Living here in Minnesota has made me realize how very short the summers are at this latitude. Coming from North Carolina, it’s easily warm from March until November. I can remember times when it was a balmy 78 degrees for Thanksgiving in Chapel Hill. In Minnesota, by stark contrast, it’s chilly by Thanksgiving, to say the least.
This summer, I’ve tried to make the most of the extraordinary short growing season by planting bulbs of Peonies, Camelias, Fresia, Clematis, and Gladiolas. There’s nothing like summer when you have tons of flowers on your front and back patios. We live in a town home, so a yard where we can plant in the dirt is really impossible for us, and met with a steep fine by our authoritarian home owners association. On top of the flowers I have herbs, rose bushes, and lots of geraniums and petunias (my husband’s favorite.)
With all of these flowers, and in their peak, I just had to take some pictures and share them with everyone. It seems like as soon as Labor Day comes along, it cools off and Fall is among us in Minnesota, so here’s to helping extend the growing season!
