Garden Diary – Rain, rain, the produce is liking it, but the bees are not!

Well, rain, rain, thunder and more rain this last week! In all fairness the sun did peep through and was wonderfully warm when it did but really! This is our summertime!

Luckily the apples and pears are plumping up with all the watering and most of the veg is doing well despite the awful weather.

We’re getting a few firsts of the season now like our first fig this week and we are now tantalisingly close to the first tomato. I do hope two ripen then I won’t have the dilemma of whether to share or not!

The mid summer flowers have been late but are now starting to open and take over from the early flowers.

The biggest upset is the lack of bees. I’ve been thinking it all year but when the lavender came into bloom a couple of weeks ago, it confirmed it. It’s usually covered in dozens and dozens of bees but I could almost count the few on there this year. All very worrying!

Sunday 7th July 2024

Tomato flowers might be small but they are so beautiful with added delicious benefits 🌿💛🍅💛🌿#SundayYellow

#yellowflowers #yellowsunday #growyourown #tomatoes

Monday 8th July 2024

Such incredibly intense pink from Lychnis Coronaria, commonly known as Rose Campion 🌿
An easy perennial that seeds itself around the garden #MagentaMonday
#flowers #pinkflowers #gardening

Tuesday 9th July 2024

A few raindrops on the campanula yesterday, but I’d have needed a waterproof camera this morning as it’s absolutley pouring down ☔️💦🌿💙🌿💙🌿💦 #TuesdayBlue

Wednesday 10th July 2024

It’s definitely been a good year for the roses, I took this last week 🌿
I’m not sure what they look like today though as we had heavy rain, thunder & lightning last night 💦⚡️🌧️ Will it ever stop! #RoseWednesday
@DAustinRoses ‘Mary Rose’

What makes the best pizza? 🍕 Homegrown produce of course 🍅🧅🌶️
The last batch of last years homegrown tomato sauce, freshly picked red onion & chilli 😋
#gyo #growyourownfood #kitchengarden #pizza

Last years tomato sauce popped in a pan to reduce the liquid, then spread on the base. Purple chilli chopped up finely and dotted around. Red onion thinly sliced, gently sweated down then laid on the sauce. Grated cheese sprinkled on top. Into the pre-heated oven on max for 10 minutes.

Thursday 11th July 2024

Sadly I’ve never known so few bees in the garden, obviously down to all the rain 💦
So yesterday lunchtime I took so much pleasure watching this little fella loving the Dierama 🌿🐝🤍🐝🤍🐝🤍🐝🤍🌿
#InsectThursday #bees #pollinators #gardenforbees

First Fig of the season 😋 🌿
It was big enough to share, unlike the first raspberry 🤣
Variety ‘Brunswick’ 🌿
#gyo #growyourownfood #kitchengarden

Friday 12th July 2024

The pansies are surviving the showers 💦 rather well 🌿
Obviously plenty of deadheading needed on the dry days ☀️
#flowersonfriday #flowers #mygarden #pansy

Remember me predicting heavy rain that always comes at this time of year to spoil my grass ‘karl foerster’?🌾😫💦💨☔️
Well it was pretty much guaranteed this year!!!
#grass #mygarden #weather #UKgardening

Saturday 13th July 2024

Yey, it’s Saturday & it’s not raining! 😊
Although the Pears, Courgettes, Peppers, Apples, Tomatoes & Cucumbers are quite happy with the weather 🍐🥒🫑🍎🍅🥒 I’d rather like a bit more sunshine personally☀️
#sixonsaturday

Happy gardening everyone

Sunday 7th July

Mainly pinks & purples this week with the day lilies finally starting to flower to add a splash of warm orange 🌿🧡💜
Lythrum salicaria, Geranium, Penstemon, Day lily, Anemone, Lavender & Dierama
#sevenonsunday
Have a safe happy Sunday 🪴