Sunflowers and New Ducks

The garden is suffering but....

thank you to all the campers who walk through 

and tell us it is lovely. 

It makes me feel a lot better and reminds me that I should look at what is doing well.

Many jobs  are on hold but watering the polytunnel is the priority.

The pond needs a top up.

Here it is, though you would not believe it.

The sunflowers are loving the heat but not lasting very long.

The muti-headed ones are well worth their space.

These cornflowers are just hanging on.

They need a lot of dead-heading.

 Things that are looking good.

The sweetpea row has been a disaster.

The hollowed log`s bark has shrunk and split.
We are thinking of bracing it with wire.

 The hot weather has seen an increase in the insect population especially butterflies.
Today they were loving the apple mint flowers.

Bees were loving it too.

And the new ducks were loving their little pool.

Follow the blog to read about duck nappies .... 

yes I did say duck nappies.....

..... coming up.

 

 

Bits and Pieces

Seems like I am having another Dave Clark moment.

 The fantastic weather continues and we are loving it but our gardens are desperate for water.

And I am getting a bit fed-up with the continuous watering needed to keep things going.

At home the poor sweetpeas are suffering.

Probably due to the lack of water and the weakness of the plants, I now find them covered in greenfly.

To address this I have sprayed them with a mixture of water and washing up liquid.

It is very disappointing after I`ve grown them from seed and nurtured them for so long.

The French marigolds are happy.

 

Jasmine is happily flowering. It really loves the heat.

Phlox, clematis 

and 

cosmos.

 Melons continue to swell and are now supported by recycled fruit net bags.

Today we pruned the willow arch at Freshwinds Garden.

I brought a bundle home and I have made six willow wreaths.

The secret with willow is to let it do its own thing.

It`s no good forcing it to go where it doesn`t want to go.

I think it helps that it is still green.

I just wish it would stay this lovely colour.

Another of my latest projects can be revealed as it has been given to the recipient.

It is a musical movement, with a fairy theme.

I used to make many of these a long time ago.

This was for a friend who has just retired.

The top revolves to the tune of  Mozart`s Magic Flute.

Another craft project is my pom pom tortoises.

If my great-nephew, Aiden sees these he will want them all.

And finally my favourite place to sit at the moment.

Gladdy all Over

The Aldi gladdies are dotted all around the garden in great splashes of psychedelic colour.

What great value ... £1 per 50.

The other highlight is the black hollyhocks powdered with

dusty pollen. Such a pity that they suffer from rust. I am removing fallen dead leaves at every visit.

Sunflowers and dahlias are on the move.

Some of the cornflowers are burning out already. They just seem to run out of energy in the drought conditions.

I pulled these out.

But these ones will keep going if I continue to deadhead.

The hollowed log that I planted a few weeks ago is filling out nicely. In the orchard fruit moves on despite the lack of rain.

 

 

 In the polytunnel temperatures have reached 46 degrees.

 Here are the melons. It was cooler on Tuesday so I was able to prune out two trugs of growth from these plants. So far two melons have been netted.

 I`ve taken off the bottom leaves from most of the tomatoes, allowing more light to the ripening fruit.

I`ve not bothered to take out sideshoots or bottom leaves on these

Garden Pearl tomatoes.

Today`s harvest.

 

I think the garden is coping well with the drought.