Lavender Fairies and One Pumpkin

These baking hot days are dividing up into high activity when its cooler and lazy afternoons doing very little. My brother and sister are both on holiday with their families so we`ve been keeping an eye here and there on their gardens. Luckily they both have great neighbours, Angela and Tony helping Paula and Michael helping Jamie. Thank goodness or we would be watering morning, noon and night. 

The only place to be on these days, is the beach.

Last evening we walked to the field opposite our house to watch the eclipse. There were quite a few people dotted around with various viewing devices e.g a colander. We took dark acetate in multiple layers which allowed us to view the stages.

Here are two of the photos I got, taken through the acetate.

It did not go dark as expected.

We wished we had taken a Pimms or a glass of wine.

On some of our lazy afternoons, after doing what we can in the gardens during the mornings, I have been crafting.

Here are a few of my latest makes.

If you visit the yurts soon you might find some on the craft stall.

A batch of mittens made from one ball of rainbow wool.

A family of mice with their own mini patchwork blanket.

(These will not be available as they are a commission.)

 Bouquets of our own dried flowers.

Tiny sunflower keyrings.

 

And the lavender fairies with their own tiny  lavender bags.

And here is the only pumpkin to our names this year. My brother grew the plant. Thanks Jamie.

 

 

Ever Hopeful

 Sometimes in the garden, I don't know whether to laugh or cry. Obviously as a sun-lover I am enjoying the heat but perhaps not enjoying what is happening in the garden. I just wonder how much longer it can go on. I cannot believe how some things are hanging on with such colour. You certainly get to know the survivors.

I noticed today on the way to the garden, a lot of fallen leaves and even some spiralling down in the strong winds.

There was rain about 9 a.m but it was a laughable amount which will make no difference whatsoever.

It isn't until you run back through photos and blog entries for this time last year, that you realise the lack of growth and lushness.

Sunflowers are beautiful but under stress.

Here are the beautiful ones.

 

Here are the stressed ones.

 

Most peculiar.

(At home I have pulled up my first sunflower section.)

Yesterday I took out the sweetpea row. That is something I usually do at this time of the year. It is nontheless a sad task. As gardeners we plant with such high hopes. 

But we remain as always, ever hopeful.

Whether that is for rain or for next years results .... it could be either.

 

Poppy Fairies and Confetti

The drought continues but luckily still no hosepipe ban. At the garden there is still plenty of water in the huge black tank. At home we are saving grey water for our own garden.

Quite a few plants are starting to show signs of stress and some have even shriveled and died. I have done a lot of cutting back and clearing.

Forsythia

Helianthus

But the French marigolds are doing well and also crocosmia (or montbrietia)
 

Note the colours

 

I spent some time strimming the sparse grass edges and then clearing a path by the tortoise run.

 

It was bearable enough for Steve to work in the polytunnel where cucumbers are thriving. Not sure it will be the best year for tomatoes though.

The garden is full of butterflies. They are loving the marjoram in full flower and the mint which is also flowering. I have to be patient to get the photos.

This is a Gatekeeper.

 Bumblebee on marjoram.

 

Soldier beetle on yarrow.

There were lots of other insects around.

 

The Lemon Queen sunflowers (Premier Seeds) are amazing.

 

Our harvest for the day.
 

The craft trolley is looking colourful and I am adding to it fairly regularly. I felt sorry for the little boy who was looking for the fluffy grey seal. Unfortunately it had sold. He wanted it for his mum. I did make him another one which he can have if they come again.

Interestingly I moved all the fairies to a string across the front, they were previously at the back on a board. Since moving them I have sold seven.

 

I bought this spray of poppies for half price, dismantled them and created poppy fairies.

 

 Here they are in my own fairy garden.

 

I have five more to go. Nothing I love more than making fairies and fulfilling my childhood dream. And if anyone wonders why I have so much craft stash to draw on, its because of this.

As a child I did not have the tools, the craft components or the skills.

 

On Gardeners World, our main t.v garden program, the lovely Sue Kent suggested drying flower petals on a heat pad to make confetti. This I have tried. It is a very successful method where the petals keep their colours.

And bio-degradable.

 

Finally my zinnias for a splash of extra colour.

I think I might love zinnias as much as dahlias!!

 

Wow .... did I really just say that!!
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Growing with a Passion

 The heatwave continues and there are parts of the garden beginning to suffer. The fernery needed water this week.

Under the grass are the foundations of an older building which become clearly visible in dry weather.

The pond was getting pretty low so we were very pleased when Anne topped it up because we haven`t been staying long. We get to the garden early and go home as soon as the essentials are done .... watering and harvesting.

 

 

The sunflowers are loving it but there are one or two which did not "get away" .... surrounded by other plants and a row of broad beans.

Here are some of the different varieties.

Sungold

Ring of Fire

Lemon Queen

Piccolo I think

Also looking good are the hollyhocks. i am always astounded to find the seedlings just growing in the pathways. I prise them up just before we go home and pot them up as soon as I can. I sometimes wonder why I don`t scatter my precious seeds on the paths seeing as there is such good germination.

We usually find that the self-seeders are much stronger and more likely to survive but you do have to put up with them in rather awkward places such as the middle of the bean row.

The biggest surprise this week has been the appearance of this stunning gladioli. I don`t remember planting it.

And just a warning to anyone thinking of planting passion flower. This one plant is only two years old. It is rampant. It has grown under the path and come up alongside the tortoise run and it has grown about three or four metres in each direction along the fence.

I love it,

We have a trumpet vine to go in but there will be careful consideration as to where!!

And the casualties so far .... a pretty useless row of broad beans, normally a mainstay for our freezer, our home cucumbers with the droop and mosaic virus .... luckily the ones in the polytunnel are well away, runner beans not forming, possibly bees piercing the flowers instead of going inside.

I continue to pick bunches of statice to dry for winter colour and the lavender is currently drying off in the greenhouse at home.

New lavender bags have been made.

 

 

Happy days.