Sunday 24 June 2018

Midsummer

Early on Midsummer morning and the light is beautiful. I fling on some clothes and wander into the garden.










There's a clear blue sky for Friday Skywatch.
In the veg garden I check the barricades, my anti deer, rabbit and pigeon structures. The peas, mangetout and even the sweetpea plants have been eaten. Deer have also nibbled the tips off some of the roses.  I squidge all the grubs that I can find on the asparagus fronds between my fingers before they can do any more damage. All is not as serene as it looks!


But things look well in the fruit cage. We've been eating our own strawberries, raspberries and red currants for the last couple of weeks, with plenty more to come.

I LOVE days like these.


Monday 11 June 2018

White flowers

When the weather is fine we spend as much time as possible outdoors. It's a real pleasure to sit out under the walnut tree for a drink and a chat when friends and neighbours call round. When I'm filling the kettle at the kitchen sink I watch the bees going in and out of the white foxglove flowers. The petals are almost translucent and I can see the shadow of the bee inside each bell. I love white flowers and encourage the foxgloves to seed wherever they will.
This is my view from the kitchen window. The 'Pascali' rose faces south so I only get a view of the back of it's flower heads.
It's the same with 'Iceberg'.

Roses are everywhere, on walls,
fences
and climbing up a corner of the house.



Another generous self-seeder is this campanula. The slugs and snails don't attack the foxgloves and campanula. What a bonus that it in my garden!

I wish that I could say the same for the lupins. I grew  a good number of healthy plants from last year's  saved 'Gallery White' seed but they have been mostly devoured by slugs. I hate to use slug pellets. I put grit round the base of the delphiniums, with some success, but it doesn't work so well with the lupins. They must taste wonderful!




Monday 4 June 2018

Blue skies

'Blue skies shining on me' tra la la 
- and about time too!


We have had so much rain
and now the sun is making everything grow like mad.

The honeysuckle over the porch hums with bees.
Himself is taking advantage of the dry weather
to make some repairs.






The borders are out of control.

But who cares when the sun is shining!

Roses and iris are among my favourite flowers.





I love days like these.