‘Sterling Silver’ is one of my favorite roses. It’s actually a pinkish shade of violet

I’m not the world’s most serious gardener, but I do enjoy it. I get a lot of satisfaction from digging in the dirt, planting seeds or tiny plants, and watching them grow.

But August in North Carolina is not a great time for working outdoors. Temperatures generally hover in the low nineties and the humidity is about the same. What gardening I do at this time of year is mostly maintenance and done early in the morning before the sun gets too ferocious.

Weeding and deadheading are the main activities right now. I try to stay on top of the weeds to keep the job from overwhelming me, but sometimes they spread faster than I can manage. Deadheading the blooming annuals keeps them looking sharp and encourages them to produce more flowers. I deadhead most of the perennials, too, mostly to keep them neat.

The gladiolas only bloom for a couple of weeks in July, but they’re spectacular when they do.

The roses are still blooming sporadically. I continue to feed them once a month from spring to late fall but cut back on the amount a little in the summer.

But this is the time when I mostly just enjoy the fruits of my fall and spring labors. I love walking in the back garden, sitting and enjoying the plants, and cutting flowers to bring indoors.

Bed of flowers