These photographs were taken a few days ago, on June 24. Last week it poured rain but now it is bright and sunny, because of this the garden is thriving, it has taken on a life of its own. It is no longer "my" garden that I planned and planted, dug and hoed, but a garden that has an existence of its own. Now, it's just garden maintenance for me. Now, the garden is visited by more birds and insects than before; phlox is blooming purple and day lilies and cone flowers, hostas, lavender, and roses are beginning to flower. Even the little birds take the garden for granted as they come and sit in the bird bath. Every garden will benefit by having water in it, even just a bird bath; Sir William Temple writes,
In Every Garden four things are necessary to be provided for, Flowers, Fruit, Shade, and Water; and whoever lays out a Garden without all of these, must not pretend it in any Perfection. It ought to lie to the best Parts of the House, or to those of the Master's commonest use, so as to be but like one of the Rooms out of which you step into another.
--Sir William Temple, 1628-1699,
Upon the Gardens of Epicurus,
in The Oxford Book of English Prose (1925)
