Very windy this morning with some squally showers. Not at all what we should expect in July! The first picture this week is of a rose that has taken a long time to come into bloom this summer. It put on a lot of early growth which sustained frost and wind damage. It was worth waiting for. It is one of my favourites. I’m not sure what its proper name is but I call it Raspberry Ripple. I think you can gues why!

Nearby is this one (I need to get busy with the secateurs by the look of it!):

And this fuschia:

The lavendar hedge is in full bloom now and creates a delightfull aroma when you brush past it on your way in and out of the house.

I wish I could remember what this yellow flower is called. Maybe you know? Or the pink one below it?

The hollyhocks are opening out now. These are pale cream but we have pink ones, too, although they have yet to show their colours.

Do you remember the pink diarama I showed you a couple of weeks ago? The one that came from seed collected from a plant at the cancer support centre? Here’s another, slightly darker coloured. And, if it works, there’s a brief video of it swaying in the wind.

Ah well, seems I have to upgrade to premium to be able to upload a video. Shame, because I took one of the cotton grass waving in the wind next to the pond. Here’s a reminder of the pink diarama. It’s matured a little since that first glimpse. And there is one of the pink hollyhocks peeping out from behind it.

And here is another flower whose name I have forgotten. I like the vibrancy of the colour though! I had a couple of quite large clumps which I lifted and divided in the spring, so I now have about six of them. The plan was to intersperse them with a small yellow foxglove which I also lifted and divided. Unfortunately the foxglove refused to co-operate. I’m hoping that it will survive into next year and produce the effect I’m after.

That’s it for this week, except to say that the weeds have germinated in the raised bed. Actually, not all are weeds since I can recognise tomatoes and marigolds and I’m guessing there will be alchemilla, antirhinum and columbine in there, too. But they all will be hoed off in the next few days and I shall sow carrot and beetroot in varieties that are okay to sow in July. Have a great week ahead and, if your area is still subject to the toughest restrictions because of the pandemic, stay strong and stay safe.