Waiting for the Weather {Again}

Gentle Reader, the late spring weather is once again on holiday.  After just over a fortnight of dry conditions, gentle breezes, and steadily rising temperatures, inclement weather has returned. The last few days have seen us buffeted by increasingly stronger winds and heavy rainfall with daytime temperatures dropping into the mid~fifties and lower.  Most seeds do not like inconsistent conditions, so germination may be poor again this year.

Yesterday, the oriental poppies were dragged down with a combination of the weight of water trapped on the hairy stems and wind.  I feared the worse, for the winds blew strong through the night.  This morning there is some damage, but nothing like I feared~

 

I am confident they will recover, and there are still many blooms to open~

Thankfully, the cold came in before the rain and wind and I think this stopped the delicate blooms from opening.  I recall that this is not the first time this has happened, so I am making a note to stake them well next year as they begin to grow.  This will not only give the much needed support, but if done early enough the foliage will grow around the supports and make them less visible.

Not all was blown about.  This little corner, however, looks quite refreshed and green. Of course, when it rains the weeds grow too, and I can see I must tend this area soon!  I love the many shades of green, and my lavender has many  spikes.  Thankfully, those spikes are whippy and so survive all but the strongest winds.
There are so many tones and textures here, and the soil looks so rich and dark I just want to dive in with bare hands and feel it crumble between my fingers~

The mixed leaves sown last Sunday started to show tiny green seedlings yesterday, and here they are~

Not shown in this picture is the tiny, baby slug that I removed as he crept his way along the soil.  Barely an inch long, and so thin I almost missed him, these creatures are the bane of every gardener I know.  I hope he didn't eat any tender seedlings!

Here is one of those things that delight and surprise.  This is a wild poppy, self~sown in a crack in a wall.  It is completely miniaturised!  How tenatious is the nature of plants!

The Euphorbia did not fare so well, so once the weather settles I will chop off these heads, like the Queen from Alice in Wonderland!  It will do no harm, for there is much new growth ~ as you can see ~ and this plant is due to be moved in the autumn anyway.  Always wear rubber gloves when handling Euphorbias for their sap is toxic and will cause a nasty skin irritation.

Alas, the peonies are finished!  They were near the end of their flowering period for this year, but it is always sad to see the petals ripped away and scattered on the ground~

Gentle Reader, do you recall those strawberry plants?  Well, here is a small crop in the making!  Next year, when established, there will be many fruits, and some of the plants have already produced runners which means more plants too! 

So far, the runner beans have not germinated, and I fear that it is still too cold.  I do not have a suitable indoor space to bring them on, so I had to take a chance.  Is it too late to sow a second attempt, I wonder?  Given that the daytime temperatures are hovering around the mid~50℉ I am not certain this will be warm enough yet again.

I would like to crop something other than soft fruits this year, but realise that, without a sheltered, covered space to bring plants on it is an uphill struggle.  Given the weather, they need a head start to help them establish and survive.  It is not the end of the world, I have learned from this, and over winter I will make sure I find a suitable space to bring things on in good time.  The vegetable plot is still under cover of weed killing layers and perhaps it is better to do this job thoroughly this year and let the layers do their work before removing them.

The native foxglove plants are so pretty and give a lovely splash of purple pink.  These are one of my top ten favourites and I'm thankful they do well in my garden.  See how they stood up to the wind? 

A final note, the lawn, so yellow and sparse, has shot up overnight and is now green with pretty sparkles of yellow buttercups and white daisies! 


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