Hi everyone, I've been kind of ignoring my blog in favour of soaking up the HEAT. We've been enjoying incredible weather - it's actually quite humid - a rare occurrence for here, or at least it used to be... maybe there's something to this global warming after all.
Here's one way to keep a dog amused when it's hot! (Under close supervision of course)
Emma doesn't really ever get a piece of ice in her mouth anyways - the ones she manages to get out of the bowl are too slippery and already half their original size.
It sure cools my beard off though :)
We had an incredible storm the other night; it was thundering and lightening for hours - and hailed at least 3x's. I kept getting out of bed and standing at the back door willing the system to "move along now" and it did eventually, but not before it wreaked havoc in my garden :(
Even after the peonies stop blooming, I continue to prize their deep rich foliage throughout the summer. Rather spoiled now.
My tomato plants are looking quite sickly - I think they're in shock - I hope they perk up...
What's left of my lettuce patch - also leaves from my poplar trees that were scattered all over the yard.
Some of my hostas were hit.
There's more damage to my hops vines (just the top layer of leaves, thankfully), zucchini, numerous shrubs and bedding out plants all have the odd hole here and there in them... you get the picture.
See the holes in my rose bush? Hail is not to blame in this instance - this is the handiwork of wasps! I planted 4 rose bushes last year and they bloomed beautifully this season. All the while, the wasps have proceeded to decimate them - and very quickly, I might add - on numerous occasions I've watched them at their work - a hole is carved out in mere seconds! This pic was taken last week - they're much worse now.
It's not all doom and gloom though! Most stuff survived and three have come into bloom since our storm. I recently planted this particular hosta and it's flowered already.
My daisies are all a riot :) I hadn't expected them to survive, but they were all standing at attention the next morning, the little troopers! Thank goodness for trees - they provide a lot of shelter in a storm.
Have you ever looked closely at a delphinium flower? They are beautiful... so soft & furry :)
I'm glad they made it.
We gardeners are eternal optimists... thankfully, there's always next year.
The hail damage was sad to see...hail is such an odd thing...
ReplyDeleteEverything will mend and bounce back...except for the wasp damage. I had no clue they could do that!
I was quite surprised to find out it was wasps as well - mystery solved!
DeleteWe didn't get hail in our part of the city. Just lots of rain, thunder and lightning.
ReplyDeleteYou guys got off lucky then - thankfully our's didn't get too big, I hear some people were really whomped.
DeleteThat must have been a terrible storm. Hail can be quite damaging. Gardeners are definitely optimists. As long as the spring keeps returning, so do our gardens. That delphinium photo is stunning. What a nice perspective of it. There is damage to your garden, but it looks like the plants are still standing. There may be still be time enough for some of them to pick themselves up and look pretty good for the rest of the season. That's what I love about perennials. They take a beating but survive it. But then anything that manages to get through our cold winters is tough. I had no idea that wasps do that type of damage. My rose bushes look a little beaten down this summer, and I have no idea why. I wonder if it's wasps! I'm going to have to check.
ReplyDeleteMartha, we have had SO much rain this year, it's crazy! It seems to storm every second day. About this time every year I live in fear of a hail storm ruining everything - that has only happened once (thankfully) when I loved in Peace River. My garden was looking beautiful and wham - mush! It's a feeling I'll never forget. Wasn't anything near that this time, thank goodness.
DeleteSo you're in the part of the city that got hammered by that storm!! Awww. I hate the damage that hail does. We had nothing but rain, tons of lightening, and 2 of the loudest, scariest cracks of thunder that had me jumping out of my skin! Beautiful flower photos! I have some kind of raspberry beetle, that chews off pices of the cane and eventually the whole thing turns brown and dies. Thankfully, they only kill off a couple of canes and I still have loads of berries!
ReplyDeleteYes, but thankfully no big damage (except to my tomato plants & lettuce - I'm hoping they all perk up) I absolutely love big storms - minus the hail, that is. My neighbor got water in his basement - that also sucks. Mother nature is as destructive as she is beautiful.
DeleteGood grief, that must have been some storm! I have the same wasp damage on one of my roses. Although it is annoying, I also kind of admire the neatness of it all.
ReplyDeleteIt was - we haven't had one this powerful for around 5 years or so. I have to admire their symmetry as well :)
DeleteLove your photos, do like your dog she seems to be intrigued with the ice.
ReplyDeleteI wonder how humid it is there, and what the temperature is/was. Hail storm - are the hail stones or were they as large as golf balls, I wonder. I love it warm but when it gets up to 38C deg, that's just starting to get a bit too warm, 35degC is good. Don't get it that warm where I live but have lived in that temperature for weeks on end, both summer and winter in the tropics.
Some places in Australia get to 46degC, sure I wouldn't care for that!
Our high was around 32C that day, (the storm occured that evening) and our humidity was probably at 70-75% - quite humid for here as we are considered the 'prairies'. Other parts of the country, for example southern Ontario, experience high humidity all summer long. I can't imagine 38-46 degrees!
DeleteDear Jane,
ReplyDeleteHail, let me tell you about it. It might not rain for weeks and since we garden in POTS, it is important to get as much rain into those pots as possible. When we think there is a chance of rain, we take the pots from under the porch and put them on the walkway to catch the rain. THEN, we see that we might have hail and take them back up and put them on the porch, THEN the threat of hail passes and then we take them BACK out...get the picture? I don't like hail! And if they are left out, the leaves can be stripped, as you know but it is even worse for plants in small pots! But we are eternal opitimists!!!
Oh my Kay, that's a lot of micro-managing! I guess one has to do what they can - next year I am thinking I may move my tomatoes (which are in pots) into my garden shed when it's threatening to be a big one - unfortunately, in this instance the storm happened at night - and I was NOT going out into it for anything :) Also, once they get really big, it's not so simple to move them... I need to come up with a different plan! Thank goodness we are optimists or we'd give up!
DeleteOh I love that Emma dog! Glad she is weathering the heat well, armed as she is with her bowl of ice cubes! :) It sounds as if you had a terrible storm. It has been pretty grim here in s. Ontario. Too hot, too dry. suffocatingly humid. First the cherry crop was affected now the corn and no rain in sight. Anyway, take care and hugs to Emma!
ReplyDeleteI keep hearing from my mom how dry & humid it is there (she's in Brantford) - it must be almost unbearable at times. I will give Emma her hugs for sure :)
DeleteJane, I love your little doggie, Emma. If I lived close enough to you I would be happy to dog-sit for her. So sorry about the storm and hail damage to your garden, but some of your beautiful flowers have seemed to survive! We get a lot of rain here as well, this summer; but it's a good thing that most of the time it just rains in the later afternoon, and overnight, and cools things off for the next morning!
ReplyDeleteHi Elisabeth, I sure wish you could dog-sit Miss Emma - she always loves an outing and someone else making a fuss over her, lol!! The majority of my plants have pretty much perked back up by now, so I am grateful for that. Isn't it great when the weather works itself into that sort of a 'schedule' - some years we will get most of our rain at night as well.
DeleteIt's amazing the damage a hailstorm can wreak on a garden. But at least you're getting some wonderful weather in compensation. Love seeing little Emma, she is adorable. My little man loves crunching down on some ice when he's too hot, alas we haven't exactly been bothered with too much sunshine lately! That delphinium is so beautiful.
ReplyDeleteWe certainly have been enjoying a good hot summer - I like feeling that I've gotten my money's worth, since we have to suffer through such long winters :) I am always amazed when I really study each individual flower.
DeleteHi Jane..fabulous post..and gorgeous delphinium bloom..looks like a furry bumble bee! and love your sweet Emma.totally adorable...is she a morkie/or yorkie..i have one too. I love the color of your pup's coat..she is sweet!
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the sunshine and wishing you a beautiful week ahead!
Victoria
Hi Victoria, Thank you - flowers are truly works of art when we really look at them with fresh eyes. Emma is a Morkie. Enjoy the rest of your week :)
DeleteJane the shots of Emma chasing ice cubes just made my Sunday!
ReplyDeleteAhhh :) Thanks, your comment has just made my day!
DeleteEmma is very cute, love her short summer haircut! Beautiful macro shot of the delphinium flower. The weather has been so crazy lately, our gardens bounce back pretty quickly despite all the abuse they take. We are having more 100 degree temps here... we moved to Minnesota for the cool summers!
ReplyDeleteThanks, I think she looks so much better when it's shorter and it must be cooler for her :) Sounds like everyone is having quite the summer - there really must be some truth to this global warming stuff afterall... does that mean our winters will be warmer now too? Probably not, lol!
DeleteI didn't realize that wasps were so damaging to plants. I just assumed the were like bees.
ReplyDeleteMe neither - I assume this is what they build their nests with... they are fast at that as well - our neighbor knocked down a small nest a few weeks ago and they had it rebuilt by the very next day...!!
DeletePiesek wspaniale się bawi lodem i jest zadowolony z ochłody. Burze i grad u nas podobne szkody wyrządziły w ogrodach, to przykre. Pozdrawiam.
ReplyDeleteThe dog is great fun with ice and is happy with a refreshing swim. Thunderstorms and hail We have done similar damage in the gardens, it is sad. Yours.
She has a lot of fun with her ice bowl! Helps to cool her down a bit as well :)
DeletePlease kiss Emma for me, right on her nose and between her ears.
ReplyDeleteWe got it pretty lucky in the North end, just rain and thunder and lightening.
Done! Hee hee :) I hope that was our one and only for the year.
DeleteYes, your plants took a hit, sorry for that. Is is lots of hard work to plant and maintain a garden and flowers and it can messed up by a storm in a very short time. Things will perk up and go on, don't despair.
ReplyDeleteEmma, sweetie, she is loving the ice cubes I can tell.
Thanks Lorene, it's frustrating to say the least, but all of us gardeners are constantly battling the elements in one way or another... :)
DeleteAh yes, hail. We seem to have it frequently anymore as well. However, last year was horrible and our plants looks much like yours - shredded. Thankfully this year you'd never know it and so yes, do keep hope. They will come back next year and hopefully the hail won't :)
ReplyDelete"her" and Romeo
I hope your good fortune continues - thankfully it doesn't happen every year or we'd all give up!
DeleteThe fantastic photograph, fantastic flowers and beautiful colours. I am greeting
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for stopping by and leaving such kind comments :)
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