This week I’ve been cutting lavender, rosemary, sage, mint, chives ready to dry them for creating my own dried herbs. The butterflies are out, bees on the lavender and a glorious buzz in the air.
I noticed that a neighbour had a spectacular crocosmia lucifer and was filled with a strange mixture of delight, envy (how had it survived the terrible plague of slugs) and a pang of regret because it's the harbinger of late summer.
July is being very Julyish with the calendar busy - school concerts with my youngest and visiting universities with my eldest. Waiting for the warmth and it appears - it’s too hot said the teenagers. Bedding plants lush and blousy and the sparrows taking over the hedge.
I love the sound of the wood pigeons at this point in the summer, when lots of the birds have calmed down. The sparrows are still shouting and squabbling though. They’re fun to watch, darting about all over the garden. And the owls have started calling again.
Have noticed the blackberries too down in the SW . Why are they two months early?? Noticing too a few more insects in last couple of warm days . The cold wet weather has really kept them away ,at least I hope it’s this !
The maize in the field behind our house has grown tall enough to make the field margins into green walled corridors that the swallows and housemartins scoot along, so low you can feel the rush of air, feeding on the insects the heat has brought out.
Juvenile woodpeckers at the meal worm and hummingbird feeders forgoing suet, garden bedraggled from record breaking heat and late afternoon torrential rains, finally this morning a lovely cool breeze
Finally there are butterflies and the air is filled with the buzz of bees!
Yes, butterflies! We have to keep rescuing them from the kitchen.
Ate my first strawberries from the garden. (So did the birds…) 🍓
I picked a few ripe blueberries yesterday from the garden, another sign that summer is finally here 🙂
This week I’ve been cutting lavender, rosemary, sage, mint, chives ready to dry them for creating my own dried herbs. The butterflies are out, bees on the lavender and a glorious buzz in the air.
I noticed that a neighbour had a spectacular crocosmia lucifer and was filled with a strange mixture of delight, envy (how had it survived the terrible plague of slugs) and a pang of regret because it's the harbinger of late summer.
Picked blackberries for compote in the morning sun after riding and mixed them with the Essex plums I have leftover from the tart I made.
July is being very Julyish with the calendar busy - school concerts with my youngest and visiting universities with my eldest. Waiting for the warmth and it appears - it’s too hot said the teenagers. Bedding plants lush and blousy and the sparrows taking over the hedge.
I love the sound of the wood pigeons at this point in the summer, when lots of the birds have calmed down. The sparrows are still shouting and squabbling though. They’re fun to watch, darting about all over the garden. And the owls have started calling again.
ooh the owls! I love them!
Yes Anne! I've never seen as many sparrows in my garden too. They are gorgeous aren't they.
Have noticed the blackberries too down in the SW . Why are they two months early?? Noticing too a few more insects in last couple of warm days . The cold wet weather has really kept them away ,at least I hope it’s this !
The maize in the field behind our house has grown tall enough to make the field margins into green walled corridors that the swallows and housemartins scoot along, so low you can feel the rush of air, feeding on the insects the heat has brought out.
Our blackberry vine has fallen victim to heat and drought, but the peaches and summer corn coming from the local orchards and farms are divine!
Juvenile woodpeckers at the meal worm and hummingbird feeders forgoing suet, garden bedraggled from record breaking heat and late afternoon torrential rains, finally this morning a lovely cool breeze
New brightest of gold blossoms appear daily beneath the deep green fanlike leaves of our zucchini plants.
Tapas in the garden in the shade
Trying to work out how the new portable aircon works
At last hammock weather
Watching the nearly full moon rise over the sea, rose pink above rippling silver and cyan, cooling into bright white in the dusky sky
Piles of sand and damp towels strewn about after hot afternoons spent at the beach.