August has whizzed by.
With much cooler days the tomatoes have taken an age to ripen, and some just haven't. The garden is slightly going over with the only flowers left being the beautiful white Cosmos 'Purity'. Each day I tidy a bit more and add to the contents of the compost bin.
As the nights draw in the animals are sleeping indoors more, no basking in the late evening sun on the patio as they did earlier in the year. They claim their spots and then switch around when the mood takes them. The other persons bed is always comfier it would seem.
In the bed by my chair Mavis is usually well placed to see if I'm consuming any tasty treats, although there's not so many these days with my rationing challenge going so well, I'm never hungry enough to need nibbles in the evening.
Suky has eyes like little radars always on the lookout for what's going on. It's important to look and sniff when you can't hear.
One burst of real colour left in the garden is the weed by my living room doors.
It's flowered since Spring and is a firm favourite with bees. So much so that I have been saving seeds from it and I will surreptitiously scatter them in the hedgerows along the canal when I walk there next Spring.
It's been a strange Summer, with the heat of June dissipating almost as quickly as it came and then the much cooler August seeing the season out not so much in style, as in the need for woolly jumpers before they are even unpacked and the Summer clothes put away.
What will September hold ... that's anyone's guess!!
Sue xx
Not a weed (Linaria purpurea) and I have masses of it in my garden, all self-seeded, most in the two tone lilac but I prefer this purple. As you say, beloved of the bees and deserving of helping them along the hedgerows too.
ReplyDeleteAugust did seem to move swiftly through and now it is definitely Autumn. Here, only Little Whale still wants to go out at night when it's dry and it's a starry night. He has a really dense coat (and lots of waistline too!) so doesn't feel the cold so much. Kittenses are NOT allowed out after dark, and Pippi not after tea (Lulu happy to be indoors) as she wants to linger and plays silly games when I try and tempt her in.
Yes, we know it as toadflax. We have purple and pink but no white:(
DeleteI guess I just thought it was a 'weed' because it wasn't planted, none of our neighbours have it ... next door is white stones and concrete and the neighbours the other way a full blown vegetable garden ... and it's survived every sort of weather and returned for three years.
DeleteGinger is in and out of the cat flap at his own discretion, but he rarely stays out much at night. Just the odd little prowl with his friend the chunky black cat with a bell on his collar. We hear them both returning with the tinkling of the bell and their meows to each other.
Oh, thank you Bovey Belle. I wondered if it was Verbascum phoeniceum.
ReplyDeleteSome has appeared in my garden this year and although it is sprawling in an untidy fashion I'm hoping to gather some seeds and spread it around.
TBH, I cannot wait to get out of August this year. I do not usually wish months away but this one has been strange and disappointing and I'm hoping September will be better.
When it has almost finished flowering, cut it back and it will keep coming until the first frost.
DeleteIt does sprawl untidily but I don't mind when I see how much the bees love it.
DeleteMavis is so pretty and has such an expectant expression on her face. I love it when pretty plants just arrive on their own.
ReplyDeleteShe has always been such a pretty dog, I don't know how anyone would have the heart to hurt her.
DeleteI'm so glad August is over (as of tomorrow) here in Texas! Although September has been known as hurricane month in our area, I'm praying for cooler temps and no storms! Our little dog, Banjo, is hard of hearing now, but he still knows how to troll around while we eat, just in case we drop something.
ReplyDeleteI think Suky's sense of smell has actually improved since her hearing went. It's been a funny month of weather all over the world hasn't it. There's no balance.
DeleteNo doubt September will be glorious. Just as soon as the children go back to school again :)
ReplyDeleteYes, I was only saying that the other day. I think it happened that way last year.
DeleteYes, it's been a very strange month hasn't it. For the last couple of nights I've spread my Winter dressing gown on top of the duvet because I've felt cold in the night. Last year I'd got no duvet on and the windows open. Strange weather....
ReplyDeleteThe photos of the pets are lovely. You have a great eye for taking photos :)
I was toying with the idea of putting the Winter duvet back on the bed as I stripped and remade it this week. After the last couple of nights I have decided it will definitely be going on next time.
DeleteI do have to take a LOT of photos to get just a few usable ones. Thank goodness we don't have to send them off to Truprint for developing these days. ;-)
Your photos of your pets are delightful x
ReplyDeleteThey are a lovely bunch aren't they. xx
DeleteYes. June is a distant memory! It is a bit cooler here in Pennsylvania today. I cannot say I am bothered, though!! Have a cozy afternoon!
ReplyDeleteJune seems a lifetime ago doesn't it. Just an hour of heat every day would be very nice. :-)
DeleteI loved reading this and found it very soothing.
ReplyDeleteAlison in Wales x
Aww ... I'm glad. xx
DeleteI'm constantly surprised by how soon the months seem to pass! Lovely photos of your pets. :)
ReplyDeleteTime is whizzing by so quickly I was about to say it must be our age, but my son who is just 42 was just saying that the other day too.
DeleteYour pets are adorable. I see Ginger's pretty tail just inside the entry (last photo)!
ReplyDeleteGinger's tail photobombs so many of my shots. :-)
DeleteHopefully, we have some warmer weather just around the corner. I'm thinking of getting out the winter duvet as I've been waking up chilly in the night. Not great! xx
ReplyDeleteThe forecast is for a reasonable weekend, so fingers crossed. :-)
DeleteYes, I think my Winter duvet will be coming out from hibernation next week, I always think the first night with it on is so cosy.
I'm hoping we will at least have dry days in September as I'm going to be in a little holiday bungalow on the North coast of Cornwall for 2 weeks, my first time away from home since before Covid struck. Living on the edge of Bodmin Moor where wind & rain blow across from the Atlantic, I am now officially FED UP with constant rain! So there!
ReplyDeleteBut now I'm hearing rumours about the autumn Covid vaccinations being given out ASAP due to the threat of the new variant spreading. Nooooooo . . . . .
I hope that you are there now in the current little heatwave we are having, it sounds as though you deserve some good weather for a while.
DeleteYes, it's a bit worrying the threat of this new variant isn't it. Alan has been given a new appointment date for a jab. He's a bit dismayed as he seems to be clumped in with the over 65's for all jabs.