Garden Diary – Rain, rain go away, we must be due a sunny day?

Well, and then they wonder why us Brit’s talk about the weather all of the time! I think we’d all like the rain to go away for at least a while now. It really does feel like it’s rained on and off all year.

Luckily here, we are in no danger from flooding being on top of an ice-age sand and gravel deposit. All that cursing when we first moved in and we initially tried to dig the garden with a spade, then a fork, finally settling on a pick! Now feels like a worthwhile sacrifice for the excellent drainage.

I have dashed out in between the showers to pick yet more tomatoes, boiling them up into ever more tomato sauce. Some years it lasts us right through the winter, until the first tomatoes ripen again next year. I think this is going to be one of those years!

The chillies on the other hand have not produced in the abundant amounts we are used to, so we will probably have to buy some in this year.

When the sun has broken through for an odd hour here and there, it has immediately brought the flying insects out to stock up before winter. The extremely late flowers must be very beneficial for them as well as cheering us up.

We finally had a ‘Comma’ butterfly, which are usually our second most common butterfly visitor after the ‘Cabbage White’. So worrying that it was the only one I’ve spotted but better than none!

The white garden continues blooming well, with the edition of a plant that’s on it’s second try, ‘Actea’. It’s like giant white bottle brushes shooting for the sky. I’m so pleased that it’s decided to like the white border this time. Maybe it likes damp conditions!

Monday 23rd September 2024

It’s still raining ☔️💦💦💦but thankfully living on an ice-age gravel deposit there’s no danger of flooding, unlike some unfortunate people.
Leycesteria formosa, the pheasant berry or Himalayan Honeysuckle 🌿🌸🌺🌸🌿
Bees ❤️ it🐝 Birds ❤️ it 🦅 I ❤️ it 👩‍🌾
#magentamonday #pinkflowers

Tuesday 24th September 2024

And a few more… 🍅🍅🍅🍅🌿
The freezers are bulging!
2024, my best tomato season ever 😊🌿🍅🌿🍅🌿🍅🌿
#TomatoTuesday #tomatoes #Homegrown #Homegrown

Geranium Rozanne still proving nectar for the bees 🌿🐝💜🐝💜🌿
#TuesdayBlue #insects #bees #savethebees #wildlife #wildlifephotography

Wednesday 25th September 2024

Good morning 🤍🌿
In 2017 I planted Actaea & it died. In 2022 I tried again & hey presto 🤗 My little white garden has some tall shooting stars 🌿🤍⭐️ 🌿 💫🤍🌿 #WhiteWednesday
#whitegarden #whiteflowers #plants #flowers

After a slow start, the beautiful butterflies came eventually🦋🥰
Starting top left with the most recent visitor, a Comma, going clockwise: Red Admiral, Gatekeeper, Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell 🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋
Not as many but very welcome 🙏🦋💕
#WildlifeWednesday

Thursday 26th September 2024

Grey, mist and rain 💦 today (again) ☹️
So a bit of #ThrowBackThursday, especially as it’s only a month until tulip planting. Get ordering! 🤗
These are tulip ‘Claudia’ out last April 🌿💕🤍💕🌿
#tulips #Flowers #springflowers

Friday 27th September 2024

It’s been an unusual year in the garden, but I’m loving all the late colours 🌿💛💕🧡🌿
I took this in the 2 hour rain break yesterday, we even glimpsed the sun ☀️😲
Have a great Friday 🌿
#FlowersOnFriday #FridayFeeling #dahlialove #dahlia

Does anyone want their Friday night spicing up? 🌿🌶️💜🌶️
These are off to the air cupboard. Gardeners don’t just use them for drying clothes 🤣
#chilli #chillies #gyo #gardening #growyourown

Saturday 28th September 2024

Still quite a lot of blooms down in the white garden & the hover flies are lapping them up, especially the Japanese Anemones 🌿🤍🐝🤍🌿 #SixOnSaturday
Wishing you a pleasant weekend 🌿
#whiteflowers #whitegarden #flowers

Sunday 29th September 2024

It’s been a strange gardening year with so much rain! 💦☔️
Some things have loved it & some not (me)!
One consequence is lots of late flowers just starting to bloom, all very odd! 🌿💕💛🌺💜🧡🌿 #SevenOnSunday
Enjoy your day whatever the weather 🌿