Even though the high temperatures of 2009 stand out in my garden memories, this summer of 2014 will be remembered as a “real” summer. In fact, it is already the hottest summer on record.

It’s been a stellar season for the garden this year. The gardenias bloomed for about 2 months.

Gardenia jasminoides “Kleim’s Hardy”

The jasmine, weigela, lantana bushes, orange peel jessamine and kerria japonica are still blooming. The flowering quince had a second round of blooms.

Cosmos “Diablo”

The Heptacodium miconoides (Seven Son Flower) and diablo cosmos are just getting going. The sunflowers came and are spent now. I have never seen so many buds on my camellia sasanqua “yuletide”, promising an abundant winter bloom.

The huckleberry bushes are loaded with berries and they have never been bigger and fatter than they are this year – AND THE BEES!!!!! I don’t remember seeing such a multitude of so many kinds of bees in quite a few years.

All of this would not have happened without the exceptionally warm and sunny summer combined with regular watering.

Now it’s time to harvest those huckleberries, prune and pull a few more weeds once the ground is moist again. Every year I have a vision of a perfectly weeded and pruned garden (in which I also planted legions of bulbs) that is just waiting for me to come back in the spring and plant more. If only I actually got all of that done before the rain and cold come back.