Today’s guest picture comes from my Somerset correspondent, Venetia, who recently enjoyed a boat trip down the Caledonian Canal. She was allowed in the wheelhouse but I don’t think she was allowed to steer the vessel
It was a relatively cool, very dull and frequently wet day today. As we have been calling out for more rain, we should have been a bit more grateful than we were. The social day started well with a visit from Dropscone for coffee. He is making good progress on his injured shoulder and doing his exercises religiously. However, as he is not yet up to cycling or golfing, his life is a bit limited so we didn’t have a lot to talk about that we hadn’t said already.
When he left, there was time for a visit to the butcher’s and a walk round the garden in a momentary dry spell.
There are developments on the ‘things to eat’ front. The broad beans have had a disastrous time with lots of flowers but hardly any beans, possibly because of the very hot weather, so we are hoping for better results from the runner beans which have just started to flower.
The courgettes are looking very promising. I can see courgette fritters coming soon.
Fresh flowers have turned up too.
The phirst phlox of the year has appeared (along with the annual feeble joke).
Musk has come out at the pond.
Calendulas are picking up speed . . .
. . . and fresh poppies pop up everyday, undeterred by the rain.
We saw geraniums like these (but in slightly better condition). . .
. . . featured on Gardeners’ World on the telly last night.
The Martagon lilies seemed unaffected by the rain . . .
. . . and a bee buzzed round the stachys.
I rounded up the best roses and peonies . . .
. . . took a picture of lush growth in a border . . .
. . . and got ready to drive to the hospital in Dumfries with Mrs Tootlepedal for yet another check up for me.
It was wet and the roads were busy with traffic, but as we had plenty of time and driving slowly does wonders for our battery consumption, we didn’t mind at all. We lunched at a garden centre and Mrs Tootlepedal was tempted by a special offer into buying three new plants to fill a gap where an old shrub has failed.
The hospital is very good at getting patients seen bang on time, and it wasn’t long before we were on our way home, once again in a steady queue of traffic. We got home in good time to join the regular Zoom with my brother and sisters.
It rained steadily for the rest of the day and Mike and Alison had to shelter under their umbrellas as they came round for conversation and music in the evening.
Because of the indifferent weather, I didn’t get a chance to catch a flying bird today, but I did manage to get a blackbird singing in the rain. He is one of a pair who exchange musical phrases across the garden on most days. One sings and the other provides an almost identical echo.
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I think that lily has more flowers on it than I’ve ever seen one have.
I like the view of the garden border. It’s beautiful.
That’s a nice shot of the singing blackbird. I hear lots of singing birds here each morning.
We have a very noisy early morning garden.
That’s the kind of noise I like to hear.
The calendula is very beautiful in its simplicity, and is especially lovely set against the green background.
You’re lucky to have such prompt medical service. Ours is hit and miss, and I often take knitting just in case.
I am finally catching up! I saw Crown Princess Margarite (sp?) rose on Gardeners World last night, which I think is one you often feature.
It is doing very badly in our garden at the moment.
I hope all our prayers for rain will work like yours have. It feels good just to see rain on the flower petals! I made a bee very happy this evening while I was sprinkling a little water on some St. John’s Wort that is blooming.
I think the dry heat has also affected trees with berries on them, the birds don’t seem to be eating them as usual.
I am sure the Blackbirds enjoy singing to each other. 🙂
The Martagon lilies are realy beautiful Tommy.
Let’s hope for more sunny and dry weather today.
We are still looking for rain. We are in one of the driest area of Scotland at the moment.
Indeed quite strange as Scotland is rather well known for precipitation.
It has been an unusual year as I may have said before.
That is a marvellous border
Mrs T was very happy with the picture of it.
We got finally three showers yesterday summing up to 30 cm (12 inch) of rain. (Lore has it that there were times when water fell out of the sky for days!) As always a beautiful selection of pictures. Our blackbirds are starting at 4 o’clock in the night to have their conversation.
That is a lot of rain indeed. We have had a couple of sharp showers but nothing like that. We can hear a lot of bird calls in the early morning too.
Glad you didn’t have much waiting about for your appointment and that you were able to combine the trip with a useful garden centre visit.
Singing in the rain! Love it.
I am easily pleased with a little joke.
That shot of the poppy is brilliant, Tom. Your garden is looking lovely despite the heat and lack of rain. I’m sure the plants welcomed that latest downfall. We are hoping for some much needed rain tomorrow.
The soil is still dry as a bone a few centimetres down.
That is a beautiful roundup of garden residents after the rain, and I am glad to hear Dropscone is making progress. You mentioned a trip to Dumfries for a checkup on you. Hope all is well.
I am having a set of routine checks with good results so far.
The border looks really colourful and full of many interesting flowers and the panel of roses and peonies is just so pretty. It’s good to see a few rain drops on the flowers!
We need more of those raindrops! Mrs T was very pleased with the picture of the border.