Wordless Wednesday – The garden looks best at night!

Tuesday View – 29th August 2017

Just when I was beginning to think that autumn was arriving and that the temperatures were dropping Italy has again been in the clutches of a hot cyclone from Africa bringing hot winds that feel as if a hairdryer is being into your face when you step out of the door.

The temperatures have hovered around 35°C since last Friday and aren’t set to drop until Thursday or Friday when thunderstorms are predicted.

In a vase on Monday – Zinnias and Dahlias, Stalwarts of the cut flower beds

Where would I be without Zinnias and Dahlias in the cut flower beds to provide me with cut flowers from June until the first frosts which could be as late as November; in fact I’m more likely to pull the Zinnias out because the foliage has become so scruffy before they actually stop flowering.  What is really surprising to me is that I had never grown either until I started growing flowers to cut for the house.

Tuesday View – on Thursday this week

Tuesday I was hosting GBFD so didn’t post my Tuesday view to share with Cathy at Herbs and Words; but I didn’t want to miss a second week in a row so here’s my view today.

Garden Bloggers’ Foliage Day – Evergreen August

Welcome to Garden Blogger’s Foliage Day (GBFD) for August 2017.  My apologies for being absent last month.  Part of my reason for not blogging during all of July was that it was so hot I hardly spent any time outside at all unless it was by the sea or at the lake!  It was only enjoyable to have breakfast outside, lunch and dinner were eaten in the relative coolness of inside the house.  Those of you imagining me sitting on the terrace under the covering of the wisteria were I’m afraid dreaming of some other place.  With some days reaching the dizzy heights of 42°C (104°F) it was unbearable for me to be sitting even in the shade.

In a vase on Monday – Here comes the sun – sunflowers

I didn’t have a lot of success with germinating or growing on sunflower seeds this year so it is indeed fortunate that the seeds left to their own devices in the cut flower beds last year, did grow and lucky too that I recognised them for what they were.

In a vase on Monday – Pink extravaganza

I’m pleased to report that there has been rain!  The garden is relieved and I am beginning to be able to think again as the temperatures dropped over the weekend by 10°C.  It is back to hot during the day but now at least early mornings, evenings and at night are positively fresh.  Tomorrow is Ferragosto, the Italian ‘unofficial’ end of summer!  Now onto the flowers.

Tuesday View 8th August 2017

I can report that it is a little cooler at night but the daytime temperatures are still at record highs; 38°C for much of the day which translates to 100°F.

In a vase on Monday – Cool Green and White

Monday is the day that Cathy at Rambling in the Garden asks us to pick and share flowers from our own gardens; today she has a surprise for us.

Tuesday View 1st August 2017

Opening the door to go into the garden, at the moment, feels very much like when you open the door of the oven when you’re baking bread!!! very hot indeed.  Our forecast tells me that this week we have cyclones arriving from Africa and that temperatures in my part of Italy will most likely be in the range of 41-43°C.  This is hotter than I have ever known since we arrived in late August 2003 (which had itself been a record breaking year for high temperatures.  For this reason I should have photographed my view early this morning; instead I ventured out at 5 pm.  Where my toes touched the gravel through my sandals they felt as if they were being burnt.