Oh boy - have we had weather. Not just any old weather. But extremes of weather. Pavements hot enough to fry an egg on one minute - rumblings of thunder the next minute - flashes of lightning and heavy, heavy rain. And not all of it outdoors. Yes folks - the house got flooded - oh joy! Just what we needed. Every bath towel we possess was put to use mopping up. We couldn't figure out where the water was coming from. Somehow the rain got into the bathroom - ran down the pipes and into the kitchen below. Major clear up today, carpets lifted to dry - rugs outside in the sun - towels hanging on the line, my shelf full of cookery books with soaking pages - oh my, what a job. Everything back to normal now - thank goodness.
Now for something a bit more pleasant. At last there is a bit more colour in the garden after the last couple of weeks of nothing to see.
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| day lily |
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| dahlia |
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| hollyhocks |
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| pelargonium |
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after the delphiniums had been cut down
I planted dahlias, pelargoniums and nicotiana to fill the flower bed |
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| stokesia |
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| crocosmia lucifer |
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| nasturtiums
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And after bemoaning the fact that I haven't seen many bees and butterflies in the garden - they have arrived at last.
The teasels have just started flowering and the bees are all over them going crazy, then going for a drink where the water collects at the bottom of the stem
These are Small White butterflies which were really attracted to the lavender. There haven't been the usual Peacocks or Red Admirals but the Buddleia is just starting to flower so maybe they will turn up soon as I know they can't resist it.
And finally the Sunflowers are flowering, I did have three giants planted, but one of the horses must have stretched over the fence and had a munch, 'cos all I have left is a stem. Luckily it couldn't reach the other two.
Oh, and I have been watching bees coming and going under the shed, they are black with gold bottoms, quite small - and then I saw a huge monster one, it must have been the queen, she was making quite a fuss flying round until finally landing and crawling in - I would love to know what's going on under there!
Sorry to hear about the flood. Good thing you got some sun today to help you dry things up. I hope it can be fixed without too much trouble and money.
ReplyDeleteWhat always amazes me looking at garden pictures from very different climates is that some of the flowers seem to open at about the same time wherever they are grown. Crocosmia Lucifer, lavender, hollyhocks see to fall into that category.
Thanks Alain. I always find it fascinating too about the flowers blooming at the same time on the other side of the world - perhaps it is that which holds all us gardeners together.
DeleteNot the kind of weather event anyone wants indoors! I'm sorry about the mess but you seem to have recovered well and enjoying the fruits of your labor. The flower beds look lush indeed.
ReplyDeleteNo - it was a bit of a shock. Everything is just about dried out now except the cookery books which are still wrinkled and damp.
DeleteOh! What a garden! This is exactly what I hope mine will be one day. I adore your hollyhocks. I must try growing them here in my part of Canada. I am sure they would work out perfectly!
ReplyDeleteThanks Bronwyn. Up until the rainstorms we have just had everything was looking lovely - now it is all battered and flat. If it's not one thing it's another.
DeleteYou have my sympathy concerning the flood! It has certainly been a year of extremes, weather-wise. My daughter who lives in France had much of her garden destroyed by a freak hailstorm - the day after the temperature reached 37C!
ReplyDeleteThanks Mark. You never know what the weather is going to do next these days.
DeleteOh no how awful for you! Did you need some roof repairs.
ReplyDeleteNo red admirals our way yet but lots and lots of peacocks.
We are still trying to figure out where the rain got in. We have just had another storm and I ran round checking everything - nothing. It could just have been the direction of the rain and a freak mishap. There are no roof slates missing or anything - weird.
DeleteGlad that you have stemmed the flow of your flood! Not what you need at all. The garden is just full of bees and butterflies at the minute; mostly whites and small tortoiseshells galore. I am intrigued that the sea hollies have more wasps feeding off them than bees this year. Hope that they have not set up a nest near us!
ReplyDeleteDo you know - I was only thinking about you this morning and when I switched on my emails - there you were - Spooky! I haven't seen any wasps here so far - I am quite happy for them to stay at your place. Ha!
DeleteSpooky indeed! :) So far all the wasps I've seen have been perched on the Eryngium flowers - I'm okay as long as they stay there!
DeleteA flood indoors is rotten; I'm sorry hear about it. Your flowers are looking beautiful, especially the hollyhocks, one of my favourites. It's wonderful to see all the bees in your garden. I've plenty of Peacocks on my buddleia here, although there were none to found on the day I decided to do the butterfly count this year!
ReplyDeleteThanks Wendy. I actually saw a Peacock today on the Buddleia but as usual it took off before I had a chance to photograph it. I'm glad I didn't take up wildlife photography for a living - I'd be penniless.
DeleteSorry to hear about your flooding - we had water seeping into the back of the garage and just into the end of the conservatory but thankfully not into the house like yours did, I'm glad to hear all is well now. Hollyhocks always remind me of my grandma's house. We've had loads of white butterflies and bees too around the garden over the last few days - it is good to see them:)
ReplyDeleteWater is a funny thing - what is the saying - it follows the line of least resistance - if it wants to come in it will find a way! I grew the hollyhocks from seed and this is their first year of flowering - needless to say I am dead chuffed with them.
DeleteOh, it's awful when water gets in the house. I hope it all gets sorted out soon.
ReplyDeleteLots of colour in the garden, it's all looking great.
Thanks Jessica - my main man is on it - it might have something to do with the guttering - sorting it out will keep him quiet for five minutes.
DeleteSo sorry to hear about the flood :( Send some of that water here :) so many beautiful flowers in your garden.Here nothing...everything is dried and dead.
ReplyDeleteSounds like you are getting some pretty hot weather Leanan. It is more humid here now with plenty of thunderstorms to break the monotony.
DeleteOh dear Elaine,
ReplyDeleteYou sound so calm. What an awful thing, to have had the house and kitchen flooded.
Sorry to hear about it.
your enthusiasm of your lovely garden, has taken your thoughts away from it all.
Your garden looks divine.. i think you must be a wonderful gardener with green fingers.
I am glad you have sun today..so all the wet thinks can get dry.. hope you find the source of the rain entry.
I have bees here..they love the water.
Unfortunately ..i havent seen a butterfly all of the summer so far. dont know where they have gone to.
Enjoy your day.
val xxx
I was quite calm - it was my husband who was hopping from one foot to the other not knowing quite what to do and getting in the way.
DeleteThe flower photos are just amazing!! I'm so sorry to hear about the flooding - hopefully all gets cleaned up soon. We finally had a break from the awful weather last week and this week looks like it will be nice too. I'm hoping the nice weather will go your way. :)
ReplyDeleteThank you Staci. We are still having good weather - inbetween thunderstorms, that is.
DeleteI'm sorry to read about the flooding, and hope that it's all sorted now. The weather seems to get ever more extreme and unsettled doesn't it.
ReplyDeleteGood to see plenty of colour and variety in your garden. Lucky you with all those white butterflies, they never seem to settle long enough for me to to photograph. Flighty xx
Everything is just about dry - except my cook books which are still in a sorry state. It took me a few shots to get the butterflies as they wouldn't stay still and all I got was a white blur.
DeleteSo sorry to hear about your flooding and hope you are managing to get dried out now. Your flower photos are gorgeous.
ReplyDeletePatricia x
It could have been a lot worse - no permanent damage done thank goodness.
Deleteisn't it amazing what a difference a few days makes to the garden, you have so much colour now. Really sorry about the flooding - it can be so tricky working out where it's coming in can't it (says she speaking from bitter experience!).
ReplyDeleteIt rained heavily again this afternoon so I was running round trying to see if anything was leaking but it wasn't - so it remains a mystery.
DeleteOoooooh....sounds like you may have a bee nest!!!
ReplyDeleteWhat a lot of colour and blooms you have, absolutely gorgeous!
I notice all your bees are bumble bees, it's odd this year as we have hundreds of bumbles but no honey bees...not a one!
How hideous the flood sounds, it's awful when that happens as water gets everywhere. I hope your carpets are ok. We always have a flood in torrential rain and always get drenched trying out how the water is getting in....it's still a mystery. xxxx
I'm not very well up on which bees are which so I'll take your word for it. We have never been flooded before so goodness knows why it has suddenly happened.
DeleteSome really lovely photos. Your garden looks to be thriving. We have also had unexpected weather in Ireland with warm sun one minute and thunder storms the next.
ReplyDeleteThanks Kelli. A couple of weeks ago there was nothing in flower and the garden looked very drab - thankfully the next batch have blossomed and it is looking colourful again.
DeleteSorry to hear about your flood, what a pain!
ReplyDeleteLovely photos.. great to see the bees and butterflies so busy.
Julie :o)
If it's not one thing it's another - hey ho! That's life I suppose. I was getting a bit worried that I hadn't seen many bees and butterflies in the garden - it's good to see them back again. No hoverflies or ladybirds though.
DeleteThey had been warning that dry weather might lead to floods - I am sorry you were affected. We never got much rain in the end... just an hour or so earlier this week and the garden looks happier for it. Your plants are looking wonderful! Every year I look forward to watching teasel come into flower. I'm delighted that you are seeing more bees too. We are seeing hoverflies here, but not as many ladybirds as usual. Having said that, we don't have too many aphids either (famous last words).
ReplyDeleteWe have some quite bad storms here as you can gather - but today is sooooooooo hot and humid - I have been liquefying for most of the day, but at least it has brought more butterflies out - cabbage whites especially - boo.
DeleteHi Elaine! I am a bit in love with holly hocks so you've got me there, and the bees on your teasels are something to behold. Lovely:)Bye for now, Jane
ReplyDeleteHi Jane - thanks for visiting and leaving a coment. I love hollyhocks too and definitely plan on planting more next year.
DeleteI love the picture of the stokesia! How beautiful. I also love the pic with the white butterflies. Happy Thursday :)
ReplyDeleteIt is a lovely plant and very insect friendly. Happy Thursday to you too.
DeleteI am sorry to hear of the flooding. Living just above the water table and next to a river I can identify and sympathize with you completely. The weather does seem to swing in extremes! Last night we had very heavy rains, but thank God no flooding.
ReplyDeleteYour garden is certainly looking very colorful and I am sure the bees and butterflies are in their glory.
Everything is fine now thanks Jennifer - just a minor floodlet. For the moment the garden is looking good, if not a little flattened with all the heavy rain we have been having.
DeleteGood grief Elaine, so sorry you had a flood to deal with. Hope there wasn't lasting damage to your cookery books - or anything else! Your massed dahlias look wonderful, so much colour everywhere in fact, and how lovely to see the insects come in and enjoy the flowers too. Maybe you could stick a nighttime webcam under the shed?!
ReplyDelete