The Oven.

Ooooooh I like all of those photos, I need to investigate those Veronica plants, they are just the kind of tall elegant flowers I like, thank you for sharing your cooking plants!

Its all that rain you had in the Spring Hywel, which we never got. I have a lot of dead plants, just cant carry enough water.

You have a remarkably well kept and colourful oven! It's lovely. I'm wishing for cooler weather as my grass that looked really lovely for the first time ever a couple of months ago, is now brown and horrible. The only consolation is I haven't had to mow it! I love your clematis.

nice selection of picks ,beautiful color

Beautiful,Hywel. They don't look as stressed as a lot of us are feeling! You did well to stay in the sun long enough to take all these lovely photos to share. Once more its impossible to chose favourites...

You've so much colour there, Hywel, looks lovely. I thought of you yesterday. I went to the garden centre to buy a new peanut feeder as the squirrel has finally knawed through the old one. Thought they were too expensive so came home with a half price fuchsia, Tom Thumb. As I carried it home I thought 'bet Hywel has one of these' 😊

Lovely photos of your oven Hywel.

Gosh, Hywel your garden is 'cooking' beautifully, seriously, despite the scorching weather, your flowers all look amazing even in the heat.

What a stunning show your garden is putting on Hywel adore your rose Francine Austin she is a beauty and that Aquilegia chrysantha is just an eye catcher.

How many people would like an "oven" like yours, Hywel? It's the best looking oven I've ever seen! 😄

Your Roses & Clematis are looking stunning! But where have you hidden those that have been burned to a crisp??? 😄

Just yesterday I had to prune back a new shrub my son bought me for my birthday in May. It's leaves had - quite literally - been burnt to a crisp! 😞 Fortunately there are a few very healthy looking shoots sprouting from the base. 👍

I'll see if I have a photo of it & later I'll upload it to my photos page.

You obviously haven't switched your oven on Hywel!! that's why everything is looking so cool!! beautiful garden.....keep calm and wait for the rain!!

It's all looking great, despite the extreme heat. That's a lovely aquilegia!

Thank you all for reading my blog.
I am fed up with this intense heat now. It's uncomfortable and getting on my nerves.

I don't usually have to water the plants in the ground but when the weather gets like this and they start wilting and turning brown I have to do it.

I hope your shrub will be all right Balcony. What is it …

I haven't actually got Tom Thumb Gill but it's on my wish list …. together with I don't know how many others lol !

Lisam I hope your lawn recovers. It's worrying when plants die and you can't do anything about it.

Sunnydais I hope you find some nice elegant plants for your garden. There are lots to be had.

Thanks for all your comments everyone :)

Your garden looks a picture Hywel. Sadly the heat is no good for gardening and like you I am suffering from lack of it.

I feel a bit crispy myself, Hywel. All this watering is tiring too and what if there is a hose pipe ban. I love the sunshine but would like some overnight rain.
Your garden looks beautifully cooked.

Thank you both :)

Looking at its best ....

Gg

Listening to Alan Titchmarsh on classic FM on Saturday, his gardening tip was concerning watering. According to Alan, only plants in containers and those newly planted should really be watered, most of the others will recover once it rains. As for lawns, he said that grass roots are very shallow and at their base are lots of grass buds just waiting for a good downpour. He went on to say, watering a lawn is pointless as most of the water will evaporate and not do any good. Save as much water from such as washing up as you can, unless you've used a harsh chemical. Washing-up liquid won't do any harm or soap from showers or baths. Just thought I'd pass this on incase you missed him. :-)

You garden is looking a treat as always. My garden is crisping nicely as I hide indoors sheltering from a pollen overdose. I have never felt so miserable. I think I have hayfever, streaming nose, watering eyes, growling chest and aching all over. Please let it rain soon.

Thanks for all your comments.

I didn't see that Julia. Thanks for mentioning it.
I tend not to water the plants in the ground. I think their roots go down far enough to find water.
In a heat wave though, I do water some perennials. Heucheras, Pulmonaria and some Campanulas for example, because they are becoming crisp as their roots shrivel up in the intense heat.

I hope you'll feel better soon Sheila. It must be miserable to have hay fever. There are apparently some good things you can take for it but I don't know how well they work.
We had some big clouds yesterday afternoon, and a few thundery spots of rain. Not enough to wet the surface though. It dried up as soon as it hit the ground. The air has become very muggy.

Your oven is quite colorful. I wish I can say that about mine.

Thank you ...

So good of you to brave the heat and take all these lovely pics, Hywel..it's 8am here, and i just stepped out onto my porch..big mistake! the wall of heat and humidity almost knocked me over..i was going to sit out there with my two tiny dogs, but i just turned around and we all came back into the A/C..it was already 90F..not fit for man (or woman) or beast....your plants are doing so well it's stunning...

It does look lovely Hywel, your Clematis and that huge Fuschia are a delight to see, mine are very slow this year, that lovely Aquilegia I think is the one you sent me a few years ago, it was marvellous this year and has only just finished flowering, lasted a good three weeks despite our heatwave and lack of rain.
I too am struggling in the heat, I have given up in the garden apart from deadheading and watering, like your garden the well established ones are having to take care of themselves, I have moved as many pots, baskets and my birdcages to the front pathway, into the shade of the house, it does not get any sun until after 4pm and then only for a couple of hours when it disappears below the rooftops across the road. We do not have a hosepipe ban but its a waste getting the hose out, I wander around using the watering cans without the rose on and make sure the water gets to the roots, at least when my waterbutts are empty I am allowed to fill them up again...