Peonies has bloomed! One of the plants opened its petals this morning. It smells beautifully sweet. Its dark red petals complemented by a bright yellow center.

Also a single red rose greeted me this morning as I made my rounds of the gardens with the green watering can.

The geraniums are growing well despite the poor soil it sits in. Strength of the plant.

The orange irises open to the rising sun. A single stem of the blue flowers mixed with the orange. 

The pots Mom planted to decorate the front.

Dahlias. A colorful three to greet you. 

I missed mornings spend watering the plants, being warmed by the early morning sunshine, listening to the water gently falling from the watering can, and being surrounded by singing birds. Hopefully the weather will calm a bit, this intense heat is hard on the newly planted perennials and annuals, and human alike. Today temperatures reached highs of 34°C (93°F) and felt like 37°C (100°F). 

Thanks to the heat, we had to turn on the air conditioning and shut the windows. And while it's great to sleep in a cool room, nothing can compare to wind drifting in from outside carrying with it the scents of flowers and the plant world existing just beyond the window panes to lull a person to dreamland. With luck, it will cool down a little, let me open the windows again and enjoy a good night's sleep listening to the noises of frogs and crickets hiding in the pond and bushes. 

じゃあね！