New York New York

It started out cool and beautiful, perfect for walking around the reservoir in Central Park.

And unless you've been hiding under a rock you know that NY is in the grip of a record breaking heat wave. Sticky hot at night, sticky hot in the morning. Yuck. But the plants seem to love it. A kitchen garden in pots - 

and Jane's beautiful cutting garden - I wrote about it in Postcards From The Hedge - it's the Madison Avenue Flower Shop Garden. And it is wonderful. Lovely things to look at, lovely things to cut. No guilt about cutting from the cutting garden -  it's what it's for, and you won't be leaving a big hole in the garden that's meant mostly for looking. And birds.

The cutting garden is inviting and colors are massed together. Even I can make a beautiful bouquet here. If you don't think you're a flower arranger try building the bouquet in you hand. It's the only way I can do it - still. Buckets of flowers intimidate and confuse me. But not this! This I can handle.

Yellow lilies, bright zinnias and masses of dahlias. I felt like a kid in a candy store. It is such a happy place, even the kitchen window is happy. 

And why spend your time anyplace but happy?