This year poppies are almost entirely shades of mauve.
And one little yellow one.Farmers have sown or otherwise allowed to grow these headlands full of daisies. Best show I have ever seen. I was out picking elder flowers for the final batch of cordial.
And my roses are now surrounded by bee-covered astrantia. The lavenders were not happy here but these astrantia love it. You just have to let plants thrive where they want to.
Now is also the time for those Barberton Daisies (gerberas). They don't over winter here so breeders have developed a strain that does and called them garvinea. The colours are brilliant. However, some of mine did not over winter so giving them another shot. With super el nino if that means a hard winter they might succumb.
At Chelsea this year gnomes were allowed, which is unusual.
Helan and Rob's mill and garden.
This is Egret Cottage which they let out.
And then my river garden on its second summer.
Then she and Heidi went to Stonehenge for summer solstice.
Then on 22nd Starmer resigned making way for Andy Burnham to be crowned. He arrived in a t shirt by the train.
Rob took this when there were 5 now on 30th only 4 as smallest died.The parents were put off by me although I was tucked away indoors but had to leave as thet were becoming desperate to feed the chicks.
25th June 2026. 37 in Yeoville, Somerset. Near where Tom now lives.
Even at 27 degrees it is too hot though down by the water there is a gentle movement of air. We become selfcentred while in Venezuela there have been two massive earthquakes. Just imagine that and in the heat and a country that is already on its knees
Took Heidi to play cricket at Cricklade.
Fielding, run up and bowling. Cricklade won.
I did subscribe to Space X and got 11 shares much to Helen's disgust. So far so good.
Driving Feelie to flute lessons we pass this house with its gnomery.
England played their first World Cup match against Croatia and won 4/2. I went to the cricket field for a short while.
Helen gave me a Chinese painting day. Interesting techniques. There are strict rules as to how to hold brush, how to load paint, etc. Never mix black and white, make black lighter with water.
Meanwhile we are having another, more severe heatwave, 34 degrees. had a huge thunderstorm which was a short reprieve. Wagtails have now got a second nest in a pot in an alcove in the courtyard.
Visited Lil and Jane but didn't stay long just too hot. Lil says my DVT will take about 8 weeks to stop being painful. No more long flights in economy, or any coach trips. Misdiagnosis could have been very serious.
Boys school closed and girls get off early.
While in Spain it has got to 45. Climate change is the main driver.
Still have not seen any doc and leg constantly aching, now two months since I came back from Istanbul and Tashkent.
An orange poppy and a small pale red with the bright blue cornflower and something which could be a kind of achillea. Yellow wild snapdragon and purple loosetrife.
Toadflax
A kind of knapweed
Perhaps Trump will realise that USAID was a vital department.
Only two chicks survived to fledge.