Another hot, dry, muggy week or so has flown by. As I type, rolling black clouds drop the occasional fleeting shower, but no real rain as of yet. Fingers and toes are crossed for a decent downpour.
I’ve harvested some of my broad beans, delicious they were! It’s also been a fantastic year for garlic as my summer crop has formed wonderful bulbs with cloves. I have over a hundred bulbs now, so I’m contemplating drying them all and reducing them to garlic powder.
Himalayan honeysuckle and agapanthus.
It’s been a struggle trying to keep the garden watered of late as it’s remained warm during the evenings and overnight. Everywhere I look pitiful looking plants are wilting so I’ve taken to squinting.
The lilies have done well this year and the heat has their delicious scent wafting across the gardens.
It’s quickly becoming hydrangea season. I do prefer the blue ones but unfortunately my sandy soil turns them all pink.
I was astonished to see Buddy actually picking pears from a low hanging branch recently. Given I told him off as the pears weren’t ripe, he’s now taking to stealing them by stealth and slinking off to eat them somewhere I can’t see him.
Remember this bonsai tree I bought last winter? Well I’ve just remembered that I had another one, exactly the same. It wasn’t doing well so I planted it in the courtyard. You should see the size of it, I try to keep it trimmed to hedge size but it romps away like a triffid.
On the rescue front,
this is the lamb I posted when he was a day old, oh, how I feel for his poor mother. Who knew they did this?
Given the hot weather, a small group of us are going into wildlife each evening to turn of the fans. Each evening almost every hedgehog is out of it’s bedding and just flopping about, I’ve had to give them all a gentle poke to check they were still breathing.
There are herring gulls in every nook and cranny and as soon as you walk in every juvenile bird starts screeching for food. It’s like a scene out of Hitchcock’s “Birds”.
We had a meeting out doors on the farm recently, it was hysterically funny as we were all shouted down by cockerels, geese and sheep, the racket was unbelievable!
And Finally…
I came across this amazing caterpillar yesterday, crawling down a tree trunk. I had to look it up, apparently it is a puss moth caterpillar. When it waves it’s back end at you like that it’s about to spray something highly unpleasant. I’m glad I moved when I did!
Until next time, stay safe guys.xxx
Hahahaha…loving atomic ass! Buddy is the slyest dog I’ve ever had, he is so tenacious, he never gives up on anything he wants. Ha, your dog sounds similar. Good to hear from you, I hope all is well.xxx
Looks like lambs aren’t that much different than human babies! That caterpillar is a beauty but who needs a friend with an atomic ass? Best to part ways. Ha!! I love what a thief Buddy is. Such a clever dog. When I’m not home, if I don’t have all the chairs tucked in tight, my dog climbs on the table so he can look out the window. He’s horrible and brilliant at the same time.
I’ve been pleased with my garlic too. I was hoping that I had turned a corner but maybe it was just a good year for it all round, Animals so some amazing things don’t they,
It does seem to have been a good year for garlic, hopefully the trend will last in coming years, Oh….animals are always up to something that’s for sure. Thanks Sue. xxx
Your lilies look good, so I’m guessing the beetles weren’t too bad.
Thanks Jason, I’ve seen lots of red devils here but they don’t seem to have done as much damage as they usually do.xxx
I just sent a comment, but it doesn’t seem to have registered…in case you receive two!
We have had torrential rain….tropical rain and so I do hope that by the time you receive this you will also have received one or two or more good downpours.
The caterpillar is amazing. I haven’t seen one like that ….
Love to you and all the critters.
Janet XXXXXXX
Thanks Janet, I do hope my comments aren’t playing up again. Still pretty dry around here but we do have a storm predicted for tomorrow, fingers ae crossed for rain. That’s the first time I’ve ever seen a caterpillar like that here in thirty years. Love and hugs to you.xxxx
Oh dear, I hope our pups don’t go Buddy on us and start picking fruit themselves! It’s hard enough trying to keep them from eating the wild apple windfalls without worrying about them harvesting the pears and peaches. I can picture that particular caterpillar with a hookah staring down poor Alice before he sprayed her out of Wonderland.
We had dogs that got blind drunk on rotten apples back in the day! I have everything crossed that your two leave the fruit alone. Hahaha, lovely description of the moss! Thanks Brenda.xxx
Such abundance, such colour, those lilies! Had to chuckle at the stealthy pear eater, Mum and Dad had a Great Dane who would ‘pick’ the raspberries and take them to my sister, she’d collect flowers too, lol.
Puss Moth, ewwwewewww,
Thanks AnneMarie. Oh, Buddy is the sneakiest dog I’ve ever had. He’s too bright for his own good. Ahhh, that Great Dane sure sounds something. Not a fan of the caterpillar then? Lol.xxx
Great post and images. Hope you are enjoying the good weather. Mid-winter down here.
Thanks Peter. I’m not a fan of heat, I’m hoping for some rain, our gardens sure need it.xxx
Your garden is doing well, lovely photographs.
It hasn’t been easy for anyone human or animal to cope with the high temperatures, thankfully it has been cooler and we’ve had quite a lot of rain which the trees and plants have been thankful for.
Enjoy the remainder of July, I can’t believe August is almost here 🙂
All the best Jan
Thanks Jan. I do wish it would rain here, we’ve only had a couple of light smatterings, storms are predicted tomorrow though. Yes, the year is flying by!xxx
Your puss moth intrigued me. ‘Our’ puss moth is Megalopyge opercularis , and it looks quite different. It’s fuzzy and furry and every little hair is like a hypodermic needle filled with stinging poison; brush up against one, and it’s excruciatingly painful. See?
I laughed at Buddy and the pears. I have a friend whose cat adores lettuce, and another friend whose dog prefers watermelon as a treat. There’s no accounting for taste, they say, and apparently that’s true for our critters as well as for people!
Oh goodness, your puss moss sounds a lot worse than ours, I must look it up! Well I never….a cat that likes lettuce??? Dogs will eat most things but cats? Who knew! Thanks Linda.xxx
So, a a reformed Bonsai. Will it let you reduce it to minor proportions, do you think?
That Caterpillar does have a certain je ne sais quoi.
Buddy as always, independent. Who knew canines ate pears!
How long do you keep young seagulls? I wonder in what circumstances they were found.
The lamb likes a warm woolly cushion called mum. I don’t think I’ve seen a big lamb attempt to curl over its mum. The young small ones do curl into mum’s side once they’re past the first few days. I’ll keep an eye out from now on.
Good post with lively pix. Xxxxx
The hedge-bonsai is a total thug, I don’t have a chance at reducing it, still, it’s happy as a hedge. Yes, a very impressive wee caterpillar, I’m hoping to see more! Our dogs are fans of apples, soft fruit and carrots….they seem to have quite a varied diet. We keep all birds until they have their flight feathers, can fly and feed themselves, quite a few months in all. I’ve never seen a lamb lying on it’s mother either! Thanks Menhir.xxxx
Your garden is looking gorgeous. The Himalayan honeysuckle does grow like wildfire (well mine does). I prune it hard each year and it springs back. It was originally a twig my mum had stuck into a pot. Once it was planted in the ground there was no stopping it. Just like your plant in the photo.
I feel sorry for those rescue animals in the heat. They are so fortunate that you are all so attentive to their needs.
Your pear tree is so full of fruit. I am envious. The two fruit trees I bought last year and put into containers have both grown, but only the apple has fruit on it. The pear didn’t. So funny that your dog is pinching them !
Hi Keggy, hope all is well. The Himalayan honeysuckle goes wild here too and is very hardy. Fancy yours starting out as a twig! Yes, the wildlife are suffering this summer, they really struggle with drought. My pear trees took years before providing fruit, once they start though, they’re away! Our dogs steal apples and strawberries too. xxx
I love your Himalayan Honeysuckle, I bet it wouldn’t grow in Australia. Your hydrangea may not be blue, but what a beautiful pink colour, our hydrangeas are a much softer pink, a bit washed out looking next to yours (and no blues either). How funny that Buddy sneaks off to eat his pear. When we lived in Africa both our dogs loved eating avocados…..(which just fell off the trees there was such an abundance of them.) The dogs never ate the skin, but loved the rest, and had lovely soft shiny fur, which Mum put down to the oil in their avocado diet!
It must take so much time and also patience to look after wildlife, night and day, you do a wonderful job!
Thanks Gerrie. That Himalayan honeysuckle grows like a weed and does well during droughts too so maybe give it a whirl. Good grief! I’ve never heard of dogs eating avocadoes, who knew!xxx
Your caterpillar photo had me googling more images of them — cute, except when the back end if waving about!!!
I’m so impressed with that heap of garlic. Yum! And that (not) delicate bonsai… wow. And those hydrangeas are pretty spectacular too. I used to have one like your second photo (sterile florets on the outer rim and fertile at the center) and it was a pale pink that would lean purple-blue if I gave the soil aluminum sulfate.
Screeching birds doesn’t sound fun, but you brave it all for their sakes 😉
That caterpillar sure is something! It’s the first of it’s type I’ve seed in these gardens, it was pretty big too! I’m always adding to the soil here trying to get blue hydrangeas, they start to turn blue but always revert whatever I do….sighs. Thanks Anne.xxx
Your energy always amazes me! We’re surrounded by screaming gulls here – they sit on the roofs for hours with their youngsters continuously cheeping. I have to admit, I’m not a fan. xx
I must say I struggle in the heat and only do what I absolutely have to do! We’ve had lots of screaming gulls since this pandemic struck, they sure are loud! Thanks Gill.xxx
Oh, my, dear friend; we’re living parallel almost-identical lives, with the heat, drought, pink hydrangeas, broad beans, and sweet, funny pup companions with minds of their own! The beauty and bounty you create are stunning.
So impressed by your garlic yield! Wow. And how wonderful is your work with all those furred and feathered beloveds at the rescue? I hope they’ll be able to be kept cool enough in the challenging temps! Saving our little corners of the Earth has never been more challenging or necessary. Blessings on all. Thank you for spirit of compassion and abundant care. Xoxo
Well, there you go, we’ve synchronised! I do feel for the wildlife around the world struggling with rising temperatures, wildfires and floods as well as people. 2021 has been horrendous so far. Thanks Kitty. Love and hugs to you all.xxxx
Lovely post and pictures. Buddy’s antics made me smile.
Given how hot it was last week I dread to think how much some wildlife most have suffered in it. Lucky you seeing the puss moth caterpillar.
Thanks, and you too. xx
Thanks Flighty. Buddy is certainly crafty! It is sad seeing native wildlife struggling this summer, water is the main problem. I’ve never seen a puss moth caterpillar in these gardens in the thirty years we’ve lived here.xxx
It’s good to see your productive garden which has been due to a lot of planning and hard work. I feel sorry for animals in this hot weather. It’s still humid although we have had some welcome breezes and a few heavy downpours of rain. The caterpillar is interesting, but glad you moved out of the way since you know a lot about wildlife. You knew what would happen! Take care. xx
Thanks Linda. Yes, animals struggle in this weather. I hope we get some rain soon, most weather systems seem to pass us by. I too am glad I didn’t anger that caterpillar, sounds like it could have got nasty, fast!xxx
It’s been so hot, hasn’t it. I’m glad of the respite now it’s cooled down a little, it’s rather windy here today too. Buddy makes me laugh with his stealing by stealth, crafty monkey. I do enjoy seeing all the animals in the rescue, it’s such a shame they’re there but they’re the lucky ones who are being cared for.
Thanks Jo. Yes it’s always a shame seeing wildlife in the rescue, this hot weather has many dehydrated, they’re just not used to going without water. We’re still in dire need of rain, hopefully we’ll get some soon, the gardens are parched.xxx
Poor hot hedgehogs! So much garlic – well done you. I’ve never tried making garlic powder, but that (and onion powder) are 2 things that I can’t keep for very long. They seem to absorb water and solidify and I’m left stabbing at the jar in a frenzy trying to extract some! Fancy Buddy liking pears and that caterpillar is beautiful. Happy harvesting. xx
Oh, you have me wondering if reducing the garlic to powder is a good idea now…
Buddy is on his fourth pear of the day as I type! Sighs! Thanks Veggiemummy.xxx
How nice to eat veggies you’ve grown yourself.
Amalia
xo
Thanks Amalia. I do prefer homegrown fruit and veggies.xxx