Summer colour

Hurrah, the water butts are full, the soil no longer resembles dust, June arrives at the weekend and the roses are starting to bloom. I took a few rose snippets when we left the gamekeeper's cottage and now, two and a half years later, those snippets are performing well. "Isaphan' from a neighbour's garden is forming a healthy bush.

'Constance Spry' and what I thought was a cutting from 'Charles de Mills' are now flowering in a very inhospitable strip of ground at the side of the drive.

The rain has caused all the growth to rampage and we've had to do a bit of cutting back to avoid getting a swat of wet leaves and branches whenever we walk outside. I like it but Himself gets a little grumpy about water going down the back of his neck or slapping against his legs.

Water, water everywhere.

At last we've had some rain, enough to wash much of the yellow pollen, dust and debris off the roof. But I'm hoping for more to come as after many weeks of drought the soil is still very dry.

In the afternoon we went to to see an exhibition and aural history in neigbouring Poole. The towns of Bournemouth and Poole are now merged into one large conurbation but were once separate and distinctly different places. Poole is surrounded by water, a fisherman's town, with lake and bays and harbour.We found a spot by the lake to leave the car and walked by the water to the exhibition venue.

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Full leaf.

Our garden and those surrounding it are in full leaf and the large trees throw us into a mixture of deep shade and dappled shadow. At the allotment, once the sun clears the hedge, it is hot!

The palm tree is heavy with seed.

Jabblog had a lovely post about bees and it sent me to take a look at our bee hotel to see if anyone had taken up residence. It had been cleaned up and repositioned in early spring. I've sprayed it with beeswax to encourage occupation. It is placed where there is a better flightpath and some sunshine but no takers yet.

Summer colour is coming now as the spring flowers die. Favourites appearing, roses and alliums catching the light with deep shadows behind them.

It's a lovely time of year.

Summer weather!

We have had strong shunshine and no rain for weeks now. The rain tubs are empty and I'm syphoning my bathwater into the garden. On Saturday morning we had an early morning walk on the beach before the crowds came and the water looked so inviting that I regretted not wearing my swimming costume. Two yoga groups were being put through there paces on the sand and another group was doing something with flags, I've no idea precisely what!

We walked back to the car through the tropical garden.

Then it was over to the allotment to net the fruit bushes and strawberry patch. The soil here is like dust, but the rhubarb seems to like it!

Back at home the garden is full of growth, all very green but not yet much colour as the spring flowers and tulips have faded and other flowers are not yet in bloom. It's a bit of a jungle.

For Sunday tea I made a strawberry and cream cake. It didn't last long! Lady Grey tea in my Brown Betty (the name for a traditional brown teapot.)

Today was glorious, no cold wind and blue sky. At the end of the day we went to the beach. Still water, low tide, all quiet. I had my first swim of the year. Yes, it was cold, but it was good!