Summer Breeze...

After several rainy days and nights, the sun finally popped through the clouds today giving me the opportunity to open all the windows! The summer breezes off of the Bay blew through the house making it delightfully cool. There is no need for air conditioning on wonderful days like today! Even though it was a balmy eighty-five degrees outside, it was not one bit uncomfortable inside! As I opened the windows facing the Bay, I immediately caught the light, airy scent of the Jasmine! Before all of this rain, the vine was just setting the buds but today...the vine was in full bloom. The sweet scent soon filled the room better than any of those sprays or scented candles! Ahh...summer breezes and aromas of jasmines and roses...does it get any better than this?

The Confederate Jasmine covers the arbor just south of the front door. This intermingles with the Seven Sister's Rose to provide the perfect setting for a true "Southern Night". I keep telling Mark that all I need is a screened porch! Can't you just imagine....screened porch..porch swing..jasmine and rose vines and a glass of sweet tea! Ideal!

The Confederate Jasmine is a fast-growing, twining vine that will quickly cover any arbor with evergreen foliage. It blooms in early spring filling the arbor with clusters of small white "pinwheel" flowers. These small blossoms carry a huge scent and can perfume the entire yard! Contrary to its name, Confederate Jasmine is not a true jasmine nor is it a "Southern" original. It is actually from China! The neat "tangle" of slender vines are covered with glossy evergreen leaves making it the perfect plant to be used as a privacy screen for outdoor "rooms". When left to wild abandon, it will quickly clamber over fences or arbors. But it is that aroma that will bring back memories of "Grandma's house" or of sweet romances of one's youth.

Today as I threw open the windows, I gave thanks for the summer..for breezes..for jasmine..for windows..for being granted another day and for grandparents. I thought of my grandmother and her little white, gardening gloves and flower basket. Several times each week, she would head out into the flower gardens that were so carefully tended by my grandfather. There she would do her "gardening" which consisted mainly of picking bouquets of flowers to be arranged in vases for the house. Behind Grandpa's shed was a large trellis that was just brimming with the Confederate Jasmine. Grandmother would always add a sprig or two to the bouquet so the aroma would scent the house. Roses, daisies, jasmine and maybe petunias would all be put in her flower basket and then carried inside. She would carefully arrange these in vases for the tabletops. Ahhh...memories!

"Summer breeze, makes me feel fine, blowing through the jasmine in my mind."~Seals and Crofts