the air of pollen, water the beds and give me a few moments to catch up. What a relief.

I’m crazy about the roses on the State Road side of the big white house at the end of Edgartown Road. There is a pink and red mixture of, I believe, Cape Cod rambler and Dorothy Perkins. Then my memory fails me. The purple one is perhaps reine de violette, Cardinal de Richelieu or veilchenblau. I hate it when I don’t know everything!

Last week I talked about starting a meadow. Because my penmanship leaves room for improvement, my poor editor misread woad for wood. Woad is a yellow, spring-blooming, semi-invasive plant usually planted by fabric workers. It is an important heirloom dye plant. In a meadow, it is an impressive first flush before yarrow, fleabane and even vetch.

Speaking of meadows, there is a sweet little one in front of the greenhouse at Norton Farm. I love their “hentrance” and “eggs-it” signs. I’m not sure what they used for the airy white but I’ve used cilantro gone-to-seed with success. As far as I’m concerned, it’s the only use for the herb. It tastes like soap to me.

Now that the Montana clematis has gone by at the entrance to Heather Gardens, it’s now-blooming neighbor, Bettty Corning, is very nice. Check it out. Also, on the road side of the shed there is a spectacular magnolia grandiflora. Its blossoms are as big as a head.

I have a small privet hedge in need of a proper trimming. No matter. It is flowering and simply covered with bumble bees. Their little legs are so covered in pollen, it’s a wonder they can become airborne.

Late winter, I did quite a bit of seeding in my unheated greenhouse. I like to start perennials from seed. This practice requires patience as they will not bloom until the next year. However, a person can have a huge amount of plants from a seed packet which probably costs a couple of bucks. A single perennial at the nursery can easily be more than $10.

I digress . . . two of the aforementioned perennials were oriental poppies — royal wedding (white) and Princess Victoria Louise (salmon). Remarkably, I have some blooming from those tiny babies planted out this spring. It was cold a month or so after the planting. They were tricked, apparently, to think they had gone through a winter. How fun is that?

Here it is a couple days before Independance Day. How can I let slide a week without mentioning the state of our union? Let’s see. DJT said we can sleep well since the nuclear threat from North Korea is over. Then we learned this week that Kim Jong Un continues enriching uranium.

Anthony Kennedy retired. Yikes! Mitch McConnell wants to push through a nominee before the election. Wonder why he couldn’t even have a hearing for Merrick Garland for nearly a year.

Worst of all, the children still have not been reunited with their families on our southern border.

Finally, a few more presidential quotes:

“The people are the rightful masters of both congresses and courts — not to overthrow the constitution, but to overthrow the men who pervert it.” Abraham Lincoln.

“I not only use all the brains I have but all the brains I can borrow.” Woodrow Wilson.

“How can we love our country and not also love our countrymen.” Ronald Reagan.