I have to say I’m really struggling with this summer. Just when the busy is behind me and normal life stretches before me in a gentle ebb and flow of routine and I begin to enjoy the garden again – we get a storm! Really?! Some high areas even got snow! This is not the summer I was looking for. I feel so cheated. We haven’t had that perfect summer for years. We’re owed it. And this frustration seems to bring out the worst in me because all I seem to do is moan about the weather. I’m not normally a moaner. I’m a happy go lucky, carefree garden lover. I love growing food in my garden but this period of seasonal adversity is driving me nuts.
While the storm for many was quite devastating and many gardens were torn to shreds overnight and months of work, just days from fruition were destroyed, I have been blessed. There was very little damage. My own mother was out there in her garden at 3 o’clock in the morning trying to rescue her tomatoes. The bamboo poles supporting them had given way under the combination of very strong winds and very heavy, almost ripe tomatoes. My tomatoes are still standing and are looking well. I put this down to the steel bars I have been using this year. Even the gherkins have remained steadfast, in spite of their self-imposed sagging. The continual tweaking and improving the way I garden has ,in this instance, stood up to the test.
The weather now has a weak sun trying to push through and shine on a day that is overcast with clouds being whisked by at a great rate of knots as the storm reluctantly calms down. The boffins are suggesting things will return to a proper summer by the end of the week.
But in the meantime, the best I can do is wrap up warm – although not sock and beanie warm, and head out to the garden and set things right and then come inside and watch the video I made last week and feel the summer radiate out of the screen and hope the lovely days return very soon. Check out my latest video where I show you how I hang my onions:
Come again soon – the sun will shine again and I promise to stop complaining about the weather for the rest of summer, even if it is horrible again. (Well, I’ll do my best)
Sarah the Gardener : o)
I’m sorry your weather has been bad. Last summer here was bad too, not storms but a very severe drought. We watered a lot but it just isn’t the same. Congratulations on saving your crop! I’m about to plant onion seeds for the spring!
I guess the blessing has to be we haven’t had to worry about water, and while everything is a lot slower – it will come eventually. I hope you have a bumper onion crop this season. : o)
Oh Gosh poor Cornflower plants. I must grow some as had forgotten about them. My Sunflowers are still standing, a couple of Corn plants went wayward and a big Fennel plant has had a second go at trying to lie flat in the garden.
Hi Carol. This has been a miserable summer. I’m hoping it will pick up again soon. It can be so frustrating trying to keep it all lovely when the wind is going behind your back and knocking things over. : o)
Good luck with all your summer weather. I’m in Florida and trust me, its tough to keep things growing here in summer too. Thanks for the post.
Today the sun is shining and there is a slight breeze. The boffins are suggesting the sun will be out for the next 10 days – but I’m not sure I completely trust it. : o)
Great system for keeping your corn upright. It looks none the worse for wear. Sorry to hear about your miserable summer. How disappointing for you.
Hi Alys, as predicted now the kids are back at school the weather has improved and we’ve actually had a few days in a row that were sunny! There is talk about the possibility of actually officially shifting the summer holidays by a month as it doesn’t seem to ever be nice over the festive season. That should be interesting to see how it pans out. : o)
Oh, that is interesting, Sarah. It makes sense from a weather standpoint but then you have the Christmas celebrations to think of too. It’s a conundrum, eh?