After the scorching weather of last week, this week has been characterized by thunder storms every afternoon. The mornings have been warm but not reaching more than 25°C, there has been heavy rain which means that the garden has become lush looking again although the Stipa tenuissima that has already started to yellow now just looks untidy; it will improve slightly when it dries out again.
The usual view
You can see the effect of the rain, especially on the field out of the garden, this is the field that had the rolls of hay just a couple of weeks ago, now it is green grass and poppies; and look at the amazing sky!
The fennel is enormous and already has flowers, I need to start collecting the flowers to dry
Perovskia complimented by a yellow weed
At the top of the slope the Oleander is flowering better than in any other year so far, it is drought tolerant but must like some spring rain.
Lots of the Eschscholzia californica look like this now, I am collecting seed pods before they burst
The flowering spike of Verbascum
The Euphorbia flower stems need removing now to add back some green.
Both the Fejoas are covered in flowers maybe there will be fruit to eat at the end of the summer
When they are fully open the flowers of the Fejoa look like caper flowers.
Sempervirens on the tuffo by the gate
Looking up the slope from near the gate – a bit wild looking now
Salvia turkestanica is flowering at the top of the slope
Salvia turkestanica
Gaura always adds an elegant touch
Looking accross the slope
Europe is experiencing some quite strange weather at present; we don’t usually have late afternoon thunderstorms in June and I know that Germany has been very hot and dry; what is happening with you? Can you see an obvious transition into summer in your garden?
Creating my own garden of the Hesperides 
We are very hot and humid, not nice for working in the garden! The poor roses are going over ever so quickly, they just aren’t used to this weather. I really love the Gaura in your photos, it looks just like a mass of dancing butterflies!
Yes, butterflies is how I always describe the Gaura too, Pauline. How sad that the roses aren’t lasting, that is always the problem here, I sometimes wonder why I have them in the garden.
Your Gaura does look nice. Mine looks terrible this year. Being unfamiliar with it I looked up Fejoa–sounds unique as a food. The flower is attractive.
I really have the fejoa for the flowers and the fact that it is an evergreen tree, having ripe fruit would be a bonus. You could try cutting the Gaurs right back and it may be more bushy and uptight.
I always have a feeling of relief when it rains after a dry stretch. I love the Gaura! I think the yellow flower with the Perovskia could be Anthemis.
Yes, I think you’re correct, it just blew in. It is a very strong yellow I wouldn’t want to much of it.
Both the similarities and the differences in our bloom cycles continue to surprise me. The Gaura is in full bloom here too, and the Perovskia is getting started, but our Feijoa finished blooming 6 or more weeks ago. I would love to see a thunderstorm on the horizon here but, sadly, there’s little chance of that (although, on rare occasions, we do get summer storms). After the miserable heatwaves we had in May, June has been significantly cooler. The forecast for today is 80F (26.6C).
I know, it is so strange that some. Things are flowering together and other much later than with you. You have had early heat this year whilst although we didn’t have a proper winter, spring didn’t ever really seem to arrive and now it is like the beginning of autumn with thunder and showers every afternoon. Odd!
Fejoas sound intriguing… pretty flowers. And I love all that Gaura! It’s strange that my salvias are only just opening, despite the heat. The wild ones at the roadsides have been out for some time now. We have had a lot of wind for the last week or so as well, which adds to the drying effect.
True, wind is worse than heat. It’s felt almost cold here, I’ve quite enjoyed it as a reprieve before summer really starts.
The Gaura and the Stipa look wonderful together. I tried Libertia grandiflora on my slope to give a similar effect. It kind of works, although rather too solid at the base!
I’ve shifted to siesta working.. early in the morning or late afternoon. As Pauline says, humid here. At least the weeds are starting to slow down.
The weeds and the snails are going crazy here, I’ve never seen so many. It feels almost tropical which isn’t great, I don’t like humid heat.
Glad you got some rain, I always feel refreshed when the plants get a good soaking. You can almost hear them growing and they all look so much happier!
You can almost watch things grow here, the rain combined with the heat is an amazing combination!
L’erbaccia vicino alla perovskia sembrerebbe anthemis tinctoria. Lo strano clima di quest’anno ha avuto degli effetti negativi su tutte le rose del mio giardino, anche se dopo il caldo eccessivo della scorsa settimana la pioggia di questi giorni è stata una “benedizione”. La gaura è così bella, ma si sta accasciando a terra. Proverò a potare alcuni steli…
Plenty of rain here, very typical for June – threats of flooding again this year, although not as great as last. So much going on in your garden – I absolutely adore all the variety!
I’m sorry there’s a threat of flooding, nothing is worse than that!
Here it is hot and dry. I love your Verbascum. I was looking forward to my many spiked one coming into flower, but the Verbascum moth has found it and all I can see are caterpillars! Perhaps they dont live in Italy?
They do live here Linda and when I grew a more cultivated variety they thronged to it and destroyed the plant; these wild ones seem to be too tough to be of interest.
So unusual seeing skies like that in your photos – so used to seeing blue sky! I, too, love the gaura – it creates a lovely floaty effect. I can’t believe you’re also plagued with snails!
The snails are a real issue this year, every time I go out I kill huge numbers but it has no effect on their numbers at all; they just love all the rain!
I still love the sparse summer view of the guara and grasses….my guara seems to have all died after this winter
Maybe you’ll find some seedlings, Gaura doesn’t like very long periods of wet cold.
So interesting, as usual but I could hardly believe my eyes when I saw your Salvia turkestanica. I think this is the plant I’ve been trying to identify. I don’t know where it has come from, I think I may have seeded it myself years ago. Do the leaves have an extremely strong sage smell to the touch? Amelia
Yes, extremely strong. It’s common name in English is “house maid’s armpits” says it all I think. It is a biannual that I’ve never had to plant again after the original plants.
Love the name! That must be it. Thanks.
Obviously not a recent name, not so many house maids around now and they would use deodorant but as you say a quaint name.