The perfect days of summer!

Our hollyhocks!, originally uploaded by CharlesFred.

Fred collects hollyhock seeds when we are on vacation, so these could very easily be stock from Turkey or Macedonia!

The garden is getting a bit dry over ere as we realise that we have not had much rain for quite a while - because even when it was being so cold in May and the middle of June, we did nto have too much rain. Still the hollyhocks don't seem to mind, as loing as they can get their roots nice and hot under the sun.

Unfortunately, the hollyhocks have bustled out the phlox which have growing by the front door for the last few years. And in teh meantime, the tobacco plants which we had under the tree at the fromnt have wholly migrated to the warmer soil nearer the house, leaving space there. One very elegant solution - go to the garden centre and buy some delicious smelling phlox and plant them in the space left where the tobacco plants are not growing.

Also bought some trellissing for the back of the house for the sweet honeysuckle to twist itself around. We had to break the honeysuckle down when we had the balcony reparired, which was such a pity. It desparately wants to grow back up and in a few days twists itself around anything vertical left nearby - like the spade or the ladder, now a nice piece of trelliss!

And with the ewther being so p[erfect - endless warm evenings when it never seems rto get dark and certainly doesn't cool down, I have been sleeping outside on the balcony at the back, being first woken up by the dawn chorus at 4, followed by teh alarm clock at 7, by which time the sun is shining on the leaves of the trees above,m set off against a brilliant blue sky. Perfect! A shame Fred isn't here to enjoy it!