summer blooms

Flowers never fail to make me happy.  The ones is my yard, while sparse and unimpressive, are one of my favorite things about summer. Almost all of the plants in my yard, the ones in these photos, were given to me by friends, family, and neighbors. I enjoy seeing them blossom year after year, change with the seasons, and multiply until it is time for them to be divided. My kids love to watch the plants and pick the flowers as soon as their buds open.  They plant seeds in the spring months and drench them with hose water on hot summer days. Flowers have a magical way of making life more colorful.