Something to cool you off....

Nothing like some lovely summer flowers to help you find a smile and a breeze on a hot July day....

This balloon flower is simply begging for a butterfly or bee to come visit, don't you think?

My bee balm is suffering in the heat but the bees and hummingbirds still love it....

Chicory is also commonly called cornflower and is one of my favorite plants of mid summer....

It seems so fragile and delicate but it grows in some pretty tough places. Yep, that's concrete you see beneath this plant. It is growing between a sidewalk and the road and in my town you see them everywhere right now. They especially cheer me up when they are waving at me while I wait for a traffic light at a busy intersection.

And of course, who doesn't love Queen Anne's lace? It also grows just about anywhere and quite frankly I think it would like to take over my yard. I do leave some of it here and there and this flower head is one of the largest I've ever seen--about 5" across!

Although day lilies have certainly naturalized everywhere they are a cultivated, not a wild plant in our area but I was playing with my camera in the garden this morning and liked the way you could see the pollen on this so thought I'd include it.

Stay cool, everyone. And stop to smell the flowers!