Things which I regard as tough plants are starting to wilt and smaller, shallow rooted ones have frazzled.
As I pour the washing up water over the garden, I have renewed sympathy and understanding for those of you who live where this heat is normal. With no rain forecast and water butts pretty much empty, I continue to water selectively knowing I will lose things but is not possible, or probably sensible, to water everything.
On the bright side - slug damage is practically nil and I have picked dwarf French beans which are normally devastated.
Many things are blooming and I've gone for cool colours rather than the brights Cathy chose.
I pulled off the pollen from the ends of the stamens but actually, I think it spoils the look of the flower. If anyone is going to get pollen stains on clothes and carpet though, it will be me so was probably a sensible precaution.
My Flower Farm crops are doing well. They have had more water in the last few weeks than the main garden while I try to keep little plants alive. Here is part of it, in case you are interested. There is another bed the same size behind this planted with smaller plants. I also have dahlias and sweet peas elsewhere as well as flowers in the poly tunnel so plenty to cut.
I certainly picked a challenging year to start. (Really, I think all years are challenging in different ways).
For plenty of fun and fancy vases visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden for In a vase on Monday.
Beautiful! White is such a soothing color in the heat of summer. I do hope you get some relief from the hot and dry weather. Your Constance Spry vases are marvelous.
ReplyDeleteThank you. I predict this weather will go on until the schools break up at the end of July. That is the usual pattern, I'd put money on it if I was that way inclined. A few showers would be most welcome though.
DeleteOh that does look cool and soothing, Alison, and I am so pleased to read that your Flower Farm beds are coping. It's the not knowing how long it will continue that is a concern...
ReplyDeleteExactly and what to save and is it worth all the work.
DeleteYou make the most lovely arrangements...I love this one! I enjoyed seeing some of your cutting beds, too. Hope the drought will end soon!
ReplyDeleteThank you. I've accepted it for the long term now. The predicted rain yesterday never arrived and none is forecast so I'll just have to enjoy it!
DeleteWhat a lovely arrangement...so much movement. Those grasses add that final touch as does the backdrop fabric.
ReplyDeleteThank you, I do like grasses to add the final touch.
DeleteI’ve got the same vase as you. It came from a great aunt. I usually pop some pink roses in it. Yours looks lovely and elegant in white. Thanks for sharing your photos. All the best. Karen
ReplyDeleteI'm sure it looks wonderful with roses. I collected all mine second hand - see my post of 4th June. It's all the more precious to have it handed down.
DeleteGlad your flowers are still OK given your horrible drought...your vase reminds me of a beautiful still life painting....so beautiful it took my breath away.
ReplyDeleteWell, thank you! I've placed it in front of our fire which we certainly won't need for a while.
DeleteAs I commented on Cathy's page, I find the rain and heat problem in the UK very disconcerting, almost more so than the situation we face yearly here. It's not supposed to happen in your part of the world too! We've actually remained comfortably cool (our version of cool anyway) here, although we're expecting the heat to ramp up dramatically by the end of the week...You did a lovely job with the lilies, not that I'm at all surprised by that. I always remove the ends of the stamens too, although I agree that the flowers have more presence when they're intact.
ReplyDeleteWe are finding our weather more extreme. There were storms in the north a few weeks ago and flooding is very common which I don't remember happening as often in the past. It is concerning. I do what I can the conserve energy and not affect the planet but it's a drop in the ocean. We need governments to act in a big way.
DeleteThat is a lovely arrangement. Lilies are interesting in a vase--you have to imagine how they'll fill the vase once they open. The cutting garden looks great. Very dry here too. Think rain.
ReplyDeleteYes, I need to anticipate. I think they'll just open and it will lose all shape but it'll still be pretty.
DeleteI'm glad to read that the business end of your garden is doing well Alison but oh what a year to start! Your vase has cooled me down just looking at it. What is the pretty little white daisy? As you say there are some advantages to the weather and the reduced mollusc numbers is a most pleasing one.
ReplyDeleteI don't have the name of the daisy. It's a treasure passed along from a friend which creates quite large clumps. Even they were drooping last week.
DeleteThat is a very pretty vase arrangement, the all-white is very soothing, and I like the punctuation provided by the grass. So sorry to hear that you are getting such dreadful weather. We get drought every summer for at least a couple of months, but our rain the rest of the year makes up for it. It does make the summer months challenging and annoying, having to drag sprinklers and hoses around. Our temperatures here are heating up this week too.
ReplyDeleteThank you. I don't get on with hoses at the best of times, the hose always wins. My arm muscles are very good though!
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