Happy July

 It’s Raining!

And we are glad. We are relieved. We are refreshed. After weeks of very high temperatures and very dry weather, the ground is soaking up the gentle rain. At least, we are getting gentle rain. Some places got downpours, with floods, and backed up sewers, and problems. We count our blessings once again. 

Behold the happy vegetation.

Goodbye June

 Hot and Dry

Tomorrow the heat wave is supposed to break. We are expecting rain. If the forecast does not change again. That will be a welcome start to a new month. But, with constant watering, the flowers are happy in the blazing sunshine. 

Our new/old bell tower

The European version of a hummingbird. Europe has no hummingbirds. This is an insect, but it has feathery-looking wings, it’s colorful, it can hover, it has a long beak-like proboscis, and it definitely hums. It is also very fast and flitting, so it is very hard to get a picture of it. It is a hawk moth, called Taubenschwänzchen in German, meaning “little pigeon tail.” 

It is good to see pollinators active. 

More Summer Blooms

 First Gladiola 

This summer was for a long time very cold and wet at first, and we have now been in long very hot and dry weeks, so it has taken a while for flower bulbs and seeds to get established. But the gladiola have begun blooming. 

And my first Dahlia. Orange? Not my favorite color. It must have been part of a multi-pack. 

But, they all look lovely in our house.

Happy Summer! 

Summer Blooms

 In the Sunshine 

It’s rose season. The ones that didn’t re-wild are blooming prolifically. And the naturalized Malve and other volunteers are just as happy.

And the sweet pea 

A nice time for dinner under the wisteria pergola.

Happy Summer

 Hot Days

Summer has arrived with scorching heat, a huge downpour a couple of days ago, lots of watering to do on the other days. It is truly summer. Today after church and a group dinner, some of us walked back to the house and church along a tumbling river. It was sweltering hot, but being by a river somehow helps. 

Garden Additions

 From Oma

We have been taking, or rescuing, sundry items from Oma‘s pretty garden. She collected huge numbers of rocks and smaller stones she found interesting, or that someone gave her. Many people carried rocks down from mountains over the years. All of them ended up in her garden. Every one has a story, but I don’t know them. Now we have many of them, and I am making little rock gardens with them. 

And we got the little bell tower. That has been a wish of mine for a long time, when Ona said, “Take what you want.” If you come for a grill with us, we will ring the bell when dinner is ready on the circle Platz.

Roses, Roses, Roses

 Open Garden Days

Today we visited a nearby Rose establishment. The proprietor is an internationally known rose breeder and cultivator. His collection is amazing. The day was sunny and warm. Everybody and his brother and mother were there. And the roses were gorgeous.

Blessed Sunday