Actually we are 3 days off a full moon, I just fancied a bit of a rhyme. Having had heat, heat, heat, today, the 1 June, has dawned drizzly and 15C, the slugs and snails are having fun, fun, fun!
The hot weather has been speeding things along, maybe too fast. Some welcome moisture will perk up emerging seedlings and newly planted out bedding plants like Snapdragon Black Prince which were put out last week.
Squashes and courgettes too (Buttercup, Striato d’Italia and Bolognese) have been removed from the greenhouse which was over 42C at the weekend. Chelsea Flower Show week last week and the TV presenters were talking about failed veg sowings due to the cold weather, I don’t feel so bad now, it wasn’t just me, the hammering rain, cold and mole all conspired to scupper the March sowings, more sown last weekend.
The roses have been blowing faster than I would have liked, the upside is that at least they are opening and not sulking in a mushy brown mess. This is Gardenia, a vigorous small flowered climbing rose. Delicate creamy apricot in bud, fading to just off white. The glossy new foliage has bronzy tints which adds to the overall effect. Not heavily scented like its namesake though. Rosa Louis XIV was the first in bud, all ready to go, and then each bud balled or scorched in turn. So far all that promise has resulted in one nearly perfect black-red bloom today before the blackspot gets to him again – he lives up to his difficult reputation.
In this picture of the woodbed this morning you can see fronds from a self spored Male Fern (I think), a dark stemmed Polygonatum cirrhifolium, Woodruff, and browny leaved Saxifraga fortunei which won’t flower until the very last moment in October.
Last week a Cuckoo heard in West Berkshire.