This drizzle-wet morning gave way to the hot, humid-wet afternoon on which I carried out a dead-heading exercise.
For those worried about our robin family, Jackie’s internet research has revealed that in summer the missing small birds abandon gardens for woods where a plethora of readily attainable food abounds. They can be expected to return when it takes less effort to follow gardeners around than to forage the fields and forest.
In the meantime we have butterflies like the Small Whites that sup from the verbena bonariensis.
The still bejewelled Deep Secret; the apricot Mamma Mia; and red Love Knot are examples of the Rose Garden Roses, while
along the Shady Path the red climber also retains raindrops.
Yellow rudbeckia Goldsturm and rich red crocosmia Lucifer grace the Palm Bed;
an intriguing gladiolus whose label has been eaten by slugs is propped up in the Oval Bed;
Yellow kniphofias need no support in the Cryptomeria Bed;
in other locations we have more lilies;
bronze fennel and sweet peas,
Japanese anemones and pelargoniums,
and dazzling dahlias.
Later this afternoon I made a minor contribution to Jackie’s extensive watering project. One lesson I have had to learn is that water from the skies does not reach plants in pots.
This evening we dined on Jackie’s cheese-topped classic cottage pie, carrots, and mange touts with tasty beef gravy. The Culinary Queen drank Hoegaarden and I drank more of the Rioja.
I agree about the pots. Even during a storm, not all my plants get watered. I know I look silly out there watering plants shortly after having a monsoon drop out of the sky!!
I always feel a bit daft too, watering my containers in the rain!
Funny, Jackie. (but I know what you mean!!)
🙂 Thanks a lot, GP.
The robins are missing from our garden too – but they always come back 🙂🌿
That is reassuring, Tiny. Thanks very much.
Beautiful 😀
Thanks very much, Rebecca.
Rain? You had rain? Boo hiss!! Stop hogging it!!
Do you want that last week in August post with fresh looking blooms, or not? 🙂
Oh harsh but fair… oh alright, keep your rain, see if I care…
🙂 Both cackling here
Oh laugh why don’t you!! I think today’s sweat will double as a monsoon!!
🙂
The second to last photograph looks like it should be on a chocolate box, or a jigsaw puzzle.
A perfect 🎶 English country garden 🎶
x
Thanks very much, Melanie. x
Such beautiful colours.
Thanks to Jackie for the updates.
And thanks to you, Rupali.
Yummy flowers- I can smell those roses sitting here on my front porch thousands and thousands of miles away from you! We have also had hot hot and humid days but the flowers are enjoying the weather as long as we do the watering. And two days ago a tropical storm came by to help us out on that front. 😎
Many thanks, Pamela.
The roses are spectacular, Derrick! We had some major downpours this afternoon, but unfortunately it made the air even more humid.
Thanks a lot, Jill. I hope you have more pleasant weather today.
Such beautiful blooms – love the pink lily and the dahlia, but of course all of them are gorgeous. I’m getting quite a taste for a good Rioja as well 🙂
Thank you very much, M.B.
I was very pleased to see my favorite of your butterflies, the Small White.
They have been our most prolific this year, Liz. Thanks very much.
What gorgeous photos, Derrick. That last dahlia was dazzling with the sun on the petals. Beautiful post. <3
Thank you so much, Diana 🙂
Absolutely gorgeous!
Thanks very much, Sue.
I am being redundant, but raindrops are on roses are still my favorite things. Ditto for roses without raindrops. You are broadening my culinary spectrum, Derrick; I had to look up mangetout, both as one word and as the original French two words.
Fancy us broadening you culinary spectrum, Dolly. Thanks very much.
I think your rating of my culinary expertise is vastly overrated, Derrick.
You are very welcome!
🙂
Your garden continues to be absolutely beautiful, even after a light rain! Thank you for sharing it with us — and with the white butterfly!
And thank you, too, Janet.
I have never seen a yellow kniphofia. Does it have a common name? Mildly warm poker or something like that?
It is a popsicle type called Mango. Thanks a lot, Tootlepedal 🙂
I have found the same thing to be true about rain and pots. Hope Nugget comes back safe and sound.
So do we, Laurie. Thanks very much.
I appreciate learning about the little birds going to the woods for a summer vacation. I hope they’re having a good time out there.
Thanks very much, JoAnna.
You have lovely gardens.
Thank you very much, Mrs W.
Your welcome.
As the Ancient Mariner sighed, water, water, everywhere nor any drop to drink!. I will await the return of the robin!
Thanks very much, Uma. Nice reference.
Your photo of the Red Climber Rose is stunning Derrick…
Thanks very much, Ivor. It has a powerful scent, too.
That is a highly entertaining autobiographical account from your Halcyon days. You have ever been the enterprising soul and I wasn’t surprised in the least by the turn of affairs at the Cattlestop Theatre. Sister Mary Whoever would never have imagined the twist in the tale.
Incidentally, colonial legacy survives till date in India, and there was a cattlestop practically in every government building when I was a child, to my utmost horror. As a matter of fact, I remember having a foot or two slipped into the monstrous contraptions, till the time I mastered the art on tiptoeing on the semicircles fixed in the middle of the thing to ease the huge gates roll on wheels over the rails. Still, the smaller ones never had the semicircles.
Interesting information about the absence of the robins – thank you for that.
And thank you for reading and commenting, Anne.
So wonderful that you contribute-d, Derrick!
Thank you to Jackie for the robin research! I was getting so worried about Nugget and his family.
I do hope they will be back when it’s time for them to return. I’m sure they are thinking of you and Jackie and miss you both. 🙂
(((HUGS))) 🙂
PS…I have a friend who said, “It is either really humid today…or my underpants have become very friendly.” 😮 😀
Do you know the one about the little boy who asked his teacher “is a fart wet?”. If not I’m sure you can work out the punch line. Thanks very much, Carolyn. X
HA! I’ve not heard that one…but I’m sure it ends with something about a pooh-pooh in the pants…and I’m not talking about Mr. Winnie the Pooh! 😉 😀 😛
Correct 🙂
It is going to be a busy pot watering day today Derrick.
Indeed. Thanks a lot, Andrew.
The timing’s slightly different, but here, from about mid-October until December of January, I hardly see a bird at the feeders. Given a choice, they prefer the ripening seeds available in nature to what I can provide. I always miss them when they’re ‘gone.’ Even in the woods, they can become eerily silent before starting to sing again as the year turns.
Thanks very much, Linda. A phenomenon we haven’t noticed before.
Many stunning photos–particularly the raindrop bejeweled rose and the small white butterfly. (We have lots of those, too.)
I didn’t know the pots don’t get watered by the rain. I think everything was watered here in our last big storm–the wind was sending some water through our back door!
Interesting about your robins, too.
Thanks very much, Merril. The water may wet the flowers but doesn’t reach the soil or the roots. Perhaps your storms are stronger.
Gorgeous, gorgeous!
Thank you very much, Julie
Als de tuin in volle bloei staat, heeft u echt de aller mooiste tuin van héél Engeland … , die had ik toch al eens eerder geschreven? Zo leuk, om mee te mogen genieten van elke bloeiende bloem … Ik heb wel een mooi uitzicht, maar géén tuin … Wat is geluk?!? EEN TUIN IS GELUK! Iedere bloem is geluk … , ja … Mensen met een tuin zijn gelukkige mensen, want ze raken in verrukking en iedereen mag & moet mee genieten … Toch?! * Amsterdam, vrijdag 7 augustus 2020, 16.00 uur … * Hollandse tijd … * http://www.friedabblog.wordpress.com *
Thank you very much, Frieda
Beautiful! Beautiful! I have a question: do you have any idea of the number of plant species in your garden? It seems quite extensive. If I remember correctly, you said you all garden on less than an acre of land. It’s quite impressive and looks like it goes on forever.
Thank you very much, Cheryl. I have no idea. Jackie says “Oh, Good Lord. No. One day I intend to count them”.
Tell Jackie I will wait patiently! 🙂
So the Nugget family is on summer vacation in the countryside? 🙂
Your flowers bring a colorful joy to my morning here. Many thanks to you and Jackie for the daily parade of blooms!
It would seem so, Lavinia. And thank you from both of us for your friendship and regular readership
I know exactly what you mean by hot and humid, Derrick. 😯 Yes, even after rain, the pots still need watering, so we’ve set up a drip and misting system in our lanai. Its nowhere near as big as your garden though. 🙂
Thanks very much, Sylvia. Previous owners of our house had an intricate buried irrigation system which had largely perished when we arrived.
Chris has always put an irrigation system in wherever we’ve moved to. It saves so much time and nowadays, can be controlled from his phone.
We know how resourceful he is – I remember the ceiling. 🙂
Oh yes, never say die. 😀
Lovely pictures. I don’t see a lot of butterflies anymore.
We have less this year. Thanks very much, Jacqui.
now i know why nugget is missing in your photos! 🙂 flowers and raindrops do very well in photography! i always rush out to take photographs after the rain. 🙂 delightful gallery as always, Derrick! 🙁
* i meant a happy face 🙂 🙂
Thanks very much, Lola.
Nice to know what happens to robins in the summer months! I hope Nugget will return to your garden in due course.
Wow I’ve never seen such a butterfly, it simply beautiful.
Great photos Derrick
Thanks very much, More. That butterfly is our most prolific at the moment.
It’s very beautiful.
Have a good weekend
Aha, now I can be all posh when I next go to buy some Snow peas!
🙂
Simply beautiful! I’m sure Nugget’s family will be back 🐦 His home is in this magical garden 😉🌸
We hope so, Ribana. Thank you very much.
Lovely photography as usual. I did not know that the rainwater does not reach plants in pots. Why is that so?
I hits the plant leaves but doesn’t find its way to the soil. I found that the hard way in London window boxes. It is the same with hanging baskets in open gardens. Thanks very much, Geetha
Good to know. Thanks for sharing