It’s gone well beyond a joke; well beyond being passing and enjoyable and well beyond being in any way tolerable. We’re not built for this weather; we’re by nature people of a softer climate with days of soft rain, soft cloud and occasional days of sunshine to break the monotony and dry the clothes.
Our gardens and plants are with us on this; they have suffered and are now in dire straits. There is a nationwide ban on the use of hosepipes but as we are on our own well here it is one we will enforce on ourselves of necessity as we don’t want our well to run dry which would be a worse state entirely.


We are presently recycling grey water to maintain plants in pots or those which seem to be on their last legs. This latter is not applied to herbaceous perennials. We concede that many of these are finished for this year and we can only hope that they return again next spring.



This hot spell has not broken temperature records but it has been the most prolonged spell of high temperatures on record and it certainly has done huge damage to gardens. Let’s hope it ends soon!

You have no idea how consoling that was to read! Many thanks from a fellow frazzled.
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You should drop a pump in the river, Peter. You have a ready source of water. It is extremely dry here and many plants have simply collapsed. Most will recover – particularly the herbaceous plants – but I worry about shrubs with drooping leaves and losing foliage already
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Sad but nature has a way of bouncing back. Let’s not despair…..yet!
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Ah, I’m sure most things will recover but I fear some are gone forever.
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Our garden is the same. I just cut back some Canterbury Bells which normally will flower again when de headed. I doubt it this year. Mature trees are also dropping a lot of leaves. I am glad we didn’t have the garden open for the National Trust this year. Although I do have 2 friends calling this afternoon to admire the brown grass etc.
Apart from the fact that it is almost impossible to sleep at night. It reminds me of 1976 all over again.
I think when it rains again I will go out and work in the rain.
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I think we will dance naked in the rain when it returns – no, I’ll spare you. I won’t post photos!
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Have to agree Paddy
Hate this weather and fear for some of my plants.
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Time to travel, leave it behind, and enjoy other people’s gardens……Wollerton Old Hall next week! One of your favourites!
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