Those Lazy Hazy Crazy Days of Summer............

Heatwave.

California dreaming

Looking at last year's notes, maybe this year hasn't been so different in terms of what has come up when............a cold May stops everything in its tracks, but all it takes is a little warmth and rain and it all catches up. However some things are definitely delayed - the day lilies have yet to put in an appearance and only one flower spike has come up, and the pink clematis was about a month late. Roses, however, are on schedule, and I don't remember the white rose flowering so prolifically before, the lilac also went on and on for weeks, so the cooler weather may be prolonging flowering when things finally do come out. However we missed the paeonies, which were just opening as we left for Hill House last week and were gone by the time we got back. Most exciting, though, the paeony at the front has flowered - maybe even *two* flowers if the second one opens - and the California poppies are back for their third year along with a lovely pink sweet-pea and some mange-tout that came up beside the delphinium. I've taken some cuttings off the old caryopteris which has been looking a bit unhappy, and one has taken; we also took gooseberry cuttings which rooted well so two have gone to hill House and one will hopefully be going to Ross' new garden in Abernethy.

For some reason this year we also had fantastic chervil which grew in huge bunches in the herb bed when everything else was still clenched with cold; spinach also doing extremely well and the runner beans are on the move............courgettes, tomatoes and cucumbers coming on slowly as usual. 

We have just instituted a water barrel at the front, because guess what, it's HOT!! and all the things that did not die of cold are now hanging over the sides of their pots gasping and threatening to die of the heat..........I planted up all the containers with extra geraniums and lobelia for the MWF garden party (Rose's geraniums in their pots at the front door............) and strewed the steps with big bunches of applemint which seemed to go down well despite the weather not playing ball........

Have planted some Oriental poppies to replace ours that died, and some delphiniums just to see if we can grow them now that the frogs have dealt with the slugs..........