A few firsts

first liliesHere are the first lilies of the season. Out at long, long last. If I were keen, I’d look back in my records to see how late they are compared with other years. But that’s a more bored in winter task than an urgent summer one.

The main thing is they are out, and my neighbour Daniele is thrilled, as they are her favourite flowers.

Tis a first for another reason today. I was up early (ambushed by Artur who was up even earlier) and looked at the barn garden and actually thought ‘it’s not that bad’.   calabert august

All that early season work of weeding and mulching has paid off.  In fact a lot of the garden is looking lovely. And that is despite a month at least of 30C heat.

The santolinas and the lavender stoechas are a bit scorched on the ends.  But not so much as you walk past and hiss your teeth and think, must attend.

And the balotta (or is it ballota?) and the white lavender together are putting on quite a show.

ballota white lavenderI don’t really have much use for white lavender as it is not as strongly scented as some of my darker ones.  But the bees aren’t fussy, and the plants are statuesque.

And actually, I suspect they do better in a garden of a more northerly aspect.  The full sun can bleach colours here at the best of times.  Glaring sun means these two huge lavenders seem to disappear into the background.

But if you get up early enough, they are fetching.

And speaking of fetching.

I’ve been doing something I usually only do in spring: moving plants. calabert seedlings

I have had to emtpy the potting shed of all my little new seedlings (brassicas, mainly) as three days away in this heat will finish them off.

It’s not that much better in the open barn, but at least it’s shaded there. And we are due some storms. I don’t  know if that means the temperature will drop much, but clouds would be heavenly.