I said in an earlier post that plant life was galloping away to flower and set seed all before being fried. Now with the end of July approaching, we have definitely reached the fried stage. I took the header view of Townsend Meadow as I was coming home from the evening’s allotment watering. I thought it captured the day’s residual heat in a ‘baked-to-a-turn’ kind of way, a muted version if you like of Vincent Van Gogh’s Wheatfield with crows, a work that always seems to exude its own hotness. It’s a shame the local rooks did not put in an appearance to complete the scene, but sensibly they seem to be keeping a low profile – no doubt roasting quietly in their treetop roosts on the Sytch where the brook no longer flows.
Rain keeps appearing on the weather forecast, and then disappearing. Today’s promised thunderstorms have blown away. I think we’ve only had one significant watering in two months, and the heatwave looks like continuing.
Up at the allotment the harvest has been hit and miss – much bolting of lettuce and wilting of peas; puny potatoes, though wonderfully free of slug spit. The sweet corn continues to flourish and is starting to form cobs, and there have been loads of raspberries. The courgettes keep coming, and even the squashes are producing. In the polytunnel the Black Russian tomatoes are fat and delicious, and the peppers and aubergines beginning to fruit. All of which means much hauling of watering cans every evening.
Here then, are more scenes of simmering Wenlock in and around Townsend Meadow.
Please visit Su to see her changing season in New Zealand
Tish Farrell 
It’s funny, you know? I always think of July as mid-summer, but it IS when everything is beginning to seed. I suppose part of that is moving from NY to New England where the seasons are a bit different … but also taking a better look at flowers and plants. Realizing that this is when they make their turnaround and head into fall. All our daylilies are gone now and the roses are spare.
Too soon! And it has been so hot, too.
I feel the seeding is a few weeks ahead of schedule, at least here in the UK. We feel more like late August or September than late July (apart from the abnormal heat that is), and my internal calendar, such as it is, is getting horribly confused. None of the flowers last much longer than a day. In fact my sweet peas were flowering and seeding almost simultaneously which has never happened before.
I saw the title in my email feed – All hot air and going to seed – and thought you were addressing me personally. I was about to take umbrage, but then I re-read it.
😉
As if I would, Ark 🙂 🙂
But Nature moves on. I find it interesting that some can handle just about anything thrown their way and some just fold up and pass away. Come to think of it…aren’t some of the same ?
Some of us the same………I wish wordpress would just leave me alone.I can make my own mistakes thank you
🙂
Tish, I could have posted the same pictures from the Arrow Lake in BC thousands of miles away. The two cloud pictures on your post looked like promising rain, but I guess it was a mere illusion. The only consolation we have here is the lake, where we find temporary refreshment with a quick dip into the cold water. On the other hand, forests are burning in nearby regions of BC. Let’s all hope and pray for some rain.
The threat and actuality of forest fires is horrifying, so yes, some good rain please, rain gods. But a dip in your cool lake would be very fine.
I agree, Tish!
I’m sick of the hot air, and feel I’m going to pot, if not to to seed….
I know what you mean. Was v. tetchy when I woke up this morning. It’s gone cooler now, but then we can’t see the moon for all the cloud – drat and double drat.
Drat and double drat indeed…no moon for me because of the cloud…..but yippee! it’s cooler now…..!!
In fact this am we have a really really cool wind, and there’s been a few drops of rain. Feel like Rip Van Winkle who has just woken up inside another existence.
D’you know, me too! Tish-Rip and Sue-Rip!!
Ha! Hope not to find we’re now 250 years older
That would be a nightmare!
It would!
😀😀
Gorgeous images they just don’t capture this sweltering heat.
The weather is crazy these days. Totally unpredictable. Lets hope the world wakes up to climate change verry, very soon. Your photos depict the conditions very well. It does look more like summer in the south of France than in Shropshire.
It feels like the south of France, so not only is one overheating, but feeling quite displaced too. It was less hot in Kenya even at the coast.
I saw some pictures on TV last night of the English countryside. Kent looked like it does here during a drought. I hope you get some rain soon.
We have some. It arrived yesterday, along with autumnal weather and a 10 degree drop in temp. It’s going to rain most of today too, so no need to water.
Oh great – I’m happy for you. That rain after weeks of drought is such a treat.
Mm. Yes. The scent of well-wetted earth!
Beautiful photos Tish, but endless summer loses its appeal very quickly when land and life suffer. Raspberries, corn and tomatoes all sound a delicious harvest, but I admit that no matter how many ways I try to liven up courgettes, they’ll never make my Top 10 favourite veges list.
I know what you mean about courgettes, though last night they did make a reasonable appearance in a crab and courgette tart (Nigel Slater recipe).
Ooh. That sounds delicious. Nigel Slater is one of my favourite food writers. I have a tatty collection of his recipes from The Observer torn out when we lived in England. Still relevant and always tasty.
That’s where I get his recipes from, so also have a tatty collection. Though he posts on the internet too.
I should search online. I am always looking for new food ideas. Thanks for that Tish
This could almost have been written in Australia! Such beautiful photos, especially that flocculent sky, and the butterfly / moth and the bee.
That’s just the word I was looking for – flocculent.
I knew there was one. Thank you, Meg 🙂
I met it though a Year 5 spelling list when I was invigilating a class as literacy consultant!
It’s quite a word to come across 🙂
I find it hard to picture such a hot England. As Meg says it just brings thoughts of our summer to come.
And this morning we have high winds, grey skies, cold air and it’s just beginning to rain. An extraordinary switch.
That sounds more normal. The garden will enjoy the rain but not the cold air
Wind’s dropped this morning, but it’s still raining on and off and the garden looks happy.
☔️🌻🌺🌸😄
The flowers haven’t fared so well this summer have they? I dug up all my mallow as they had rust and the bed is bare now waiting for autumn planting. I am gathering some perennials to put in, but waiting a while before doing so. Last night we got the storms, thunder and lightning and everything frightening! Today gales, showers, sun, cool wind. The ground definitely needed the rain. My son said the countryside was yellow driving from S.Yorks until he hit Cornwall. But it is quite dusty here for us! My sweet peas are also flowering and seeding almost simultaneously. Not even enough flowering at the same time to pick!
The only plants that look absolutely unscathed and not requesting attention are the sedums and the echinops, oh yes and the self-planted teasel. I’m thinking I’d better replant the front east-facing border which just gets baked with more of same and similar for next year. Hedge bets even if this year is a one-off.
My natives seem okay, even though they are moisture-loving plants. Maybe they have deep enough roots. Penstemons on the other hand flowered and seeded very quickly, usually the flowers last well into winter. Not sure they will this year unless I get another flush.
All my forward thinking planting plans have truly gone to pot. I usually have some pretty good late summer flowers, but the michaelmas daisies for one are looking very mildewy
Oh, that’s not good. Mine are OK so far, but then I haven’t had the heat that you have.
Beautiful photos again!
Thank you, Stephen.
The header image is magnificent. From some of the comments I gather the simmering cauldron you’ve been in has gone off the boil.
Definitely back to usual UK weather, though gather the sun will be returning next week, and all will be warming up again. The farmers are in distress due to lack of grass for sheep and cattle. The long lasting winter meant they had to buy in feed then too, and the grass didn’t get going in spring till about May – just in time for the drought.
I love those dappled skies!
What a reminder this summer has been of the importance of rain. We are experiencing a much appreciated cooler weekend, and today a little rain, but not enough by far. The forecast for August looks hot. Enjoy your weekend. Janet 🙂
We’re having a cool damp interlude – but warming up again after Monday, and back to no rain. Happy weekend to you too.
Thankfully we’ve had a few days of rain in the past week and it was much overdue. Things are actually starting to come back to life agains after the brutal heat and dry weather. The fire fighters need it too for the forest fires 😕
Love your images, especially the very first one with those bristly cone things. I don’t know what they are, but they’re really pretty.
The bristly things are teasels. They’re wild and grow really tall and the bees the love them. The heads used to be used to card wool in preparation for spinning. We’ve also had some rain, and what a relief, though I think it’s back to no rain after today. My heart goes out to those fire fighters.
Even the name is pretty 🙂
Unfortunately it’s the same here in southern Germany, and most of the rest of the planet.
Amazing clouds 😀
Hello, Nomzi. Lovely to hear from you 🙂
Always a pleasure to hear from you too. Have a great week Tish 😊
Awesome gallery!
Thanks, Anna 🙂
It seems like the rain you have NOT been receiving is all coming down here along the US East Coast. My garden is a green jungle, a verifiable rain forest. So much weather chaos and extremes everywhere in the world….
BTW, I especially loved your header photo.
Well I’m glad you’re getting productive rain, Annette. So often these days when it comes, there’s flood and destruction too. We had a couple of days of light rain, but it’s back to heat and rainlessness here. So bizarre in England when we always expect rain!