For me it’s imperative that I leave my garden in August. I am so sick to death of the garden that if I don’t leave it, I might wreck it. This year, rather than growing beautifully without me and absence making the heart grow fonder, my garden, out of spite I think (or lack of rain), bloomed out and started to shut down. I missed the full bloom of the brugmansia – had I known that they only give one good show, I wouldn’t have bothered grow it (the pessimist in me knowing I’d miss it.) Happily, our kittehsitter, Z’s sister, enjoyed it for us (if a brugmansia blooms with no one to take its picture is it still beautiful? – Who cares.) Likewise, the night blooming cereus opened all up again and thank goodness Kayla caught it and was gracious enough to say she was awed.
Meanwhile we (Z, Nino, our family and friends) kicked back at “the lake”. My parents found a rental property that by some miracle has been left as its original vacationers intended: A cobbed together house on a rocky pine woods slope, with paths to the hammock and dock worn through huckleberry bushes and scrub oak. Half a dozen – just the right number – of rocking chairs on the porch, shelves full of books and an enormous collection of mugs, loon “artwork”, and one life-size wooden goose. I dove headfirst into crystal clear water and into some of the best books I’ve read in a long time (if you haven’t read Tinkers yet…) and for one week, went as far from any garden as I could possibly could.
Do you need to get away from your garden by now too? (or is it just me.)
(next up “Staycate”.)
kristin green | trench manicure 
Oh Kris….You just verbalized what the rest of us are thinking. Hopefull this 3 day period of gentle rain will revive all our tired plants and re energize the minds and bodies of gardeners here in Southeastern New England. At least the rain is giving us a break from the hose, which may mean we might actually have a few hours available to consider whether we want to replace some spent annuals with a new fall perennial or two. Speaking of which, many fall plants have begun to bloom. It’s so bizarre. Our new Aster Ezo Murasaki isn’t suppose to bloom until late October/November, and it’s blooming now! Should I believe optimistically it will just go on for the next few months?
So interesting that you mentioned Tinkers. I picked it up in the bookstore a couple of weeks ago, and was just about to start readng it. I might even allow myself a day off tomorrow and do nothing but read. Maybe another day’s absence from the garden will make my heart grow fonder.
Kathy, Some new fall bloomers might be just the remedy for a worn out garden(er). I’m happy to say that I’m still waiting for the clematis tibetana and boltonia I got from you last year to bloom but my inner pessimist can’t help but worry that we might be in for an extra early frost this year…
Today would have been the perfect day for a great read – I hope you took advantage! -kris
Everyone needs a break from the every day view now and then. It refreshes us and helps us appreciate the rhythm of the days.
Layanee, I should probably take more breaks, more often… But it’s so hard for me to break away from that rhythm! -kris
I’ve been away too often, but think that I would feel a lot like you felt if I had been stuck at home with no rain and triple digit heat we had most of july and August. The lake house description sounds wonderful~gail