Fragrant French Flowers...

Now that the side garden is completely finished and we can really begin to enjoy it, the rain has come.  I could have set my watch by it!  Also the new garden furniture for there is being delivered on Wednesday so the weather was bound to turn.  Oh well, it's been a magnificent run of summer weather, the best in a long time, so I can't really complain but I probably will.


The day started of at a leisurely pace, no sense of rush as nothing planned apart from eating lunch outside.  I was just preparing it when the doorbell rang.  It was our neighbour Isobel to inform us that a huge swarm of bees had gone past her kitchen window and over the fence into our garden.  She thought they might have taken up residence in a tree next to the Gin Palace.  Yikes!

David went to investigate and sure enough, there they were (see extra.) We have no idea what to do about them.  We don't think they are honey bees but if they are then obviously we don't want any harm to come to them, actually that's true even if they are not honey bees.  Expert help required.

We had lunch sitting outside in the warm sunshine (on the opposite side of the house to where the bees are!)  full of wonder at the fact within a couple of hours the blue sky and sunshine would be replaced with dark clouds and thunder.  

As we watched Lola enjoying her personal water fountain (rolls eyes) it didn't seem possible but sure enough, two hours later the storm arrived and I had the bizarre view out of one window where they sky was dark and threatening and out the opposite window it was blue with sunshine!  Soon it was all dark grey though and the rain fell.  

Thankfully Lola didn't bat an eyelid at the thunder (we missed the worst of it thank goodness) and snoozed happily through it all.

Before the rain came I managed to have a quick inspection of all the new plants in the side garden and to my relief all of them (with one exception, a winter jasmine, that just hasn't thrived) are doing well.  Clematis, honeysuckle, phlox, French lavender and a few others I can't identify are all in bloom and the non-flowering shrubs are looking healthy.  I need to take a note of all the planting and create a care plan for them all as I am determined that this garden will be a success.  I still want to create a herb garden but I will do that in individual planters.

And now the storm has passed.  The air smells fresh and clean and I am sure the garden enjoyed it's first proper drink of water for at least 4 weeks.  The forecast isn't great for the next couple of weeks but I am hoping we haven't seen the last of the sunshine.

Look at that, almost 7pm.  Definitely G&T time!  Cheers! :-))