Ode to Summer/Moments in the Garden

It's the first of September and fall is looming closer and closer every day.  Ok... I'm in denial.  It's practically on top of us.

I love fall... but summer is my favorite. 

So, in honor of summer, here's some of my favorite pictures from my garden this year.

My mom is a gardening freak perennial gardener. 

(She's intense -- I mean this woman will stop in the mall parking lot and weed their landscaping) 

I grew up in the garden.  To this day my sisters and I have to take "garden tours" around her yard while she quizzes us about the names of each plant.  We always complain about the mandatory "tours", but I think each of us has inherited a little bit of my mom's love of flowers. 

My middle sister works on a lawn/landscaping crew during the summer when she's home from college.  She has now inherited my mom's embarrasing habit of weeding in public places (heaven help me). 

My youngest sister is a graphic design student.  She loves to take pictures... especially of my mom's gardens.  She always has.  I remember her being in middle school and running out to the garden with my dad's camera.  Her skills have greatly improved since then... a few examples for you...

                           

                            

And then there's me.  I like all flowers.  But when you grow up in the garden, like my sisters and me, you quickly develop favorites.  So, when I moved away from home, my mom gave me cuts of all my favorites.  And eventually they became the beautiful flowers you saw from my garden (up there at the top).  I think that's pretty cool. 

Hyacinths, lilacs, lilies, hydrangea, and sweet pea.  These are my favorites.  What are yours?