Hot, hot, hot

Each day in the cutting garden so far this week, it has reached the heady heights of 30 degrees and over.  I have therefore carefully planned where and when to work in the garden. I always ensure that I avoid working near the white painted south facing wall at midday as it becomes unbearably hot. It is so hard to make these considered choices in the excited rush to get back near my blooms and help them recover after the deluge of rain. So much to do and so little time. But the garden is looking lovely and seems to be singing. Here is a little whistle stop tour of the garden as it looked today, a bit parched and with some of the spring sown annual rows exposing their slug nibbled gaps.

Beautiful Larkspur

A 'cloud' of antirrhinums in the bright sunshine

Mmmm 'Appleblossom' antirrhinums

"Ooh, am I in the wrong place?"

'Red Velvet' antirrhinum looking like luscious hot lips

Shasta Daisies, they remind me of a feathery hat Doris Day might have worn

A tiny lethargic pollen leaden honey bee could barely move in the hot sunshine today

Sweet Pea 'Anniversary'

Sweet Pea 'Our Harry'

Helenium Moerheim Beauty looking a little ragged after the rain

Zinnias with a 'slug gap' but otherwise healthy

White corncockles

At last, dry enough to deadhead

Just ready to unfurl

Roses trying to recover...

And finally, Chateau de Fleur 2012?  Why not, after a hot, sweaty, satisfying day in the garden in the longed for sunshine of a British summer!