Al fresco

The sun is shining, it's very warm and Andy Murray has won Wimbledon.  It's summer.

Hay while the sun shines

We've had unbroken summery weather since late last week; since Saturday all meals have been al fresco at the bottom of the garden (though work regime starts again tomorrow and workday breakfasts are always on the run).  Temperatures today were mid-20s in the shade, though an easterly breeze kept it bearable.  Farmers are making the proverbial hay while the sun shines (I should add that the nettles in the foreground of the photo are in the field edge on the other side of the fence, not in my garden!), attracting a fair number of seagulls and crows, and the sparrowhawk sitting on the telegraph pole, but I saw a blackbird gathering food there too, so the usual resident birds are benefitting also.  The young starlings have started to appear, and the sparrows and robins continue to feed their little ones; chaffinches are about, and there was also a family of goldfinches (including little ones wanting feeding) round the pond this afternoon.  Have I mentioned before that we've had the usual young greater spotted woodpeckers around? and we heard a green one yaffling somewhere the other day.  There have been a few swifts around too, as well as the usual house martins and swallows, and a partridge has appeared in the past few days.

Most of the roses are now in flower, the Big Yellow Thing, the Phlomis and the Stachys are coming out and I keep hoping that the peony will open soon too.  Today I noticed that the Thalictrum, half-hidden behind rose 'Mme Hardy', is fully out, complementing the Buddleia alternifolia which is just starting to bloom.  This weekend's work included thinning the apples -  not too much to do there this year - and to start pruning the cordons.  It's a bit early for that, but I discovered a lot of aphid attack and some nasty-looking blotchy leaves on them and thought that some more air in there would be helpful (not to mention getting rid of as many of the horrible bits as possible); each tree was also treated to two bucketfuls of water as the ground is starting to get really dry.  I also planted out some beans - trying 'Moonlight' and 'Ferrari' this year - and some of the ornamentals I bought the other week - Dianthus 'Devon Dove' (white) and 'Cranmere Pool' (two-tone pink) among others.  The old herb patch is turning into a scented garden, although there are a few non-scenteds (notably the courgettes!) in there this year.

Still too many weeds and not enough time to get them out.