Last day of summer vacation ...

I based this painting “Boardwalk to the Shore” on
a photo I saw in a magazine early in the spring.


Can it really be the last day of August already? You know that feeling you get when you attend a really fun party where everyone is dressed their best, people are relaxed, the food is delicious, and the drinks are
thirst-quenchingly good ... then all of a sudden, mid-conversation practically, you start to notice the music has been shut off and people that you hadn’t even gotten a chance to say hello to are putting down their glasses and are embracing the host with a fond farewell??? Then you start to think, is it really over already? Next the lights come on, food is being Saran-wrapped, and you figure it must be time to go.

I really hate the end of a good party and that is how
the end of August feels to me. As I look around my summer garden, which I admit I did not tend to with half the enthusiasm as I had planned, I see that there are some dawdlers who have decided to stay on for awhile. I intend to enjoy their quiet company for at least a few more weeks, even though so many of their more colorful friends have come and gone. These are low-maintenance guests who do their own thing and still look impressive at a time when the party season that is summer is coming to a close.

A galvanized bucket (with drainage holes in the bottom) makes a great garden container and adds a
bit of rustic charm. I filled this one with chives,
flowering garlic and tri-colored sage.

This second container is filled with some delicate plants – a chrysanthemum from last fall, a young poppy, and a marigold that my son brought home as a seedling on the last day of school. He watered it in its little styrofoam cup for over a month and then it was ready to transplant outdoors. We put it in this mini-still life-garden that also shows off shells and driftwood from summer outings to the beach along with some hidden treasures. When it rains (which did not happen very often this summer) the vintage blue pitcher that we actually found buried in our yard collects water for future watering use.

These “hens and chicks” are successful
transplants from my Dad’s garden.

What started out as one large succulent,
has now grown some companions.

Succulents store water in their leaves which makes them the perfect plant in dry heat or if you are too busy enjoying summer to remember to water.

A tray of colorful succulents makes a design statement
indoors at FDO Group at the Boston Design Center.

If you prefer the ultimate in low-maintenance,
then these ceramic versions are for you.

Ben’s kindergarten science project turned marigold.

Think small. Planting tiny seeds
in the small space given you
can change the whole world or,
at the very least, your view of it.

- Linus Mundy


Even though the warmth of summer is coming to an end, there will be lots of projects to get started on and fun events to look forward to in the months to come.