The word is abundance....my July garden...
Not many words this month....not many are needed. There is so much beauty....colour....life...
the scarlet runner beans are almost ready...
the corn is starting to form cobs (so exciting - I've never grown it before!)
blueberries ripening...
Paul's favourite day lily explodes into a new flower every morning...
everything is bending & bowing under the weight of flowers & fruit...
Pots need watering most days...but today it's rained heavily. Luckily I took these pictures earlier...and this one last week when it was so hot...
Of course...there's one very important difference in the garden this month - the bee hive! I hope you can see this little film I took. The bees are so happy and active. Paul and our friend Helen inspected the hive last Thursday and there's so much honey already. We estimate that we'll be able to harvest at least 40lbs by the end of August! It's wonderful to watch them busily zooming back and forth - so intent on their mission to bring lots of pollen back to their queen. I have become quite addicted already...popping down to take a look and hear the gentle hum whenever I can. Once the initial 'what's that?' excitement was over, Alice seemed to sense that this was something to be left alone....we're so looking forward to keeping watch and taking care of the swarm through the seasons...
Hoping that July is beautiful for you, so far...can you believe that we're deep in Summer already?
xoxo
Oh, how beautiful your garden bears witness to the miracle of life. So much to enjoy and I see your sweetpeas have bloomed,wonderful! Hope you have lots of honey from your bees. It's amazing that such little creatures can make so much,imagine how many trips to the flowers they must make.
ReplyDeleteYour garden looks like a bit of heaven and a perfect place to sit and enjoy nature. xoxo
Hi, I think we are looking at a bit of an expert gardener here,not like my couple of posies of sweet peas! Very clever to put in video as well. How exciting to get your very own honey! Will this be Honey by Motzart?
ReplyDeletejust glorious! It all looks so beautiful.
ReplyDeleteWow to the bees and honey. I do think it's brave to have a hive. I'd be a bit nervy that they'd come after me and sting me! I can be a bit of a drip like that!
How has your weather been today. Rain torrential (you know I'm happy) and even flashes of lightning and very loud thunder. Also spotted a double rainbow. Days like this feel like magic to me. Love it .
xx
Wow, its amazing to see the flowers bloom and all the different colours. I would be over-excited to have own bees :-) Aren't you tempted to name them?
ReplyDeleteIt is so great that you will have honey from them, I can imagine many lovely recipes with honey appearing at your other blog and don't you think it will taste much lovelier knowing where it comes from :-)
No flowers at our site but several tomatoes, herbs (flowering though *g*), physalis and hopefully some chili pepers.
A bee hive? How cool is that? I love honey. And blueberries too. Blueberries are my brother PJ's favourite berries and the regional fruit of the Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean where we come from. In fact, people from the place (like me) are nicknamed "Bleuets" (Blueberries) by other Quebeckers.
ReplyDeletecan't beleive it's almost the end of july...we just came back from taking Teddy on an ice cream and ice run....
ReplyDeleteloved your garden...that lily...is it a salem witch lily...kind of looks like it...loved seeing all of it...all so summery...and rachel...alice's tail looks just like Teddy's...curled way up over the top of the back...we call it the "Full Shrimp Curl" cause it looks just like a curled shrimp !!!!
happy mid-summer my friends
sending love,
kary and teddy
xx
Ahhh I'm sighing over and over at your glorious garden, which was the inspiration for my England section in that silly Gardens of Time game I play. It all looks beautiful and like the most idyllic place to live. You live in a world of sweetness and honey and nobody deserves it more than you!
ReplyDeleteDear Rachel, your garden is looking so beautiful! It must be lovely to sit in the garden with a book and revel in the fruits of your labour! Thank you for sharing the video of the bees. I am sure you are enjoying the whole experience. 40 pounds of honey...WOW! I suspect you will be baking some lovely desserts with it too! Happy end of July and midsummer!! xoxo
ReplyDeleteDearest Rachel, I can't believe that one hive will produce so much---I'm sure you'll make some delectable treats with some of it!! The garden is awash in color---how glorious!!! How cute that Alice loves a little outdoor bath! I'm sure it is as refreshing to her as it is to you and I!!! What a lovely post....
ReplyDeletexoxo Joann
Nothing nicer than Summer in July xxxxx
ReplyDeleteDear Rachel,
ReplyDeleteI love Paul's daylily too. Such an amazing color. Maybe a video of Alice dippping her head? Sounds like the perfect cure for a hot summer head!
xx
julie
hey rachel and alice...we have 2 pieces of cake and 2 glasses of strawberry lemonade over here with your name on them
ReplyDelete:-)
sending love,
kary and teddy
xx
What ever will you do with all that honey (throwing my hand in air -- I should come borrow a cup of honey) -- The color in your garden is so beautiful Ray, love it. Thank you! xoxo
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