My resident hummingbird favors the wild roses beside my house.

She often perches there looking out over the bay where I can watch her from my desk. In the early morning when the dew moistens the woods, wild roses release their scent to the rising sun. So pink, such an intense fragrance—these small, delicate roses are a treat for eyes and nose. As I walk down to the beach, the heavy moist air is scented with their heady sweetness.

I can’t resist picking a small bouquet, even though I know the blooms rarely last beyond a day.

Have you ever noticed how once the bloom drops, a five-pointed star remains? In fact, it’s a reverse pentacle…very magical.

I do save the petals though and dry them for my potpourri, so in a sense, I preserve their fragrance for many months. Later in the summer, I’ll add fresh lavender from my garden to the mix. Then in December I’ll blend balsam needles and cedar tips into my concoction. The dark red rose petals are especially festive dotting the bright evergreens. So even though I love how wild roses perfume my house in summer, I’ll appreciate them even more in the dank depth of winter.

CONTEMPLATIONS

• How do you capture pieces of summer to savor later on?
• Which wildflowers sing to your soul?
• Do you seek out evocative fragrances and bring them into your life?
• Have you told a flower lately how happy it makes you? (Hey, everyone likes to be appreciated.)

Sniff other wildflowers here.