Tuesday, 15 July 2025
St Swithin's Day
St Swithin'Day and no more than a spit of rain. Fifty-eight years ago, on our wedding day, we had a downpour! Watering the garden and the allotment by hand is hard work and not very effective after so many weeks of drought. Pickings are rather slim at the allotment although I did a swap with Teresa, two plots down from mine, and came home with enough basil to make a tasty pesto and a ball courgette that I stuffed and baked.
I'm picking sweet peas every morning. This year I planted old favourites that I know perform well, 'Noel Sutton' and 'Leamington'. Last year I tried a dark blue variety and it was very disappointing.
Don't now ask me which is which, I haven't got a clue. The blooms vary somewhat, mostly a clear colour but sometimes more striped and with a darker colour. It's a lovely task to go out each day to pick the flowers. I'm not as aware of the perfume these days, I think I am losing my sense of smell. (Don't get Himself started on what's happened to the flavour of new potatoes. Even Jersey Royals don't seem to come up to scratch these days.)
I'm watering my phlox, 'Miss Kelly' every day, I don't want to lose her. (You can see how fond I am of this soft lavender colour.)
Wedding Day 1967, up a tower at Bolton Castle, Wensleydale. The rain had stopped, I was about to throw off my shoes and start dancing!
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Love the sweet peas. I really should sow some but usually remember too late.
ReplyDeleteI have mixed results when I sow sweet pea seeds. These ones I bought sprouted at a garden centre where they had a good choice of named varieties, which is not always the case.
DeleteGardeners, farmers, foresters - everyone is concerned about the lack of rain. It's the same in this country; last night it was said on the news that the water reservoirs in my federal state (Baden-Wuerttemberg) are way down, and in many areas it is now forbidden to take even the smallest amount of water out of a beck or pond.
ReplyDeleteYour harvest still looks good, and your flowers are gorgeous!
The harvest is small, the drought desparate.
DeleteThe sweet peas are lovely. I'd love to grow them but I've never seen them in our garden shop.
ReplyDeletePerhaps they are best in a temperate climate and not well suited to the heat in Greece? You have other beautiful climbers that don't need to be mollicoddled as they would have to be in Blighty.
DeleteHappy anniversary! We married in the same year as you.
ReplyDeleteThe ball courgette is so attractive. I didn't know there was such a thing. It's just lovely to look at.
As for the flavours of things - I agree. We've had one lot of Jersey Royals this year and they were very disappointing.
A good year for marriages, then! The ball courgette is new to me as well. I cut it in half and stuffed it. It looked good on the plate so I think I'll grow some next year.
DeleteI love sweet peas but never plant them mostly because I never remember since the seeds have to go in in December down here. We've had a very wet June and so far in July for a change.
ReplyDeleteI bought them sprouted in the spring - who is thinking of sweet peas in December!!
DeleteClipping sweet peas here, too. What lovely giving flowers they are!
ReplyDeleteYes, they are generous flowers. I like your description of them as 'giving' because that is just what happens, you pick a bunch for yourself and a bunch for a friend or neighbour!
DeleteThe sweet peas ...what beauty! I have never tried to grow them, although I do see a wild variety here along our roads.
ReplyDeleteI was stunned when you mentioned how long you have been married! Gracious, were you just a child? You don't look older than 55 in that photo the other day when you were swimming!
Oh, Granny Sue, I'm not fit for a close-up.! I didn't know Himself was taking that photo, it was from a distance.
DeleteI was 23 years old when I was married, soon to be 24. It was the happiest of days. I've added a photo to the blog, taken at the tumbledown castle where we held our reception and dance..