Margaret's Garden Journal for August 2009

Lunch time view from the conservatory on a wet and windy August day

For the first half of August I had three garden events planned.

The first on August 4th, a lunchtime get-together for members of a small writing workshop proved so wet and windy we spent most of the time huddled in the conservatory.

There was a short break in the weather for the second event, another lunchtime party, this time for the local WRVS team who take books to housebound people, and we enjoyed eating a la fresco under the eucalyptus tree.

The weather turned wild again with an unpromising forecast so the day before the third event, an evening Neighbourhood Watch barbeque, people were asking if we should cancel it. I had a large gazebo in place and the conservatory ready so decided to risk it. Unfortunately, however, around midnight I slipped and broke my hip.

Next evening,flat on my back in hospital awaiting an operation, but first having passed my keys to my garden to a neighbour, I watched blue skies emerge from the clouds and realised my optimism had been justified.

The barbeque went ahead, although they transferred it to a neighbour's garden.

I spent the rest of the month in hospital and convalescinging in a respite home for the elderly. All that time I was away from my garden, the weather turned really hot without rain. Luckily a neighbour kindly volunteered to water my greenhouse and patio plants.

The floral areas of the rest of the garden did well despite the lack of watering, weeding and dead-heading although the vegetables suffered from caterpillars and drought and fruit had been attacked by wasps. The pears had mysteriously disappeared.
The front garden is doing particularly well with the multicoloured dahlias in full flower. The tall cone flowers left unrestrained have come into their own.