By mid July the gardens heavy flush of flowers have mostly subsided.  Sunny spaces are relying more on rudebekia and lantana while in the shade the tried and true impatiens and hydrangeas bloom on and on. A closer inspection reveals though that even the hydrangeas heavy blue heads are already beginning to fade in color. The heat is back and at the end of the day we are all seeking quiet and shade.

This is the arc of summer. Now I stop less often along the roadsides for wildflowers.  There won't be much blooming now until the goldenrod starts closer to fall. This is the time of year when all the supporting cast of the gardens and fields come into their own in my arrangements. The beautiful leaves of shrubs and grasses, caladiums, hosta, lambs ear,  and coleus all suddenly have new appeal.

Putting together my studio arrangment this morning I thought of how soothing the tones of the leaves felt.  There were a few more phlox  but mostly the owl vase was full of their quiet cousins. The transition in my bouquet not unlike our own lives.  So much of daily living is saturated with events and people trying to captivate our attention with flash and brilliance. After a while it's simply exhausting.  We get dried up and worn out. Our spirits and bodies want to wander off in search of the shady restful places.  How rarely do we let them. Yes, I can already hear the justifying--all the commitments, the schedules. Just hush now dear ones and take a moment to listen.  It may seem impossible to imagine, but  our lives are sustained by the quiet moments. In the shade we rest, restore, we get to think and dream.  When we are done, believe it or not, our next blooms will be far more beautiful.