Still Life with Robin: The Blooms of Summer

by Peggy Robin

Every spring in DC, we go gaga for the cherry trees in bloom. That's also the time when the hillsides are yellow with daffodils and the red, yellow, white, and multi-colored tulips are not far behind. Then come the azaleas in red, white, pink, magenta, and lavender, and each passing year seems to bring new and brighter colors. And then summer comes, and it's just green, green, green, everywhere you look.

Then we wait for the leaves to change in the fall to see the trees give us an eye-catching variety of reds, golds and oranges. 

But not this year. All of a sudden, I've been struck by the colorful blooms of June. Maybe it's been like this in years past and I've just never noticed. On a walk yesterday, my eyes were popping at so many big, round blooms in the front yards of Cleveland Park. I'm talking about HYDRANGEAS.

This is what I saw on my walk: https://photos.app.goo.gl/S66PqQNw4aPHk4gD7

I don't know why I was blind to them in years past. Perhaps this year is just a spectacular bloom. Or perhaps they've always been this great, and for some reason, this is the summer that the scales have fallen from my eyes. 

Whatever the reason, I glory in the colors of summer.

Thank you to so many neighbors for your gardens of delight!

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Still Life with Robin is published on the Cleveland Park Listserv and on All Life Is Local on Saturdays.