“July is dressed up:” Mid-summer hiatus.
Is the jasmine in bloom? I can't smell it, but whatever.
The Garden is going to be on hiatus for the next week or so. After the rush and clamor of finishing the school year (yes, I teach in a brick-and-mortar classroom), the American Revolution video and reaching a major milestone of my novel Faraway Star, which you can read about here if you’re a paid subscriber, I think I need a bit of a break. When I return, I’ve got articles on the drawing board about movies, which I haven’t showcased in a while; the technology of the science fiction world in Faraway Star; some more historical topics; and of course entries in the ongoing series on this blog, Historic Painting, Historic Photo and Interiors.
Summer is always a strangely optimistic time for me. However disastrous the previous months usually prove to be—and we’ve already had our share of global warming-related tragedies so far in the summer of 2025—I still always look forward to it. The title of this blog comes from the old Seals and Crofts song from the 1970s, “Summer Breeze.” “Sweet days of summer, the jasmine’s in bloom / July is dressed up, and playing her tune…”
Thank you to everyone who reads this column and replies, whether on the site or via email. Enjoy the next few weeks, stay safe and stay cool.
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