Mary Claire Rowe

The pale, pre-dawn light filtered gently through the leafy green above the old, cedar fence top. The soft rays were caught in the sheer spider webs, transforming them into milk-glass like bowls. Dozens were crowded into a space of only a few feet. I wondered what the spiders were hoping to catch. Something good and tasty this way comes.

Seeing these little webs brought back memories of the giant webs we used to see when my family and I would be out in the country at this time of year, miles away from lights and noise and people. Each morning when we awoke, hanging between the trees, would be dozens of webs, each one the size of a person. The early morning light made them gleam white. The first time I saw them, I thought of Halloween ghosts running en masse through the woods. It was a disturbing thought.

There, despite the heat of August, we would luxuriate in the soothing quiet of the fields and woods and enjoy the Persid Meteor Shower, which happens at this time of year. The view of the heavens is unobstructed out away from all the city lights, and watching the "shooting stars," as we called them when we were children, is a magical event at any age.

We would spread blankets and pillows on the driveway and lie back and enjoy the spectacular heavenly show. So many meteors enter our atmosphere during this time that it is impossible to see them all or to point them out to each other. Sometimes, they are huge and amazing in their green and orange fire. Most of the time, they are small streaks that flit across the heavens like giant fireflies.

Here in Tyler, I tried to view this beautiful event these past couple of nights and early mornings, but sadly, there are too many trees and too many lights to make it possible. I will have to rely on my memory to cheer these miserably hot days.

It is so easy to let the horrific heat of August fill our days with frustration and misery. Sometimes it is good to get out early or very late, when it is a bit cooler, and think about what is nice about this time of year. For me, it is the lovely spider webs and the chance of seeing meteors streak across the night sky.

A darling little plant to enjoy this time of year is the frutescens Bulbine, or Orange Bulbine. A member of the Liliaceae Family, these evergreen succulents will do well here in a warm location. The leaves are tall and fleshy and look much like an onion leaf blade. The tall flower spikes look like little green rockets standing up with orange and yellow fire shooting out the back. The flower's stalk grows from 2 to 3 feet above the foliage, and there are about a dozen stalks for each plant. They will bloom continually in our warm weather.

If the weather goes below 20 degrees they will be damaged, but with lots of mulch and situated in a protected location, they will likely survive most winters. They like full sun, light shade, and are adaptable to most soil conditions, as long as it is well-drained. Divide to propagate. Remove spent flower stalks so it will be encouraged to produce more. The plant needs water weekly in dry conditions like we have now. It can be used in containers or directly in the garden.

So many plants from which to choose. How nice!

Mary Claire Rowe
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