The wind and rain returned with a vengeance today and beset us until late afternoon.
Knowing what we were in for last night we lay down the patio chairs and furled the three garden parasols.
During a slight lull in the deluge I photographed raindrops on agapanthus, sweet peas, gladiolus, pelargoniums, fuchsia Garden News, dahlias, hostas, lilies, begonia, rose Festive Jewel. As usual each of these is individually named in its gallery which can be accessed by clicking on any one. Each can be viewed full size by clicking the box beneath it and further bigified with another click.
I was born 7 weeks premature in Leicester General Hospital in 1942, which must surely mean that I am lucky to be here. That is the same length of time that these Japanese anemones have sprung early into life.
We have four little toy ladybirds whose wings swivel in the wind. The top one of this pair among the Erigeron, pelargoniums, and fuchsias outside the kitchen door has reached the end of its clockwise rotation after which it turns anticlockwise; its companion has just begun.
The sidalcea in the Oval Bed simply bowed before the blustery blasts.
This lily in the West Bed was protected by a shrubbery canopy.
An iron urn at the entrance to the Gazebo and Brick Paths, and a chimney pot on the lawn are two planters benefiting from the recent rain.
This evening we dined on Jackie’s sublime sausages in red wine; creamy mashed potatoes; crunchy carrots and broccoli; and tender runner beans with which the Culinary Queen drank Hoegaarden and I finished the Pinot Noir.
The flowers with water droplets are magnificent — and I am happy the sidalcea simply bowed in the wind — they will straighten up with a little sun and warmth!
Thanks very much, Janet
So… you and the Japanese anemones were overly eager to get into this world, eh?
So it would seem, GP. 🙂 Thanks very much
Lovely in all its rainy splendor:)
Beautiful – I love photographing the raindrops too 🙂
Thanks very much, Tiny.
We had the same weather, now that’s a first!
I’m so glad your beautiful garden didn’t suffer.
Thanks very much, Sue
How do you know how old the Japanese anemones are? And I like those little ladybirds – very cute!
It is just that they are not due until September. Thanks very much, Pauline 🙂
Ahhh – that kind of early! This is what happens when the brain has yet to be engaged in the morning…..
🙂
They say that premature babies have a stronger will to live, and so do war babies, i.e. those born during a war. Thus, you had been blessed at birth with a double will to live, Derrick.
In pre-revolution Russia, cocaine was the rage among the higher classes of society, especially young ladies who believed that it would imbue them with mysterious paleness. They called themselves anemones. Your photo reminded me of that period, “the silver age of Russian poetry.”
Thank you so much for these thoughtful comments, Dolly.
My pleasure, Derrick.
The garden looks so lovely after the rain. it adds an atmospheric feel to the look of the flowers.
Thanks very much, Geetha
Wow! So many stunning shots today, Derrick. Thanks for sharing with us.
Thanks very much, Jill
The patio umbrellas may be furled, but your glorious flowers are truly unfurled. Your garden looks beautiful–I can’t pick a favorite shot.
Thank you so much, Merril
Love your raindrop pictures. You are lucky to be here. 7 weeks is pretty early .
Especially in those days, Mrs W. Thanks very much.
Your welcome.
These photos were a treat! I absolutely love raindrops on flowers.
Thank you very much, M.B.
I LOVE the header photo!
That is lovely, Liz. Actually it is quite a heavy crop, so I am very pleased. Thank you.
You’re welcome, Derrick. I could see that some artistry went into the final image.
🙂
I do believe raindrops make the flowers more beautiful.
I love spinners in the garden. I have a couple of $2 childish ones you can buy in any cheap/reject shop but I love them.
I had Pinot Noir last evening too. 🙂
Great minds, Chrissy. Thanks very much.
I saw some other pink Japanese anemones out in a neighbour’s garden today and I thought that they were very early too. Our white ones are not flowering yet.
Lovely raindrop work.
Thanks a lot, Tootlepedal.
gorgeous raindrops photos, Derrick. i always rush out to take photographs after the rain! 🙂 🙂
Yes, understood. Thanks very much, Lola
Raindrops make a lovely accessory.
They do – jewelled. Thanks very much, Leslie
I would gladly have joined you and Jackie and helped you I finish the Pinot Noir. That rain certainly drenched your garden. No need to water for a while! I love the ladybug. That’s my daughter, DeAna’s special symbol. <3
Thanks very much, Jan. X
You certainly have been on the receiving end of wet weather! Our day yesterday peaked at around 95 degrees at 6:00 PM. Today we have mostly cloudy conditions, and it is 88 out there now.
Your gardens are beautiful no matter what the weather.
Thanks you very much, Lavinia. Ours was about 70 yesterday – just right 🙂
Rain sure does bring beautiful flowers! Your climate is so so different from ours, and the rain makes everything look so lush. It was hot again here today hahaha.
Thanks very much, Luanne. Our climate is milder than most of the rest of UK
Born 7 weeks premature in Leicester General Hospital in 1942 – yes, you are lucky and you are also strong! A survivor! I love the sidalcea and look forward to raindrops here.
Thank you very much, JoAnna. I hope you get some rain soon.
We got some this afternoon with LOTS of thunder and lightening – very close – and we lost electricity. Radar images said the storm was not at the beach south of us, so we went there. Electricity was back when we got home, so it was a good deal all around.
🙂
Everything always looks great to me despite the stormy weather! You have an enchanted garden–but, then, a preemie just manages such things, I think! 🙂 (All my biological children were preemies to one degree or another….but you were indeed fortunate in ’42!)
Thanks a lot, Cynthia, especially for the preemie understanding 🙂
Surely!–:)
Beautiful photos of your rainy garden. Derrick. I’m so happy no damage was done.
Thanks very much, Sylvia.
Gorgeous. My sister’s name is Jaleh and it means the water drop on flowers. Laleh means tulip.😂
Two wonderful names. I’ll try to photograph raindrops on tulips next spring. Thanks very much, Laleh
Awww that’s so sweet.❤️
I relished those raindrop-bedecked flowers. Kudos to Jackie for the collection of toy-ladybirds. I imagine Ella is going to take a fancy to them one of these days.
Your allusion to the Japanese anemones set me thinking.
Thanks very much, Uma. The anemones got me thinking, too 🙂 Ella does like the ladybirds 🙂
Like the new layout Derrick, your pictures before were great but they appear to be more vibrant in colour now.
Enjoyable post and visit mate.
Cheers, Ian.
Gorgeous pictures! Looks as though the garden didn’t take too much of a beating.
No – not bad at all, Laurie. Thanks a lot.
Good!
Your garden looks so beautiful.
Thanks a lot, Peggy.
Of course here, where it hasn’t rained for months, the sight of all those raindrops is most refreshing. Your garden looks beautiful, whether it is drenched or not.
Thank you very much, Anne. Our rain was overdue, too.
Very Beautiful Derrick. As an interesting aside I noticed the agapanthus. In some regions of Australia is has been declared a weed. If it is called a noxious weed then it must be dug out and destroyed. The fact that it is a native of South Africa – like Watsonia – it can fin itself very comfortable in Australia.
Thanks a lot, John
Perhaps your family were in Leicester during the night of November 19th-20th 1940. This was when Leicester suffered its very own blitz and had a lot of casualties.
That is possible. Dad was billeted next door to Mum and her family.
Oh, I’m so so so glad you survived your premature birth, Derrick!
7 weeks early…wow…your poor, Mum, too. I bet she was worried!
My Dad was a premature baby, too. I remember his oldest sister telling the story of his birth. Sadly, with the very next baby…his mom died in childbirth. 🙁
Love the flowers bejeweled by the raindrops! 🙂
Watching the ladybugs spin would be fun! 🙂
(((HUGS))) 🙂
Thanks very much, Carolyn. I’m not quite sure why, but Mum and I both stayed in hospital until full term. X
You are lucky indeed and I am lucky to be able to see this collection of wonderful flowers with rain drops! Are simply stunning Derrick! Those ladybirds are so cute 😉🐞
Thanks very much, Ribana
The aftermath is pretty. As you mentioned wind and rain I thought of a song. Have you heard the folk song “Wind and Rain”? https://youtu.be/MtnKT2ipRgs
I really liked the song, Sherry. Thanks very much
A bit gloomy. The harmonies and tone are perfect for that song. Glad you like it too.
The anemones often are called windflower here, thanks to the name being rooted in Greek mythology; the legend is that the flower sprang from Aphrodite’s tears as she mourned the death of Adonis. In that sense, raindrops on anemones would be a kind of mythological/botanical redundancy!
🙂 So it would, Linda. Thanks a lot
I do like raindrops on flowers, and your flowers look lovely in the rain.
Thank you very much, Cynthia
I do not tell you enough, I love your garden. Mine is small, surrounding my patio at the studio. I dread the snow that will come in a few months. Regards E.
Thank you so much, Elizabeth
Raindrops enhance the beauty of flowers.
Thanks very much, Rupali. They do.
It’s hard to think of agapanthus being a weed. Your pictures are superb today and the Head Gardener is providing you with excellent material. I was planning to list the ones I liked best, but there are just too many.
🙂 Thank you very much, Susan.
Good to see the weather wasn’t too bad. I was expecting worse weather from some of the forecasts.
So were we. Thanks a lot, Quercus.
Your photos of flowers are always so beautiful!
Thank you very much, Byung
Raindrops on flowers is simply beautiful.
Lovely
Thank you very much, More
You’re welcome