A Breath of Fresh Mountain Air

In the southeast, we have this period of time during the middle summer we call "the dog days". What I didn't know about dog days I found at Wikipedia: "In the northern hemisphere they usually fall between early July and early September ...Dog Days can also define a time period or event that is very hot or stagnant, or marked by dull lack of progress. The term "Dog Days" was used by the Greeks, as well as the ancient Romans (who called these days caniculares dies (days of the dogs)) after Sirius (the "Dog Star) ". What I do know is that this term represents the long sultry days of no relief from heat and humidity.
Luckily, Joe and I found our relief in the mountains of North Carolina the last two weekends. July 11th we went to Waynesville to visit our friends Trish and Greg at Rux Gardens (www.ruxgardens.com)
They hosted a meeting of the NC Hosta Society, and I was invited to speak to the group on Conifers for Shade Gardens. We also sold plants as visiting vendors. The weather was crystal clear and cool. The meeting drew a good gathering of really good plantsmen. We also had a wonderful opportunity to meet and talk with Bob and Nancy Solberg from Green Hill Hostas(www.HostaHosta.com) in Chapel Hill, NC. Nothing stagnant or dull about that weekend!

This last weekend, starting Thursday, we drove up to Cashiers, NC, to participate in the Garden Shop associated with the Joy Garden Tour there. This is a fantastic event, sold out well in advance, with a huge catered gala Thursday night, and a tour of some incredible showplace gardens sprinkled across the mountains. (www.villagegreencashiersnc.com/joy_garden_tour.htm) As it turns out, this is also an event that gathers really savvy gardeners and funloving people who breathe a breath of fresh air into midsummer. Mother nature did the same! We went from sauna to cool blue overnight. We also sold a LOT of plants at a time in the season that is usually a "dry spell". What a difference a mountain rain makes!