Last week was one of enforced laziness at least as far as the afternoons were concerned. Any outdoor activity was confined to mornings before the temperature soared to the high 30s or in the evening when things cooled down to a more comfortable temperature.
Ruby wasn’t impressed that some expected walks didn’t materialise or were shorter than usual.
Friday morning thunder rumbled and we had a short-lived downpour which was enough for us to have a day free from watering duties.
On Saturday evening the wind got up. As if the plants hadn’t had enough to contend with
Home and Garden
We spent most evenings watering the garden, especially concentrating on the newly planted borders and tubs.
One pleasant surprise was a sign of life on the clematis that I cut back hard after the top growth had been killed by earlier gales. Fingers crossed that the young shoot is joined by more shoots and the clematis recovers.
One pleasant surprise was a sign of life on the clematis that I cut back hard after the top growth had been killed by earlier gales. Fingers crossed that the young shoot is joined by more shoots and the clematis recovers.
We have set up a trail camera in the garden which recorded not only an expected visit from a hedgehog but also a view of the rear end of a fox. The hedgehog looks to have lost some of its spines. As for the fox, the photo was accidentally deleted.
Hedgehogs and the fox weren’t the only animal life that the trail camera picked up.
At the Allotment
There was some drama at the allotment last week. Along one side of the site stands a row of conifers planted within the boundary of a neighbouring private garden. Northern Powergrid had been concerned for some time because the tops of the trees were interfering with overhead power lines. Matters came to a head on Wednesday when a plot holder noticed that part of the conifer hedge was on fire and alerted Northern Powergrid. The result was swift action, with the trees being cut back by at least half. As the conifers cast considerable shade over the adjacent plots, the drastic pruning should also improve growing conditions for those gardeners.
Last week, June was certainly flaming in more ways than one!
Monday afternoon we spent some time weeding and as the blueberries were just starting to ripen we netted them. It was a good job that we did as by Saturday we were harvesting ripe berries. Had they not been under netting, the birds would have feasted on them before we had a look in
Other than that most time at the allotment was spent watering during the cooler parts of the day.
One bed that didn’t need watering was the lavender which enjoys the hot dry conditions.
Whilst watering I noticed that black fly were moving in on the broad beans so I cut a few centimetres from the top growth. Not only does this deprive the black fly of the tender growth at the top of the plants but also encourages the plants to concentrate their energy into forming beans.
As well as blueberries we also managed to gather together a few other harvest
Out and About
Nostell
The heatwave hadn’t kicked in on Monday but to be on the safe side we headed for Nostell in the morning and had a close-up of the swan family.
The cygnets are growing up really quickly. Just look at their long necks.
Ruby
We managed to take Ruby for walks during the coolest parts of the day but the walks were often shorter than usual.
She didn’t appreciate how some routines didn’t go as expected.
She wasn’t impressed, when on Thursday morning, she was given a shower. Normally we use a hairdryer to dry her hair but this time we let her dry naturally.
Then, it went from bad to worse as the afternoon brought another disappointment when her regular afternoon walk didn’t happen. She looked longingly outside willing us to open the door.
She had to content herself by lounging on her cooling mat and playing quiet games like ‘find the kibble’no charging about chasing a ball
Finally
So ended a week dominated by sunshine, watering cans, and shade-seeking. While the heatwave curtailed some activities, it brought rewards too, from the first blueberries of the season to unexpected visitors on the trail camera. Now all we need is a little rain, a little less heat and a return to long walks which will make for a happier Ruby.
Here’s hoping the coming week provides all three.
Until next time stay safe and stay well.
