When Summer Brings Sun and Rain

Summer often brings long days of sunshine, but the warmth we enjoy can leave the earth dry and waiting for rain. Then, when the rain finally comes, we are reminded just how important both sunshine and showers are to everything that grows.

In When Summer Brings Sun and Rain, Lucy P. Scott captures this balance in nature. She describes a summer of scorching sunshine, dusty roads, and thirsty earth before the long-awaited rain finally arrives.

The poem also offers a simple lesson for life. Just as a garden needs both sun and rain, our own growth can come through happy days as well as challenging ones. We may not always appreciate the difficult seasons while we are going through them, but they can teach us patience, strength, and gratitude.

As you read this poem, may it remind you that every season has something to give us. Sunshine and rain each have a purpose, and together they help the garden grow.

We have to have both rain and sun to make the garden grow

Updated September 23, 2026, by Catherine Pulsifer.

When Summer Brings Sun and Rain

Poet: Lucy P. Scott

The summer days are slipping by.
The warm and sunny days,
When robins call, and we can hear
The harsh cry of the jays.

This year we've had a summer when
The clouds have stayed away,
When scorching, burning sunshine bright
Has lingered day by day.

The earth was hard and thirsty, it's
Been dry so very long.
The blazing sun shone down on us
Still, fiery, and strong.

The dust lay over everything.
The roadsides powdered grey,
We watched for clouds to bring us rain
For weeks, day after day.

Last night the rain came pouring down,
It splashed and splashed all night.
And now out in the garden beds
The flowers are such a sight!

The petals of the roses are
All strewed upon the ground,
The broken branches and dead leaves
Are scattered all around.

The gardener will be very glad,
He wanted showers so!
We have to have both rain and sun
To make the garden grow.

Key Reflections In This Poem

  • Both Sunshine And Rain Are Needed

    The garden cannot flourish with sunshine alone, nor can it grow without rain. The poem reminds us that different conditions work together to produce healthy growth.

  • Difficult Seasons Have A Purpose

    The dry earth waits for relief, while the heavy rain brings its own disruption. Life can be much the same, with each season bringing experiences that can help us learn and grow.

  • Patience Helps Us Through Dry Seasons

    For weeks the gardener waits for the rain the earth desperately needs. The poem reminds us that there are times when we must be patient and trust that circumstances will eventually change.

  • Change Can Bring Renewal

    After weeks of heat and dryness, the rain finally arrives and gives the garden what it needs. Change may not always come gently, but it can bring renewal and new possibilities.

  • Nature Teaches Us About Balance

    Sunshine and rain may seem like opposites, yet both are necessary. Their balance reminds us that life is made up of different experiences, each contributing something to our journey.


Conclusion

When Summer Brings Sun and Rain reminds us that nature needs balance. Too much sunshine leaves the earth dry and thirsty, while rain brings the water that flowers, gardens, and fields need to grow.

Life also brings us a mixture of bright days and difficult ones. We naturally prefer the sunshine, but challenges can teach us lessons that easier times cannot. Both can help shape who we become.

May Lucy P. Scott's poem remind you to appreciate each season as it comes. Whether your day brings sunshine or rain, remember that both can have a purpose, and both can help something beautiful grow.