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Monday 24 August 2009

Summer rains arrive in Brittany at last...

The ground here over the last couple of weeks has become increasingly drier and drier, making it very difficult to do the much needed weeding and at last this afternoon the rain did arrive... so before having supper after the rain had eased off for about 15 minutes I popped out to take some shots!














Seeing as this is supposed to be a gardening blog, the plants and gardening elements have been somewhat overshadowed by the wildlife... so do hope you enjoy these pictures as much as I enjoyed taking them...

Sedums are great for late summer colour and the bees and butterflies love them too...

Heleniums are other favorites of mine and seem to go on flowering - they really benefit from some dead-heading as the season continues.

One plant that always enjoys the rain are the roses and I cannot imagine our garden without them...

Cotinus offers wonderful deep colour - this one Cotinus "Grace" is wonderful and the the leaves give off some amazing hues of autumnal colour as the light catches the leaves.

Then last of all the lovely Lupin! Despite the lack of flowers at this time seeing the raindrops held by the leaves reminds me of just another reason that Lupins are well worth having in a garden.

6 comments:

Cheryl said...

Hi Miranda....am I envious...yes yes yes....
Can you blow some of the rain my way, I would be so very grateful...

Love your blooms and raindrops....heleniums are such forgiving plants.

My lupins are in bloom again, much to my amazement...they have bloomed all summer.....

Miranda Bell said...

Wow Cheryl - great to have your lupins still blooming - what is your secret? Maybe it's the lack of rain?

We've had a drier day today but not as hot as it has been thank goodness so hoping for a good gardening day chez moi tomorrow - to tidy up more of the garden - sometimes it's hard when everyone elses' gardens look so nice....

Baby swallows are still very much around and are still taking residence on the highest A frame in our barn space next to our office - it's great sitting at the computer and you can here the inscesent chattering of the swallows just next door!

Hope the rain arrives very soon - take care Miranda x

Gail said...

It's all lovely Miranda~I am totally going to get heliniums for my garden. They are wonderful. Their coneheads look like little turbans to me. Have a sweet weekend. Gail

Miranda Bell said...

Thanks Gail - Heleniums are great plants and over such long flowering periods too - especially if you get out and dead-head them too! There are quite a few different varieties too giving different shades of yellow and orange/brown mainly.... the sun is out and another warm day here I think - off to do some cooking for friends arriving this evening and then will continue clearing the veg patch of weeds! Take care Miranda

A wildlife gardener said...

Your photos look amazing with all the raindrops on the flowers... :)

Since we've had 6 weeks of wall-to-wall monsoon rain and very little warmth, I think we might be envying each other...

Come and see my pretty butterflies who visited in the dry spells between the torrents... :)

Miranda Bell said...

Thank you for your lovely comments WLG - the garden was looking so pretty the one day it rained and not much since then really and the garden desperately needs it - seems a shame that the weather couldn't be better shared between here and Scotland! Am just off for a few days holiday so will pop over and admire your blog - always lovely on my return... till then hope the rain gives up and the sunshine arrives... take care Miranda