Tag: clematis

Still Sunny

Published on by Catherine30 Comments

Yes, it’s true. The sun is still shining and it’s making people happy – strangers are smiling and commenting on what wonderful spring weather we’re having. Today will be the 20th day with no rain, and if the forecast is correct, the first day of light rainfall will be another 10 days from now.

Yesterday the topic was raised in the Scottish Parliament and the First Minister was equally surprised that this is only early May and they were talking about possible water shortages. He would check the SEPA report later. Well, I checked it later too, and the water scarcity report stated that my home area has been raised to ‘Alert’. Hosepipe ban ahead? I hope not. That’s something alien to us here on the west coast. I need to check the water butt and I now wonder if we should get second one. But today I’ll be outside making the most of this spring sunshine!

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A Few Glorious Days in April

Published on by Catherine31 Comments

The month of April, whether at the start, middle or end conjures up thoughts of cold winds, frost here & there, lots of rain and sometime even snow. But who would have imagined that at the end of April we would be seeking out shade in the garden to escape from the heat. While temperatures here on the Scottish west coast were lower than further south – for me, it was hot. It lasted only a few days, but those days were wonderful!

Temperatures have dropped now, but it’s still pleasant enough to allow me to get back into the greenhouse and continue potting on small plants and seedlings. Meantime, Six on Saturday is with us again, and here are my selected photographs and perhaps unsurprisingly, for this time of the year, they are all tulips.

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Late Summer Gardening: What’s Growing in Week Two of August

Published on by Catherine20 Comments

I opened the blinds early one morning this week and looked down on the garden. ‘Autumn has definitely arrived’, I thought, before remembering that it was only the 5th of August. The garden still has plenty of flowers, but that morning the garden looked defeated as the rain hammered down and the wind howled. I kind of felt a bit like that myself.

The explanation from the experts is that Scotland has either been under, or on the cold side of the jet stream that has stubbornly refused to move out of the way to allow warm air to flow up from the south. I think most of us here have accepted that all hope of a real summer has vanished. My mind is now starting to turn to late winter and spring flowering bulbs and plants. There’s always something else to cheer up home gardeners, isn’t there.

Here is my contribution to this week’s Six on Saturday.

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We Abandoned the Garden

Published on by Catherine29 Comments

It’s been a better week of weather for us here on the west coast of Scotland, with the best day being Monday and great for gardening – we had a lot to do. We unexpectedly had Littlest Grandson with us on that day (school summer holidays) and he gamely helped in the garden during the morning. At lunchtime, we asked him if he’d like to go to the beach. We knew the answer well before his face lit up with delight. We live only a few minutes from the beach but Monday was the first day where we felt it was warm enough to let him dig in the sand, paddle in the sea and of course, get an ice cream from the van.

So off we went with folding chairs for gran & grandad, a mat that we knew he wouldn’t sit on, a bucket & spade, and other paraphernalia that is needed for a couple of hours on the sand. It was the first beach day, but I hope it won’t be the last. Gardening duties were simply abandoned and it was worth it.

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Summer Go-Slow

Published on by Catherine23 Comments

The garden’s growth has been a bit sluggish lately. The recent weather has been cold and lacking sunlight, which is quite different from what I captured in my photos at this time last year. Back then, many plants, including the roses, were in full bloom. At that time, everyone here was basking (melting!) in the heat. This year has been different and I’ve been impatient for the garden to burst into glorious colour.

But I have to ask myself – why am I in such a hurry? The roses have plenty of buds, and perennials and annuals will flower soon. When they do, temperatures will have risen enough to be able to sit out and simply enjoy the garden, its colour, its perfume and the warmth of summer. Perhaps the plants are wiser than me. They’re patiently waiting for the right moment.

My apologies for missing all your blogs last week, I’ve been a bit under the weather for a couple of weeks, but on the mend and back working (gently) in the garden. My other half is the real workhorse in our garden now, and I’m mostly the one who points and says, ‘Dig this out’ or ‘plant this here’. It’s a pity he doesn’t love the garden, but I’m working on that! 😉

However, I’ve been around the garden with the camera and found plenty of prettiness to capture for this week’s Six on Saturday.

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