There would, of course, be warmer days ahead, but the first truly steamy day of summer always felt hotter than all the other hot days of summer combined. And it made the garden and everyone in it languid and sleepy.

Leaves drooped in the heat.

Chipmunks and squirrels stretched out for midday naps on top of the stone wall, on top of the fence, anywhere they might catch a breeze.

Old Possum and a few others had retreated to the tea shop, but even in the cool, half-underground burrow, no one was in the mood for hot tea. Instead, Rabbit received whispered entreaties for summertime ice-cream sundaes and fruity sherbets and minty iced tea and cold lavender lemonade.

(June 2023)

Story & Photo © Jennifer Singleton / Read+Purr

This is another vignette in my ongoing series of Tiny Garden Stories: peaceful 1-minute tales, full of cozy vibes, delicious details, and generous dollops of imagination & whimsy. Click one of the first two buttons below to go to (or back to, if that’s where you fell down the rabbit hole) either the Public Garden archive page or (if you’re a Story Club member) to the Private Garden page. Or click the third button to learn more about my Tiny Garden Stories. Want each week’s featured story delivered directly to your inbox? Subscribe to my Substack.