The maximum temperature here today is 28⁰C, minimum 17⁰C. North-West winds of 8 km/h with gusts up to 25 km/h. 2mm of rain early this morning with thunder and lightning.
We seem to have a shortage of insects this month with the lavender over. I did expect many bugs on the fallen plums, but they seem to be ignoring them this year as are the birds!! I am sure the birds will turn up when the figs ripen which will not be long now.
Common Wall Lizard (Podarcis muralis) watching me watching him!
Glanville Fritillary (Melitaea cinxia).
As above.
As if we have not got enough of them around! I think it is one of the Flesh Flies, but which one I do not know.
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Bush Cricket, but again I am not sure which one.
House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) on one of the colder days not looking very happy...
Just look at that face.
On a warmer day enjoying the ashtray bath, far better use of it than for its original use!!
Wild Flower - Mallow Malva Sylvestris.
Belle de Nuit (Mirabilis jalapa). These flowers only open in the evening when all the others close for the night.
Calendula.
Geranium.
Despite having used about 3000 plums the floor is still covered! We have 7 trees.
Quinces, a heavy crop this year, branches may break.
Pumpkins
I just like this shadow!
You saw the house from the front in the last post now this is the back 😊
That is about it folks I will try to get another post done before the end of August but we have a few busy dates, my 80th on the 19th and our wedding anniversary on the 28th.
I have been asked what I do with quinces here are my links
A busy time for you. I hope your birthday and anniversary are extra special! I have never seen quinces grow. Thank you for sharing these great photos!
ReplyDeleteThanks Marie, we are having quiet celebrations as it is holiday time here and too many tourists around. We are going to two different local restaurants for lunch on each day. Thanks for following and all your kind comments,. Diane
DeleteYou have all those beautiful critters in your garden!! wow You must have done something right in your garden. I wish I lived closer so I could come knock your door for some plums!!! What did you do with all of them?
ReplyDeleteGosh Angie I wish there were several people who lived close who wanted plums. I have dehydrated around 2000 plums, see my last post, and since then we have frozen a couple of drawer fulls, and I have made chutney. I still have jam from previous years so have not made any more. Take care Diane
DeleteGood morning, Diane: A fine group of pictures as always. Congratulations on your upcoming birthday. I hope it will be fêted in grand style and that the weather will cooperate. The sparrows look wonderful. Some birds seem to take extra delight in bathing and it looks like the sparrows are part of that group. Bonne journée, bonne semaine et joyeuse anniversaire. Bisous - David
ReplyDeleteMerci beaucoup David, We are celebrating my birthday at the restaurant under the chateau, one of our favourite places. Nigel asked where I would like to go and I said local would be good, as with tourist season upon us, everywhere is overcrowded and I have too much to do at home to go away for a few days. Anniversary will probably be a day late as everywhere around here closes on a Monday!
DeleteThe sparrows and the blackbirds are so often in the bath and occasionally the stupid pigeons try to splash around as well but the containers are not big enough for them. Keep well and best wishes to you both. Bisous Diane
Your photography is going from strength to strength, Diane, as is your garden it would seem ! Your first three images are, for me, particularly wonderful.
ReplyDeleteThree thousand plums should keep you going for a while - if you get my drift !
My very best wishes to you both - you for your birthday on Saturday, and you both for your wedding anniversary.
Take good care - - - Richard
Hi Richard, thank you for your very kind comments, the first 3 were my favourite as well which is why they went first. The plums will certainly last me for the next year in our breakfast cereal and I used some, plus our dried cherries in a fruit cake yesterday it is very good.
DeleteThanks for the good wishes, I still cannot register that i am about to be 80!!!!!!
Very best wishes to you both, Cheers Nigel and Diane
Hi Diane - thanks for updating us ... I know you're always busy at this time of year, especially with the garden and visitors. Amazing number of plums ... but yes - always far more on the tree/s than one thinks ... Ghoulish shadows! Quinces - how do you cook them - a brief note would be fine ... thank you! The pumpkins look healthy ... the wintering sparrow not so much ... funny face as you say. While the lizard looks very healthy and watchful ... just have fun in the next couple of weeks - cheers Hilary
ReplyDeleteHi Hilary, it has been extra busy this year and everyone here is saying the same, large crops of everything, the odd weather has obviously suited them. Further south though where it has been extra hot, people are saying the fruit trees are dying :-(( They are also on strict water rationing.Our favourite recipe for quince is too poach them, so delicious, but I also make bottled fruit, jam and jelly. I do not know how to put a link in to a comment so please look at the bottom of my blog where i have now added a couple of links.for my recipes.
DeleteKeep well and take care, Cheers Diane
Brilliant thanks for letting me know ... my brother has a tree - unless it's died which is possible - Sussex Downs lack of soil! I'll let him have copy of your recipes - they may or more probably may not try them ... my SIL now has horses ... so they get somewhat tied up with them ... and she's not really a kitchen lover - other than a good provider of homely food! Cheers - just enjoy the meal today ... Hilary
DeleteHappy birthday and happy anniversary.
ReplyDeleteYou live in a beautiful house with a lot of beautiful flowers and animals around it.
Sparrows and lizards are common here too. In my backyard often I rescue the lizards from the cats.
All the best.
Thanks you so much for the very kind comment and the good wishes, very much appreciated. We only have stray cats here and so many places that the lizards can hide that I have not noticed a problem.
DeleteTake care and stay well. Keep running, so good for you, wish I could run but I am flat footed and walking is about my limit!...Very best wishes, Diane
All those plums and quinces. If only you had a very large freezer they would make a fine winter delight for northern thrushes like Redwings and Fieldfares. But then I don't think you have too many dqays of ice and frost, never mind lying snow? The sparrow made me chuckle!
ReplyDeleteIn the 18 years since we bought here we had one winter that we were snowed in for 3 weeks, other than that we have seen light snow about 3 times. I have never seen a Redwing or a Fieldfare!! I am though amazed that the neither the birds or the insects are particularly interested in the plums on the ground (or in the tree), but I see the birds are checking out the figs already and they are not ripe yet!! The birds do not touch the quinces, too hard and they only soften with cooking.
DeleteKeep well and keep ringing, Diane.
Figured you would be extremely busy in the garden. Plus so much fruit.
ReplyDeleteThanks Gaelyn, we seem to have had more beans, tomatoes and courgettes than ever this year, besides al the potatoes etc etc. Hope all is well, Cheers Diane
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