Hot, Hot August Heat

I'm really not sure how I feel about August.  Ambivalent is probably the most positive term I can use.  But I know how I feel during August. Wilted. Which is a polite euphemism for hot, sweaty and sticky.

I suspect my balcony garden is no fan of the dog days of summer either. The sweet peas have succumbed to heat stroke. The parsley has a sunburn. And the lettuce has bolted -- probably straight for Kits beach, if it's smart.

I'm not going to rename my blog but sometimes -- like during the first days of this month -- I'm tempted to do so. Perhaps call it  "The Balcony Garden & Grill -- where you can cook your greens before you pick them." 

But not all is withering and shriveling and turning brown. For relief from the heat, I can look at the cool white flowers of  Lewisia:

How about you? If you were a flower, would you seek the heat like a sunflower or blossom in the cooler seasons, like a viola? And if you have a south-facing balcony garden, how do you protect your plants from withering during the hottest days?