Summer flowers get all the glory when the sun is bright and blasting down upon the earth, but it’s the quiet backdrop of greenery, such as that afforded by this coral bark maple tree, which creates the real tranquility and calm of the sunny season. Conjuring mottled areas of shade and dappled sunlight, this maple stands at one end of the house, softening its corner with its light green leaves and red-hued bark.
When I pass this tree, I always pause beneath its canopy for a moment, stilling the day and deliberately being present. A stand of lady ferns nods gracefully under its boughs, next to a clump of maidenhair ferns. It is a shaded nook of peace, and a reminder to be mindful no matter what mad rush swirls around us at any given time.
Those moments are vital as we careen all too quickly toward the final month of summer. The days are moving swiftly now, carrying the momentum of sun and fun that once felt so happily endless at the start of the season. Summer ripens in front of us, but we don’t seem to pause enough to notice it happening. By the time we see that the blush is off the rose, it’s practically fall.
There are roses to be found then too, and sometimes they are richer than anything which came up in June. The way to delight is to be open and welcoming and ready to accept whatever beauty might surprise us.
Underneath the leaves of the maple, I take in the summer day at hand.
