The Weather is Changeable

Gentle Reader ~~~ the weather is very changeable.  Another year brings the same question: "What has happened to Spring?" for here we are in early June and yesterday I kept the heating on for most of the day!

~~~They say it is the wettest Spring on record {with more rain to follow} but we haven't had that much rain here, or so it seems. 
~~~They say it is the third warmest Spring since records began {I love that "since records began" ~~~ I often wonder when did 'records begin' ~~~ it makes me smile} but where?  Certainly not here, for I am still wearing winter layers and the heating is on every evening. 

Well, there isn't much we can do about it, but it gives us something to talk about ~~~ as if we need encouraging?

Last night, a band of thunderstorms swept up from the south across most of Britain.  We were in the earlier barrage, so by morning the worst of it was gone and I awoke to sparkling clean windows ~~~ one more job off the list then ~~~ for nature sometimes has a way of helping with the housework.  The day was grey, then it brightened up a tad, greyed over again and played with us, teasing us with sunshine from time to time, but now the sun is definitely here to play.  The garden is glorious, freshly washed from the rain, all bright and beautiful in the brilliant sunshine, dancing gaily in the slightly too stiff a breeze which is cooling things down maybe a little too much for such bright sunshine.  Long sleeves still needed, too cold for shorts.  Not that I wear shorts, but if I did it would not be warm enough today.

I never fail to be amazed at how quickly weed seeds grow, certainly the appear to sprout out of nowhere overnight into nearly full grown plants, and so much more quickly than things I want to be growing ~~ like my vegetables!  Why, it is less than two weeks since I cleared a patch for my courgettes {when they are ready for transplanting} and about the same time I sowed my courgette seeds, on May 26th.  So, here is the patch {which I covered with a scrap of netting to stop cats scratching around in it} and look how green it is already ~~~

These are the Franchi Seeds of Italy courgette/zucchini 'Romanesco' that I particularly like for their deeply ridged skins and buttery yellow flesh that, to me, is quite superior in taste ~~~

Courgette seeds have a pointy end and a rounded end, they say to sow with the pointy end up and the rounded end down for better germination, so this is how I sowed two seeds to each pot {later, the weaker of the two will be pricked out} hoping for 6 plants in all ~~~

As many of you know by now, I love to recycle, re~purpose, and re~use and this is re~purposing of those horrible filmy bags used in so many supermarkets these days, tied on tightly to make a free propagation unit, with a ready meal plastic tray as a saucer ~~~

 Then, today ~~~ Yay! the first tiny seed has pushed through the soil into the world! 

On now to some pretties for you to feast your eyes upon ~~~

I love my Verbascum, also called Mullein, and this is my dwarf verbascum that comes back every year.  I hope one day to be able to divide it, for it is a favourite of mine ~~~

A pink osteospermum with yellow and teal coloured centre ~~~

A gorgeous, tight rosebud ~~~

that opened into this beauty ~~~

The Oriental lilies are slowly opening to reveal their bright orange vibrancy ~~~

Oh, and one of my favourites, the rambler Frances E Lester, starting to open ~~~ I gave it a very hard pruning earlier and thought there would not be many blooms, but, oh! my! there are hundreds of clusters this year, I cannot count them, and there are thousands upon thousands of blooms like this to open!  I wait, with eager anticipation to see them later in the Summer ~~~

Rosa Rugosa, another fragrant favourite ~~~

 Laburnum, golden and dancing, overhangs from a neighbour's garden, I get the benefit for free! ~~~

and finally, a real hairy beast!  Would you just look at this poppy bud? ~~~

 So, Gentle Reader, my words are done, my images today are shared ~~~ more will follow soon, for remember that ~~~

~~~A Gardener's Work Is Never Done~~~