Flowers lose their vibrancy after a period of drought. Although we have constantly watered and the leaves have stopped wilting, the colours remain subdued. In fact they look like we feel. We think we have had only 3 showers since March - an all time record here.

The roses have dropped their petals fast but the growth is amazing. The progress of the Rambling Rector up a tree this year is dramatic.

The wild flower meadow has given way from the ox-eye daisies, poppies, scabious and corn cockle to a sheet of wild salsify - and I only scattered a few seeds 2 years ago. It seems to have replaced most of the ladies bedstraw, although many have migrated to the borders. I shall be firm and take the seeds back to the meadow

There is also  a large patch of Vipers Bugloss by the edge of the meadow surrounded by varieties of Evening Primrose. The various yellows and peaches look stunning with the deep blue spires of the native Echium. It is fortuitous that these are all good bee plants and gives them a long honey flow when other sites may be slumping.

I am not too impressed at the moment with the bees. Because they have so much honey they become very bad tempered when you go near them and I have had many a sting this year. But I shall have the last laugh (I hope)! I am doing my first bee exam tomorrow  and will spend this evening learning about their various glands and diseases. Studying becomes much harder with age. Short term memory is definitely shot and my attention span is a few minutes only. All those years I told my children to prepare well in advance and here I am learning for my exam the night before.

Well I haven’t actually started yet! In fact I might just go and check on the Gauras on the gravel garden…..      Sian