Stop press – it rained but then the wind came!!!!!

After writing yesterday that it was unlikely that we would have any rain before September, I awoke to a very cloudy sky and a nice cool breeze.  At about 8 am there were a few drops of rain, but so few that washing I had on the line drying still dried very quickly but then at about 9 am the rain came down in earnest accompanied by thunder and lighting.  It rained steadily for about half an hour, the garden was transformed; mostly I think because all the dust was washed from the foliage it was as if all the plants signed with relief, I know I was energised by the change in temperature, but then…….

GBFD – Spring foliage

Welcome to GBFD, a day to celebrate the foliage backbone of the garden.

After a glorious sunny, spring-like day on Friday today is grey with a cold wind; so not a day to enjoy being in the garden at all.  I think that in spring we are all looking for signs of the new season especially flowers so it is easy to forget that spring also brings all the new foliage on trees, emerging perennials and the special promise we get from the foliage of bulbs appearing.

GBFD – June sunshine and rain

Welcome to  GBFD, when I encourage you think about the effect foliage has on the overall design of your garden. You are welcome to write about any foliage, it can be a plant you have only for its foliage interest or better perhaps if you think about a plan that flowers for a limited time but its foliage is beautiful or interesting or makes an interesting form for a longer period.

The difference between May and June is hardly credible, I looked at last month’s post to remind myself of what I had shown, I don’t want to always share the same views or plants.  But even the same plant groupings look very different this month so there are some repetitions.  We have had massive amounts of rain in the last week, beginning last Saturday there have been thunder storms and heavy rain almost every day.  It seems that we will have a few days of hot sun but the rain is predicted to return on Thursday or Friday (but that’s a long way off in forecasting terms so who knows if it will rain again or not as we are approaching the time when the summer drought usually begins in earnest.