When Summer Lingers

This is the time of the year

when late summer and early autumn join together

as the autumn equinox approaches.

I notice this as the hydrangea leaves change colour with splashes of red.

The petals take on a more muted shade

and shades of green come back rather like in the springtime

The dahlias are having their last fling in glorious full bloom

and showing the intensity of their varied colours

Bees are still busy taking advantage of the sunny days to collect pollen.

and the Golden Rod lights up the gardens

and Rudbeckia blooms dazzle us with their sunshine petals

until one day it starts to rain

and the first autumn leaf floats down to remind us

a change in seasons is taking place.

***

The last blog header to remind me of earlier days

when sunflowers still waved in the fields.

The Colour of August

There is no single colour that represents the month of August

but I get an overall impression of bright and joyful colours

which enchant me wherever I go.

Gorgeous sunflowers like this one above

growing in the grounds of the local Farmer's Market

The details in the flower centre are a sheer work of art!

On my daily walks in and around my neighbourhood

I discovered these beautiful Morning Glory blooms

generously providing lots of pollen for the visiting bees.

These flowers last but one single day

but there are always new buds in preparation.

The lovely cascading petals of this beautiful dahlia

captured by leaning over the fence into someone's garden.

Cone Flowers looking pretty in a nearby park.

Blanket Flowers

(Gaillardia aristata)

Growing for the first time on my balcony

and simply adored by the bees.

One can see the attraction to this gorgeous pollen-filled centre

I will definitely be growing these flowers on my balcony next year

I love bee and butterfly friendly plants!

The Gerbera Daisies

enhance a window box just next to my kitchen

Golden Tutsan flowers

This is a larger flowered variety of Hypericum or St. John's Wort

One thing I notice is that August's palette shows a lot

of yellow, pink, orange and red

but  I found a little blue Chicory flower on one of my morning walks

just to ring the change of all these warm colours!

The apples are looking good already

and I can't wait to eat my first apple of the season!

Seed-pods are starting to develop everywhere.

This month of August

has been very hot and even since July we've had

heat-wave after heat-wave with a few days of respite between each

with storms and a little rain to bring the temperatures down, provisionally.

I have often sought out the shade of leafy trees and early morning walks

before the heat builds up.

Sunsets have been beautiful

even here in town

where I manage to zoom between buildings to frame them

with tall trees which remind me of the countryside.

I can hear many people around me

wanting the summer months to last much longer

as they feel that winter lasts for far too long!

As much as I have enjoyed the profusion of flowers

and wonderful colours during this summer

I just love the arrival of autumn

and the wonderful lighting.

My favourite seasons are spring and autumn.

I love living in a country that experiences all four seasons

and I shall be relieved when the extreme heat

of this summer has dwindled into autumn breezes.

Wasp

Beauty Of Animal | Wasp | Wasps are flying insect medium are found throughout the world. Hornet is known for its black and yellow, which means that some species of wasps and bees are usually confused. Wasps are found in all countries of the world, on every continent with the exception of the polar regions. There are about 75,000 species worldwide recognized wasps that grow to about 2/3 inches

Honey Bee

Beauty Of Animal | Honey Bee | Honey bees (or honeybees) are a subset of bees in the genus Apis, which is characterized mainly by the production and storage of honey and build nests, colonial durable wax. Honey bees are the only members present in the Apini tribe, all in the genus Apis. Currently, there are only seven species of honey bees recognized with a total of 44 breeds, Although,