I love the smell of Tiger Balm in the morning OR The JOYS OF SUMMER

Possibly the Sahara.

jacey - Where would we be without rain, eh?

Our verges just seem to be incredibly green ...pouring with rain again!!

Just caught up with your post B as I was about to write about the verges I've walked by today. Amazing what abundance there is beside the road.

Very wind here this afternoon, and the wild grasses that have shot up in the past couple of weeks in the verges are having a whale of a time dancing around. As one gust blew there was a shock of colour and hiding inside the grasses was a group of beautiful pyramidal orchids.

On the way to and from our last archery lesson yesterday (for the time being; we'll continue to practise at home) I noticed that the roadside verges are now dominated by cow parsley and buttercups. Every now and then there would be a flash of more intense cream when we passed a flowering rowan tree, and there was an occasional flash of more intense yellow where there was some bird's foot trefoil growing by a kerb or some bright broom. Then there were stands of lupins and of red campion. Under trees there were still bluebells flowering, and here and there in large numbers or small, the cheerful white of ox-eye daisies. Also everywhere, flowering grasses and ribwort plantain.

I shall have t look it up Yes, many speedwells here too - and so agree about the colour. In the borders I also have several types of perenial tall speedwells/veronica in deep blue, pale blue, pink and white- but not in flower yet.

My fave is Grass of Parnassus. Probably because it is so rare here. But, yes, I love them all. The pyramidal bugles are popping up everywhere in my garden, and I noticed the self-seeded ragged robin had started to flower yesterday. There seem to be more speedwells this year too. I have tried to encourage them as I love the blue.

What is the first one Bags.
I have to say I just can't choose 1 or 2 favourites - they are all so wonderful.

Also in the field now are bugles and the wonderful pink poligonum (poligonum bistorta). Near us is the coldest place in central Europe, la Vallée de la Brévine, a tundra like valley dotted with very ancient peat bog and a glacial lake. In June the whole valley is covered with those pale pink flowers and watching wave after wave dancing in the wind is just breath taking.

My garden too is looking a mass of colour. Columbines and chives a riot in front of the kitchen. And on the other side a golden river of welsh poppies.
My first David A. rose out, with that intense myrrh scent that he does so well.
Noticed yesterday how loud birdsong sounds inside a wood. Did the experiment today while out for constitutional. Stand a few metres inside wood - sounds really loud. Stand at edge - much quieter. Birds obviously evolved a vocal trick or two to make this work.

Butter I'm smiling because you are happy.

Sounds good, butty. Enjoy! Enjoy!

The steps up from the terrace to the lower part of our back lawn are the large and heavy companionway of an old wooden ship. I've been cutting back the ferns and weeds that try to choke them each year. Having a wee cooldown inside and then will tackle another summer job outside

All your hard work has paid off butter

Really love reading all these post of such beautiful flowers.

Can I boast just a little? J. is taking various bodies to various gites and getting them settled in, but before supper they walked around our garden and were full of praise. Future daughter-in-law adores flowers, and is just delighted with how the wedding garden is looking. Big to go to bed with. I am so happy she is happy. That's all I wanted.

Water avens is my second favourite flower.

Thrilled that the tree peony I had to hack back to bring over when we moved has finally agreed that here was home. The most amazing, huge, crimson flowers. And the smell of the pheasant eye narcissi is just so wonderful. The many different cranesbill types geranium are fabulous too, dark chocolate, pinks, blues and white. Pale yellow irises at their best now, and the others in many shades ready to flower.

In the wild field at the back, king cups, water havens and so many others. Just booootiful.

It is a lovely time of year. We went to Evenley Woodland Garden to check out the azaleas etc. Not much acid soil around these parts - but they have a little patch there. Lovely. Star of the show was an excessively blowsy white tree peony. I could imagine someone sending a bouquet of them to one to a great Edwardian beauty.

Lovely picture, Bags.

A stiff, many-headed stalk of dark purple columbine,
A delicate one of pignut with three umbelliferous heads
of tiny white-flowering umbellifers,
A four-flowered stalk of red campion,
And a single stem of flowering sage,
All in a dark green vase, looks good.

Summer has finally arrived here in Devon. At last have managed to be outside in a t-shirt for more than five minutes!

Unfortunately, the sparrows have ousted the house martins from their nest - not much kindness in nature!

The raining mist is blowing across the fields, the trees are being squalled at, and everything is dripping everywhere. The day after tomorrow we've got three tents to put up and a lawn or two to mow....or we might go for tall daisies and buttercups. Ah well.......... fingers crossed for some if only a little.
Everything does look marvelously lush though.

We have lovely ones here as well! It is Zomerset!

Have uploaded more sunsets. We have hundreds of images spanning eight years. It's very difficult to choose a few favourites.

Butter at some point throughout the summer evenings, the sky will turn crimson and the islands a deep shade of lavender...the sea can be streaked with torquoise and mauve and red. A sight to behold!

Wow soop. Looking forward to seeing even more .......

Last night's sunset, as seen from our window, was a taster of things to come. Have uploaded pre and post-sunset pics. From hereon, they become even more spectacular