Oh but I love that garden 😍 I too had noticed the green conkers and leaf mincers but as so often with these things it was with a subconscious part of my brain that didn’t really register it. My three things are discovering wild strawberries at our barn down Devon - it made me think of the Swedish word ‘smultronställe’, which literally means a place where wild strawberries grow but can also mean any secretish place where life feels like an epiphany (the cool interior of a church on a hot day, the place high up in an old tree where you can see the world, a moment in an art gallery where it is just you and the paintings). Secondly, seeing great stretches of rosebay willow herbs like pink fire on the verges. They have been joyfully joined by some of my favourite wildflowers - frothy Lady’s bedstraw, purple scabious, and umbellifers of wild carrot. And finally, in Ashton court, a quiet view of Bristol, framed by golden wild grasses rushing gently in the breeze, spreading beneath the pooling darkness of huge green oaks and linden trees with their honey, lemon scented blossom. Another kind of smultronställe. July feels full of those 🌿
Thank you for sharing and I am absolutely with you on garden palette, your description is delectable! I love Jo’s garden shot and hope I will make it to Hampton Court one day. I loved the heavy rain overnight this week, it felt so necessary for the garden/land. We visited a new park this week with a huge lake, it felt calming and peaceful (which is rare in the presence of my 3 and 1 year olds!), the sweet goslings, swans and a heron amongst the reflections of the trees dripping into the water was a wonderful sight! So I suppose water has been a feature this week.
Yes I can’t wait for all the plants to turn up! Though I have only bought tiny specimens and too few so it won’t look much til next year, but it’s on the way… Love your watery week.
I want desperately to watch out for emergent Roman villas! Sadly they are in short supply in North Carolina. This week was all about summer. We have settled into our usual weather pattern of hot days and afternoon thunderstorms that may or may not materialize. On Tuesday we celebrated the July 4th holiday with hamburgers and fireworks (one guess which my dog preferred). With the hot weather has come a profusion of growth in the garden. I harvested my first basil today. Tomatoes are coming soon.
Living by the sea gives us fabulous sky and cloudscapes and this week's showery weather has provided some wonderful billowing stormscapes - bright sun breaking through dark grey and purple clouds.
We're now well into the season of popping into the community garden for little snacks in the form of strawberries, currants, almost time for raspberries, even the cherries are getting there! It's such a gloriously abundant time. Fully agree with other commenters about the rain being a real relief, I've been relishing having the window open and listening to those summer storms. Could do without the gale force winds, mind.
The background hum of the municipal lawnmower, great days for line dried laundry, the umbellifers showing off in the garden, ( Ammi Magis and daucus carrota Purple Kisses being especially flouncy.)
Thinking about Nature and walking in the city where trees are now offering deep shade and dappled light offering me found drawings -butterflies flit dreamily in the acanthus whose pink and white spires offer an architectural theme to the garden . Such an old plant featuring in early Victorian photographs and entwining cornices 🍃🌿
What a beautiful colour scheme 😍 It was too cloudy to see the super moon sadly. Been watching Wimbledon this week, one evening with an accompanying thunderstorm going on outside - some amazing lightening. The lavender and sweet peas are going strong, the bees are loving them.
I totally agree, Lia. This week I feel I have relaxed into summer and I love the way things have shifted, particularly the tall grasses by the roadside, the ripening crops in the fields and the darker colour of the trees. And the summer clouds. There’s always a point in the year when Adlestrop, by Edward Thomas, conjures up the feeling perfectly. We saw Sting play on Tuesday, a beautiful evening, in the incredible setting of the Piece Hall in Halifax. He introduced a song, saying it seemed particularly relevant at the moment. Fields of Gold. Still got tears in my eyes. And finally, chatting to the gardener at the pub where we were staying. He said there was a golden hop he’d planted round the back and it put a big smile on his face every time he saw it. Plants do that, don’t they?
Our backyard raspberry patch has exploded with black raspberries, so my husband, son, and I are out there every day early in the morning or in the evening, bowls in hand, trying to get as many as we can before they rot. It's so meditative and such a lovely way to listen to the soundscape of birds around us, plus we chat as we work and compare how much we've picked. My son likes to wear his Yoda mittens so he doesn't get pricked and he also loves to sample the berries too!
Baby conkers! I will check the trees on the track near our apartment when I’m home to see if they have arrived in Paris!
This week has been all sun, sand, sea and sailing as we’ve been in holiday in Sardinia. Nothing like sunlight on the waves, the slap of water against the boat, the smell of suntan lotion and salt encrusted skin and hair at the end of the day.
We also saw the super moon it was huge and glorious.
Slices of super moon peeking through thick heavy storm clouds, dark purple, orange and red stone fruits, a heavy sleepiness from heat and ever so slightly waning sunlight mark this week.
For the first time in my efforts to grow my own, I have a glut of edibles! I have been making and freezing enough basil and rocket pesto to last me into 2024. Hopefully enough to share with the neighbours. Tomatos are flowering, spring onions are sprouting and the chilli plants are doing well. Ready for the thunder and lightning tomorrow...
I must start picking and freezing my herbs. I've only been picking to eat so far, but I realise there's enough for later in the year if I make an effort.
Oh but I love that garden 😍 I too had noticed the green conkers and leaf mincers but as so often with these things it was with a subconscious part of my brain that didn’t really register it. My three things are discovering wild strawberries at our barn down Devon - it made me think of the Swedish word ‘smultronställe’, which literally means a place where wild strawberries grow but can also mean any secretish place where life feels like an epiphany (the cool interior of a church on a hot day, the place high up in an old tree where you can see the world, a moment in an art gallery where it is just you and the paintings). Secondly, seeing great stretches of rosebay willow herbs like pink fire on the verges. They have been joyfully joined by some of my favourite wildflowers - frothy Lady’s bedstraw, purple scabious, and umbellifers of wild carrot. And finally, in Ashton court, a quiet view of Bristol, framed by golden wild grasses rushing gently in the breeze, spreading beneath the pooling darkness of huge green oaks and linden trees with their honey, lemon scented blossom. Another kind of smultronställe. July feels full of those 🌿
Oh my goodness that is such a beautiful word! And atmosphere! I am so grateful you shared that, absolutely magical x
Thank you for sharing and I am absolutely with you on garden palette, your description is delectable! I love Jo’s garden shot and hope I will make it to Hampton Court one day. I loved the heavy rain overnight this week, it felt so necessary for the garden/land. We visited a new park this week with a huge lake, it felt calming and peaceful (which is rare in the presence of my 3 and 1 year olds!), the sweet goslings, swans and a heron amongst the reflections of the trees dripping into the water was a wonderful sight! So I suppose water has been a feature this week.
Yes I can’t wait for all the plants to turn up! Though I have only bought tiny specimens and too few so it won’t look much til next year, but it’s on the way… Love your watery week.
And I forgot to say that your midsummer playlist has been accompanying us every breakfast-time this week which has been a real treat, thank you x
so delighted to hear this!!
Absolutely agree Hampton Court is better than Chelsea any day. So much more to see and more space too.
Seeing the bee hotels fill up with mud and circles of green leaves and even some petals as the leaf cutter & mason bees nest build.
Ice creams after school pick up.
Being caught in a heavy downpour and then too hot in the sun 'on repeat'.
Lovely things
Harvesting blackcurrants at my allotment. The smell of the leaves is divine and the jam I make from them is pretty good too.
Oh magic
I want desperately to watch out for emergent Roman villas! Sadly they are in short supply in North Carolina. This week was all about summer. We have settled into our usual weather pattern of hot days and afternoon thunderstorms that may or may not materialize. On Tuesday we celebrated the July 4th holiday with hamburgers and fireworks (one guess which my dog preferred). With the hot weather has come a profusion of growth in the garden. I harvested my first basil today. Tomatoes are coming soon.
Oh fabulous stuff
Living by the sea gives us fabulous sky and cloudscapes and this week's showery weather has provided some wonderful billowing stormscapes - bright sun breaking through dark grey and purple clouds.
Gorgeous
We're now well into the season of popping into the community garden for little snacks in the form of strawberries, currants, almost time for raspberries, even the cherries are getting there! It's such a gloriously abundant time. Fully agree with other commenters about the rain being a real relief, I've been relishing having the window open and listening to those summer storms. Could do without the gale force winds, mind.
Yes today I’ve been out walking in the warm rain in just a tshirt!
The background hum of the municipal lawnmower, great days for line dried laundry, the umbellifers showing off in the garden, ( Ammi Magis and daucus carrota Purple Kisses being especially flouncy.)
Yes, I did TWO washings yesterday!
Thinking about Nature and walking in the city where trees are now offering deep shade and dappled light offering me found drawings -butterflies flit dreamily in the acanthus whose pink and white spires offer an architectural theme to the garden . Such an old plant featuring in early Victorian photographs and entwining cornices 🍃🌿
Ah beautiful
What a beautiful colour scheme 😍 It was too cloudy to see the super moon sadly. Been watching Wimbledon this week, one evening with an accompanying thunderstorm going on outside - some amazing lightening. The lavender and sweet peas are going strong, the bees are loving them.
Gorgeous, thank you
I totally agree, Lia. This week I feel I have relaxed into summer and I love the way things have shifted, particularly the tall grasses by the roadside, the ripening crops in the fields and the darker colour of the trees. And the summer clouds. There’s always a point in the year when Adlestrop, by Edward Thomas, conjures up the feeling perfectly. We saw Sting play on Tuesday, a beautiful evening, in the incredible setting of the Piece Hall in Halifax. He introduced a song, saying it seemed particularly relevant at the moment. Fields of Gold. Still got tears in my eyes. And finally, chatting to the gardener at the pub where we were staying. He said there was a golden hop he’d planted round the back and it put a big smile on his face every time he saw it. Plants do that, don’t they?
Ah what a gorgeous week you’ve had
Just love Fields of Gold. Sting - an old friend from teenage years!
And the Eva Cassidy version too. Such a beautiful song.
Our backyard raspberry patch has exploded with black raspberries, so my husband, son, and I are out there every day early in the morning or in the evening, bowls in hand, trying to get as many as we can before they rot. It's so meditative and such a lovely way to listen to the soundscape of birds around us, plus we chat as we work and compare how much we've picked. My son likes to wear his Yoda mittens so he doesn't get pricked and he also loves to sample the berries too!
Ah that’s gorgeous
Baby conkers! I will check the trees on the track near our apartment when I’m home to see if they have arrived in Paris!
This week has been all sun, sand, sea and sailing as we’ve been in holiday in Sardinia. Nothing like sunlight on the waves, the slap of water against the boat, the smell of suntan lotion and salt encrusted skin and hair at the end of the day.
We also saw the super moon it was huge and glorious.
Ah gorgeous, it was not to be spotted here in the UK!
Gorgeous. I think I would like Sardinia.
Slices of super moon peeking through thick heavy storm clouds, dark purple, orange and red stone fruits, a heavy sleepiness from heat and ever so slightly waning sunlight mark this week.
Gorgeous
That is THE MOST beautiful description of the garden colours - thank you so, so much, Lia xxxxxxx
🥰
For the first time in my efforts to grow my own, I have a glut of edibles! I have been making and freezing enough basil and rocket pesto to last me into 2024. Hopefully enough to share with the neighbours. Tomatos are flowering, spring onions are sprouting and the chilli plants are doing well. Ready for the thunder and lightning tomorrow...
Well done! It’s no mean feat.
I must start picking and freezing my herbs. I've only been picking to eat so far, but I realise there's enough for later in the year if I make an effort.