I’ve been busy in the house and garden during the past few days, doing deeply boring things like plastering a wall and fixing a new clothes dryer whirly thingy in the grass. I can’t make my mind up whether the pole is squint or the ground is, but it’s concreted in now so fingers crossed that it doesn’t keel over if it is squee gee!
If you’ve been watching the Scottish Open Golf Championship you’ll realise that the heavens have opened with a vengeance. After almost a week of lovely weather the rain has been of Biblical proportions, thunder and all. Some places have been flooded but luckily not here.
These are a few of the garden photos which I took whilst the sun was shining. I bought the lily corms a few years ago, from a pound shop would you believe – 8 corms for £1 to be precise and they are multiplying. I’m really not too sure about them. I do like them but I sort of think that they’re a bit fancy for my garden, most of the planting is cottagey with quite simple flowers and herbs. On the other hand I suppose cottage gardens have always had formal bits in them like topiary so they kind of fit in. The colours are nice anyway.
The astrantias above are lovely to look at but I once made the mistake of cutting some for putting in a vase in the house – it wasn’t long before I realised that they stink like a dirty old cloth!
I love the random blue splashes on this cranesbill geranium. I thought that it had disappeared from my garden completely because the area which I planted it in is becoming congested with that very pretty yellow plant thug. Luckily I discovered this one on the other side of the garden, these geraniums are very obliging at seeding themselves.
So that’s what the garden was looking like a few days ago but everything was being fairly well flattened by the torrential rain today. I know the plants needed water – but not that much!
I love the cranesbill and I like the lilies, too. The subtle color helps them to blend into your cottage garden.
I was wondering what you were doing: no posts. You’ve been far more ambitious than I’ve been! It’s still very, very hot here, in the 90sF, so I stay indoors as much as possible to be near the air conditioning. Can’t wait to see the electric bill!
Joan,
Thanks. Yes it’s typical holiday time and that means doing things which have been put off over the year until now, so too tired to blog! We’re hoping to get away sometime, but nothing is planned. Today we were fixing the garden shed and replacing the rotten wood – exciting! I’m so glad I don’t live where you are, the gas and electric bills are terrible here but at least we get some respite from them in the summer. There’s just been another 20% price hike this week. I hope it cools down for you soon.
Totally jealous about your rain, lovely cool weather, and your beautiful garden! It’s 97 degrees here and no real rain for weeks. Sigh.
Karen K,
Is it always so hot where you are, or is it abnormal weather? It seems like the whole of the US is sweltering at the moment. Here, when we get a few days of heat – 70 degrees or so then it’s usually followed by a thunder storm and torrential rain. I must admit I enjoy it, as long as I’m inside!
I love the lilies, always have done. The rain has a way of making everything look so good. I just wished it only rained at night and was dry during the day.
Jo,
I think I prefer the lilies in the garden rather than in a flower arrangement because the pollen does stain things so easily. Rain at night would be perfect. It makes everything grow like crazy at this time of the year though, so lots of cutting back and weeding is required soon!