Tuesday 3 July 2018

Weary as a weary thing!

This heat gets to me.  I am fine sitting around in the shade of the open doorway with a book, but the moment I have to do anything, I soon get tired.  The most blessed relief today was when I stuck my wet-with-sweat head under the cold water tap!  I'd been clearing roots out in the two areas roses are going tomorrow.  I got a whole trug full of roots.  I can't recall the name of the plant, but why did I buy it?  Invasive?  You bet!  It has a white flower, sort of orange-blossom scent (which actually makes me feel quite sick) and reddish stems.  

I am watering the veg and roses and susceptible plants (the just-planted trees etc) twice a day.  Every time there is water in the washing up bowl for whatever reason, that goes on the garden too - the poor Magnolia tree has just been the recipient of that as it is looking a bit sorry for itself and the leaves are browning.


This was yesterday's sunrise (about 5 a.m.) but though it gave a shepherd's warning, there was no rain, just another hot day.  This really is turning into a rerun of 1976, only with the occasional splash of rain - but not enough to be of benefit.


So I have had one of those bitty days.  I finally got around to strigging the Blackcurrants that Danny cut for me on Sunday (I always cut the fruiting branch off and strig them indoors in the cool).  Then I remembered that the "wild" Blackcurrant at the top of the yard (where I used to grow them when we first came here) had fruit on it so donned my wellies and cut back a few brambles and got a good picking off of that.  All washed and frozen now.

I have started on a new crime novel, Sharon Bolton's "Dead Woman Walking" which is the sort that grab you on page one and now I'm on page 130 since breakfast-time!  I can recommend it.  I found it (and a couple of others) in the books donated for Charity, in Tesco.  I shall look out for other of her novels now.


Not quite the show of Nasturtiums I normally have in the top of the wall, but amazing I have any considering their little roots must be frying daily!

Right, this won't do.  Time for a proper hair wash and bath and then back down for an hour's tv before bed.




18 comments:

  1. My blackcurrant bushes are young but have a little fruit on them. The Jostaberry is loaded, I have had to support some of the branches. My washing up water goes into a tub and then to the garden in the evening. i did some hand washing and the rinse water went to the apples. We need a good rain.

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    1. My Jostaberry has gone to the birds - as always. They know the MOMENT a berry is ripe and nab it. I did get some blackcurrants, but they have suffered from the heat (and not being watered), as have the raspberries.

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  2. I am wilting along with the garden.

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    1. I know just how you feel Jill. It's not often you get a heatwave like this up where you are is it?

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  3. I bet it's all change when the children break up for school!
    Nasturtiums here have blackfly, love the colour of yours

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    1. From the original pack I bought last year (I buy a new colour every year if I can) this was the only one which came true from saved seed. Others mainly yellower. I still have a whole BED of them at the yard side of the house,and despite being ruthless and ripping up loads of seedlings for my strawberries to go in there - they have persevered and taken over the entire bed again. The strawberries aren't too happy about that!!

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  4. There is a heat wave in many parts of America but as always Arizona is very hot till the monsoons hit.
    Stay in the shade.

    cheers, parsnip

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    1. I'd seen that in the news. I guess it's same old, same old for you in Arizona. Bet you can't wait for some rain, like us. Staying in the shade is just what I have been doing, with a good book (I'm already half way through the one I began yesterday!)

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  5. Yes the poor plants in our gardens are really suffering aren't they?

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    1. I have some YellowLoosestrife at the front which haven't been watered and have just shrivelled up, so I need to cut them back to base and give them a drink and hope they may come again later.

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  6. My nasturtiums are dying from the heat, something I wouldn't have thought possible. It looks a bit like 1976.

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    1. Very like 1976. We were feeding hay in June then . . . My Nasturtiums are in a very dry wall top so I have been giving them a little sprinkling as I walk past. Mum always grew them and I hate to see any flower dieing.

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  7. Wilting here too - me and hot weather really do not agree :( Good to see the nasturtiums struggling on - I failed to plant any here this year. Will check out the book - could do with something that you don't want to put down :)

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    1. It's a struggle isn't it? Thankfully some cloud about today and cooler, so I may manage half an hour in the garden without keeling over.

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  8. Our blackcurrant crop this year is brilliant, although I have had to come to an arrangement with the birds, they get to eat our pathetic strawberry crop while I have netted the blackcurrants, just to protect them until I can get them all picked and stored. Thanks for the mention about Sharon Bolton, I haven't read any of her books, but will definitely keep a look out when I head into town tomorrow. I hope you have had a decent splash of rain this time.

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  9. The kind of weather you are having just drains the sap out of one. We have been quite dry here, beginning back in early winter, but got a nice rain here yesterday. I was so happy not to have to go out to water plants this morning. This is my first year to grow nasturtiums, and have already figured out that they don't do well in extreme heat.

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