Once upon a time...not so long ago, in a garden nearby...

Brillian blog K. so well put together, your poor garden did suffer under the storm, I bet Apollo had a row with Zeus or his mrs. has pmt!!(did he have a mrs??) Lol. Gorgeous photos. You made my day.

Karen.......what an incredibly lovely story my dear xxx

I,m so pleased that mother nature triumphed in the end!

........and that the waterlily survived the koi!

What a cleverly put together blog. I enjoyed every word and picture.
Sorry to here you've had such terrible storms, but glad that all is tranquil again...for now at least!

Sorry to hear about the weather there Karen, but a great blog with lovely pics, great action shot with the penstemon and bee.

Let's hope Apollo behaves himself in future!

Wonderful pictures, Karen, and a very enjoyable (and awe-inspiring!) blog. :-)

Great blog Karen, I really enjoyed it. Lovely plants and veggies too, such a shame they had to suffer the deluge but pleased to see they are recovering now.

The heavens have opened over here now (Apollo obviously thought we weren't getting our fair share!)

Thank you Gill! I'm very glad it made you smile :)x
Apollo always has that, "Who me...as if?" look on his face, so we'll probably never know...he doesn't really look like Mr. material, though, does he? lol!

Thank you, Pam! I'm glad you enjoyed it! :)xxx
I think that Old Mother Nature was having PMT, those two nights...where was she during all that thunderbolt throwing, I wonder? Little-water lily hasn't been seen since - but, at least, she's responding to not being eaten every night! lol

Thank you Waddy! :)
I'm happy that you enjoyed it. It was awful at the time - but almost forgotten, now...well, it will be once I've gotten rid of the bean-tree bonfire! :)

Thank you SL! :)
Southwesterly and Northwesterly storms at more or less the same time...I think it could be called a Hooligan! lol!
That little insect is a bee-fly. I've never seen them before, but, this year the garden is full of them!

Thank you Mel! :)x
That Apollo...hasn't even the good grace to look sorry! But, he would have been if they'd blown him over!!!

Thank you Jaykaty! :)
The veggies managed to give me a few cucumbers and peppers today, despite being in splints, lol! So they're well on the road to recovery.
Apollo did whisper something about having sent the last storm north...I really hope that it has blown itself out, on its journey!

Fab! I loved it! Karen.....fourth rose down? Absolutely gorgeous! Adorable....MUST HAVE!!...name please!?

That was some serious storm damage...I wonder if Mr Apollo is unhappy with the Koi leaving his garden? Have they left? ;)

Hi Karen and thank you!

The fourth rose down is Sorbet Fruité...I think it's available in the UK as plain ole Fruit Sorbet. It's a climber...just for the eye, though...alas, no perfume.

The koi and Mr Grass Carp have gone to pastures green, although, they won't be green for long, knowing them...

And, if Apollo's not careful...he'll be next. I'll replace him with some nice, helpful fairies!!! ;)

LOL! You are on form today.....thanks! :))

Thats brilliant, I've gone through a mulititude of emotions working my down through the blog, you had me in stitches then feeling really sorry for you to see more damage done yet again, I reckon you must have been really naughty in a past life Karen cos its sure been trying you out in the last coupe of years, its a darn good job you have a sense of humour, lol.
Its good to hear all is not lost and things are perking up, hope all is calmer for you now......

Was watching Clash of the Titans yesterday, I didn't realise it was going on in your garden Karen ;)
I'm glad to read it's all picking itself up again, I hope you've seen the last of it, for a while, anyway!
Pond is looking good now - a bit of Echinacea envy going on here - mine's all disappeared!

Wow,Karen..what a fantastic blog and photo's..you have excelled yourself my dear..I see what you mean about the hole above the door..Bob the Builder is still unemployed,if that will help :o)..!..He must be better than the Cowboy you had :o).and as for Apollo..he looks a bit bewildered..I hope his bits are intact after the storm,as I can't tell from the well placed greenery to hide his modesty Lol. Methinks he is missing his handbag from his left arm !:o)
your Roses are beautiful,and so much colour in your garden..so glad it is recovering ok..this is defintely going on my faves,I love it :o) x

From where I'm sitting, he looks as if he's wearing a T-shirt. Serves him right! (Not that there's anything wrong with a T-shirt, but he doesn't look too impressed) Actually, he is wearing a "Nothing to do with me, Guv" expression. (I'm only jealous. I'd love to have a statue like that in my garden!)

Hallo all! Been out for dinner...lots of food and lots of wine, lol...so, whatever happens next, I'm going to blame on Apollo! Well, I reckon he deserves it... :)))

Karen, it took a storm and a tempest (and it has been "officially" declared a "tempête") to blow away the builders blues...there really is no hope for me, is there?! :)))

Thank you Lincs! I'm so glad that I made you laugh! :))
I've been told that I'm an "old soul", and that I've been very religious, in past lives...
...but, then, just look at the Borgias!!
I agree with you...I must have done bad...
...I'm just scared that the next time I come back, I'll be punished by being a snail!!! :)))

Hi Angie and thank you! :)))
I don't know if I could describe Apollo as a Titan...but, whoever he pi**ed off, certainly was!!!
Picky and choosy, though...there are small pockets of utter devastation...with normality in between...

...got the yellow/orange/red echinacea the week before OH went back to work (couldn't resist it, three colours in one!)...and the photo after is an echinacea too... :)))

Thank you Sandra! :)x
That Apollo is very, very lucky that he still has any of his bits intact. He has some very delicate hairline fractures...in unmentionable places...
...if that hailstone had missed the lintel and gone elsewhere...I dread to think...

...but, he doesn't really look like he'd be bothered, does he? lol! :)))

ps...have you still got Bob the Builder's number?

D'you know, Mel...you're so right...he looks exactly like a sullen teenager!!

Well...he's definitely (I was going to say "grounded"...but, he already is)...!! :)))

I'll do my best,but as his lovely Wendy has just been in touch,sadly he has deserted her,and run off with Fireman Sam..the turn coat ! maybe they are already on their way to see Apollo ! :o)...don't even go there ! lol. x

The little swine! Just like all the rest!

It's that Apollo, with his, "sweet, come hither", that's to blame...

Don't worry, I'll nip it in the bud!!!

...and me? Go where? I've forgotten already...lol! :)))) xxx

That was a lovely story. I like happy endings :o)

Really enjoyed that blog and all the following comments Goy members always around to cheer us up :-)

Thanks Hywell! Very happy to oblige! lol! :)))

Thanks Kidsgran! I'm glad that you enjoyed it. You are soo right about our GoY friends :)))

Great blog Kf. Lovely pics to start off & then what a surprise, all that devastation! Glad it's recovering again. All we got here was one short rumble of thunder & 1/2 hour of badly needed rain. Enjoyed reading about Apollo too, & all the comments.

Thanks Ff! We got off relatively lightly, really. Others had it much worse. It was quite surreal the next day...there were trampolines up trees and I saw a paddling pool suspended from a power cable.

Very glad to hear that it brought you your rain, though! :) Back to watering today for me...

Wow! I nearly missed this! It's as good as the telly! Brilliant blog,KF. You really did get it in the lintel, didn't you? Thank goodness it wasn't you in the way of those hailstones. We got a bit of lively blowing around of garden furniture and empty plant pots on Sunday night, but that was it. We need RAIN! Rainwater is SO much better for gardens than the dreadful chalky stuff that comes out of the tap. You poor souls. I'm sure your vegetable garden will spring back into top productive form - there's very little that will keep a good courgette down - I'm just off up the garden with a washing-up bowl to collect the day's harvest - I missed yesterday's, so they'll be the size of zeppelins.

If KS hadn't been after the name of Fruit sorbet, I would have been. Isn't she a scorcher? We are currently being cooked, so our flowers are a poor bunch, with the exception of the oleanders and pelargoniums. I'd go out there and weed everything and make it all look pretty again, but except for a couple of hours' watering in the early evening, it's too hot and we stay indoors at the moment and watch daytime tv or paint beams or read. How sad is that?

I do envy you your gorgeous Echinaceas. I sowed some several months back, and not a single seed germinated. :o(

I think your naughty, tetchy little limp-wristed Apollo needs putting in his place. His name comes from the Greek for "Destroyer", so perhaps he was just trying to live up to it - have a good go at him and tell him you'll extend his hairline fractures if he does this sort of thing again. That'll sort him. (He DOES look shifty, doesn't he?) Trampolines up trees? That WAS a bit OTT, wasn't it?

Sandra, never mind Bob the Builder - have you got Postman Pat among your acquaintances? Does he fancy a spell delivering letters in Italy? We have a new postman - a miserable, grumpy jobsworth who only bothers to deliver our post once a week, and several pieces have definitely gone missing since he took over. Gggrrrrr!

OK, Goys and Goyesses, could you do everything in your power to shift a bit of rain in this direction, please? We in our turn will encourage lots of heat and sunshine northwards. Maybe just for a week? Please? If you could throw in some lower temperatures, too, it would be appreciated. I know you've got more than your fair share up there in Yorkshire, Bloomer.

I do hope everything is back to normal now, Karen, and your lovely garden recovers.

Love all the stunning rose pics, which one is that above the hydrangeas? What is the mallow below the campanula? Sorry about your veg, I hope Pierre and Jaques bring offerings for those which were spoiled. Now, I don't like to criticise, but ....whatever happened to Apollos hair? Is it a wig? I'm not too sure of your taste in gods me dear, but each to his own:-)

Lololol! You've both made me laugh, Gatti and Ba! :)))

I know what you mean about the courgettes, Gatti...not to mention the cucumbers! Every year I plant what I need...which is ONE of each...plus a couple of extras (just in case of sudden death). Result? Hundreds of zeppelins! lol! I'm giving the cucumbers away, already...there are only so many things you can to do with a cucumber...

I've tried to work in the garden...I had to cut down all the broken branches from the tree and tie the veggies up...but, beyond that, it's too bl**dy hot here, too. My thermometer was reading 48° this morning...one degree hotter than it was before last weekend's storms....

I like our summer relief post-man...he's the complete opposite of our usual Madame La Poste. She sounds a bit like your new one. She practically throws my post at me, because our gravel is too small and sticks in her shoes!!! Mind you, she hates the neighbours too, so God knows what they've done to her...

Ba, that rose is Rosa Complicata...I think...
Mr. Bluteau sold it to me as a "simple rose"...so, therein lies the reason for me thinking that it's Complicata! lol! It's a rambler and is going great guns on the pergola.

The other plant...I don't know!!! I added it to my plant list...and then forgot...so, now, I don't know where to start looking! It's a ground cover...and, so far, covering quickly. When I find it, I'll let you know! :)

Well, Greek gods are thin on the ground here, Ba...as you know...
...so, you have to take what you can get...awful wig...or beret, for that matter...
...mind you, his hair's going to look a lot worse tomorrow...

The limp-wristed, lily-livered little swine has been at it again...

We're on orange alert tonight for another biggie. According to the forecast, it's going to hit land near Bordeaux (somewhere around mid-night) and cut a diagonal swathe through France...leaving somewhere around Calais...

I'm so not looking forward to it...

At least it might cool things down a bit for you - 48°? That's pretty darned outrageous and unbearable. 38° is bad enough. Ba's got a point, you know - his hair DOES look a bit like a concrete teacosy.........

That was in the morning sun, mind you...but, it is unbearable, Gatti...it's impossible to do anything.

There's been dead calm this evening...but, little whisks of wind are starting up...and a few clouds coming in...

The concrete perm might be the last of Apollo's worries tonight...what with those hair-line fractures...lol!

Uh-oh...thunder...

Bye for now...away to unplug!!!

Oh no Karen not again..you probably won't see this till the storm has safely passed..I do hope it misses you this time,and you have no more damage..I have almost jumped out of my skin ,whilst reading your last comment,as there was the most almighty crack..and it turned out it was something in the shower that fell off the tiles! scared the hell out of us Lol.!..those self adhesive things are pants :o)....and Gattina,I do know Postman Pat well,but he is a bit last year ,at our house now..you are welcome to him.with pleasure..I always thought he was a bit of a wimp ;o) Maybe you are better sticking with Mr Grumpy !
It's just started raining..and just seen a flash of Lightening....rumbling in the distance..might be Russell's stomach..we will see :o)
Take care Karen,and stay safe xxx

Thunder, lightning and rain here last night, but nothing to bother about. Hope you're ok Karen? (don't care about Apollo) maybe my dream of a house in France should remain just that:-)

Lol! Bloomer...those adhesive thingies...they don't come off when you want them to, though!

Thank you, Bloomer and Ba. All's fine here, this morning :)

Well, it was pretty noisy for a few hours, but the worst of it passed to the east of us. I watched it for a while - it was pretty spectacular! Then went to bed...with ear-plugs! lol! No point in worrying about it - what will be will be...

I think that they were just being over-cautious, after last weekend.

Anyway, Apollo's coiffure and all his other bits are intact...the temperature has dropped...and I won't have to water for a day or two - which is a bonus!

I'm just watching the UK weather, now...it must be one big weather system...

It's not always like this, Ba...this has been one weird year...usually, the storms are later in the season - and nothing like as bad. You can keep your dream alive! :)

It's been a weird and wonderful year here too karen:-)

I started reading from the bottom up........not long before I got to the bit about adhesive sticky things not coming off when you want them to and Wondered What I'd Missed!!!

Phew! Just bloome and her poltergeist. :0)

Would you like me to knit anice beanie hat for apollo?

Covered in flowers....

then he would have a real reason to sulk. :0)

Pam, I think that would be just the thing, hide that awful hair. I can't help thinking his face is familiar too:-))

aha,Pam,that was just to get you interested.!.I read things the other way up sometimes too..The self adhesive thingy,was one of those handles to hang on to,when in the shower..I had to buy one when I broke my hand,as I didn't feel safe..it drops off now and then..no, not my.. hand... the blasted Handle!I think a beanie would look great on Apollo..what colour were you thinking of,to tone with those locks? ...and Ba..who are you thinking of ?

I don't know Karen, it's really annoying ...could be someone famous ....need a close up of his head:-)

Have I changed my name,Ba? I know we are hijacking Karen's blog somewhat..and it is a very nice name..but at my age it's too late to change..I would never remember it Lol... Is it the hairstyle or the head itself,you think you recognise? I'm sure if you ask Karen nicely,she will post a close up for you ! :o)

A wonderful set of pictures Karen and a great blog. Loved it.

What's wrong with the name Karen? it would give you a whole new lease of life Sandra and you'd have me to thank for it:-)))

Methinks you should read it again,Ba..I said it was a very nice name :o) ..what are you on ,this week ?? Lol...I don't want any ! x

Ah Karen Sandra!.... :0)

I had another look at Apollo (crossed my eyes to see a bit like Ba) and maybe kenneth williams....In carry on cleo when he was Caesar.....Infamy Infamy....they've all got it infamy

Good grief, Bloomer thinks I'm on drugs and Pam thinks I'm crossed eyed! Have you two been looking at my Facebook page? Actually, you know I never make a mistake, but sometimes I test you just to see if you're on your toes. silly Tet thought I had made a mistake on a Spritz pic, but as I say, I like to keep you all on your toes:-)) I've just had the new David Austin Handbook of Roses 2013/14 and I've decided to have only roses in my garden:-))