September has begun and it still hasn’t rained.  There is not much colour in the garden right now except – the dahlias…  these are the ones by the greenhouse.  As you remember I said I liked them as a late summer filler, well they are the only (except for the rudbeckias) colour right now!  Oh and not to forget the sedums.  They, of course, don’t mind the lack of rain!

Well, what to say about August!  No rain, well almost no rain and a garden finished before it’s time.  A struggle to keep some things, at least alive.  The problem with my garden is that most of it has no access to water except for water barrels.  So once they are finished so is the garden.  I now have to cut down things before their time.  The Helianthus “Lemon Queen”.which should be 1 mtr 20 high is about half a meter with no flowers!  The asters however look ok, well shorter than normal but quite fresh and lots of flowers, so fingers crossed.

Above left is an area close to the pond so I have used the water from the pond to keep it all alive..  and right is Verbena Bonariensis which has self seeded itself in the path round the veggie plot and seems to thrive without water!

Remember the peach tree, well it is absolutely full, they are small but beginning to ripen and it is loaded.  The other picture is from the balcony with the promise of another fine, dry day!

Well, August began very hot, just as July ended.  However, the weather broke last week just in time to save the garden,  not that there are many flowers left.  Most of them were over before they could begin.

thank goodness for rudbeckias, they have survived and add a splash of colour.  As do the helleniums.

Above left is the other plant that is flowering away, vernonia crinita ‘morvan’.  It is actually a lot taller than it looks in the picture, easily almost two meters high.  And the butterflies love it.

 

 

 

This was taken about 10 days ago.  They are looking somewhat wilted by now.  The forecast is for over 30c with no rain for the next ten days.

 

There is no water in this part of the garden.  Good luck guys.

The last of the daylilies, crimson pirate and Frans Hals

The weather continues to be over 35c with no rain so still on watering duty.. I’ve had to pick the peaches from the one tree as the wasps were getting them.  They are the flat white peaches.  Not huge but very juicy and sweet!

July continues to be very hot with no rain so no relief from the watering… Above is a photo of one of the agapanthus which I nurtured through the winter and somehow it made it..   I have never seen so many butterflies as this year so here are some photos.

Also a photo of a water lily in the pond

July is, at present, very warm.  We had some rain at the beginning of the month of which the garden was very glad as it was very dry but now I am back on watering duty!

Some photos of, guess, daylilies and some general views plus a knipofia I bought this year and a dahlia.  I know some people don’t like dahlias but I find them a good colourful summer/end of summer filler.

 

Well, after the rainiest May since records began June has probably been the driest.  Over 30c today and due to reach 35c tomorrow.  So am on watering duty each evening!

Here are some random photos

Here are some more daylilies.

From left, Corky, an unknown large orange and the wonderfully scented Hyperion.

June is almost over and I know there is still the whole of July and August to come with a fair number of plants still to flower but it does all go so fast….