4 weeks to go and still standing!

As we approach the home straight, the recent wind and rain have left the garden battered but surviving. The lawn still squelches as you walk on it and there are puddles around the edge of some flowerbeds, but most of the plants are doing their best to put on a good show. All we need are a few weeks of warm dry weather. Not much to ask in June and July, surely?

Given up waiting for the rain to stop

We have an amber warning for disruption caused by heavy rain in the South East today. This is getting silly.

Decided that I would have to get the plants in the trough regardless, so I donned mac, hat and waterproof gloves and set to. It took a lot of soil and compost to fill the trough, but eventually it reached the top and I was able to plant the various pelegoniums and verbena. Bit of sunshine to make them think it's Summer would be good now.

Ground cover

Look what the rain has done to the rhoddies. A few days ago they were still looking magnificant and now most of the flowers are on the ground. Other casualties of the weather, so far, include one gunera leaf, one lupin stem and countless small oak branches.

Batten down the hatches

Strong winds and heavy rain are forecast for tonight. Is this really June? I've been out staking all the tall plants to try and help them stay upright. Doesn't look very beautiful, but face down in the mud is even worse.

Long to rain over us

Happy Jubilee Weekend! The rain that failed to dampen the enthusiasm of the participants in yesterday's Diamond Jubilee river pageant wrecked the new petunias in the pots. Looks like there's more flowers to come though.