Monday, July 28, 2014

Rain - The Garden in July

On my way home from work this evening I was mentally preparing myself to be doing another long bout of watering the garden. Instead what I came home to was rain...



Rain, feel it on my fingertips, hear it on my window pane...

Rain, beautiful rain, most welcome rain.

The entire country is having a spell of sunny and dry days so rain in between those days is most welcome. The garden needs it. And the gardener needs it too.
Here are a few snaps of our garden one rainy July evening...




















I just remembered that around this time last year, what I came home to was flame instead of rain.

Makes me appreciate the rain today even more.



Mark :-)

40 comments :

  1. So what is that great big leaf on the ferns?

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  2. Your garden looks refreshed and inviting, with no hints of last year's fire! I had to do a double take to make sure that lizard was not real. Our temperature is 95F/35C today with a hot, dry wind. We need rain badly. At least we have predictions for some cooler weather over the next couple of days.

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    1. Thanks Debs! I hope that cooler weather comes your way soon, makes it more conducive to go out gardening :)

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  3. It's hard to believe it's a year. You've brought the garden back better than ever. It looks amazing.

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    1. We hope so Missy :) we lost some maturity on the affected sections but we'll get there again eventually.

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  4. Rain, rain, beautiful rain. It suits your jungle atmosphere. lovely images of a lovely garden,.

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    1. Thanks Deanne! Those rains were a welcome relief from the warm and humid weather we've been having recently.

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  5. So this will be on UK Fling, right ?

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    1. Will there be one Kathy? ;) if there will be depends on which areas will be covered. Otherwise you know you're more than welcome to visit

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  6. It's looking so fabulous and lush. We had much needed rain recently, so I know how you feel. Back to watering, watering, watering now though.

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    1. Thanks Alison! I think we're back to that routine too from tonight onwards

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  7. Oh you've seen fire and you've seen rain! You've sunny days that you thought would never end ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3uaXCJcRrE

    Your garden looks amazing as always and doubly so because of the fire!

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    1. Ahh thanks Peter, that made me smile :) Nothing like a spot of James Taylor to instantly get that easy, chilled out feeling!

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  8. Haha - love the comment from outlawgardener! Nice bit of synchronicity there. Such a brilliant difference that the rain makes, much much fresher. Looking lovely!

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    1. Thanks Caro, and Peter got it spot on there :) there's nothing like a spot of rain to give the garden a fresh glow to it isn't it?

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  9. Rain also makes the garden and garden pictures sooo beautiful!!! :) Sorry for being late in commenting your posts!

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    1. It does doesn't it Lisa? :) Goodness, no need to apologise at all :))

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  10. I know how you feel, we got a few days of rain last week and it was DIVINE..there's nothing like that smell after it rains...and the freedom of not having to water ;-)

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    1. Indeed Scott. When I got home and saw we had loads of rain earlier (and it was still drizzling then) I thought, yes I've got time to do other things now (like take those photos). On those sunny and dry days that we're watering loads it makes me think that we ought to invest on an irrigation system. Perhaps its time to make that a reality soon...

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  11. I don't know how I'd cope without irrigation, even in the wetter south west we've needed it this year. I still have to do a few containers, but with the worst of the pressure removed that's positively enjoyable.
    The jungle is looking truly lush!

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    1. Thanks Jessica! That's the thing with having irrigation, not only does it water where you'd want to, it frees you up to do something else at the same time.

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  12. That is simply the most amazing transformation in a year's time. We've had weird weather, not rain but thundery-looking clouds, and this week swimmers at Venice Beach were struck by lightning...in the ocean! (One died. Tragically bizarre.) Your garden is indeed a beautiful, lush phoenix.

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    1. That's really lovely to hear Denise, thank you! As for lightning in the ocean, now that's bizarre, I've never heard of something like that happen before, shame it took life with it too.

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  13. I see only green. I'm glad your garden made a full recovery from that horrible fire. You have one of the finest tropical gardens I've ever seen. Well done! David/:0)

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    1. Thank you David! We lost some maturity on the affected parts but we'll get there again eventually :)

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  14. Lush lush lush! Your gorgeous Canna Cleopatra caught my eye in the second image, I must get serious about tracking those down! As the other PNW'ers have mentioned we had a crazy bit of rain last week, everything in the garden loved it. Today I need to get out there and start taking care of things again though, it dries out so quickly at 90+ degrees...

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    1. Thanks Loree! I'm glad those Canna Cleopatras came back and doing well again. I left it outside all winter but then again it was a really mild one. Back to watering loads again tonight. Could easily stay up till midnight watering if everything we'd want watered generously will be done but alas not practical.

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  15. The rain is so refreshing, even when it's just borrowed from you via your blog. I spent the entire morning watering one third of the garden. A third a day is my motto.

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    1. I'm afraid we're back on intensive watering regime again from yesterday Ricki. Nevermind, I put the head phones on and sound trip while spraying away :)

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  16. I'm sooo envious...Rain here is regarded as a minor miracle these days. Monsoonal clouds rolled through last weekend, producing a little rain in some nearby areas (as well as, sadly, a deadly lightening strike at a beach 1/2 an hour away) but, although thunder rumbled, my own garden received not a drop of rain.

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    1. Denise just mentioned about the lightning strike at the beach too, sad it was a deadly one. Back to intensive watering here now Kris, and I think it'll be like that for the next few days...

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  17. Everything looks great. Surprising what a year after the fire can look like with some hard work and dedication from you guys. It's like it never happened with how things have sprung back or been replaced.
    Cher Sunray Gardens

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    1. Thanks Cher! We spent the earlier part of the year doing lots of replanting. We lost the maturity in the affected areas but we'll get there again :)

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  18. Your jungle haven is looking very fine indeed, what a welcome change from the aftermath of the fire damage, hard to believe it was all so devastated so recently, you have really worked hard to put it all together again. I would love to be wandering through your paths, brushing past all that lovely lush foliage, smelling the rain.

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    1. It would be lovely if you'll be able to visit someday Janet :)

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  19. The rain arrived here on the Sunday night and was most welcome. Your plants look as if they were lapping it up and your garden looks as if it has always been there. The mild winter and then subsequent kind spring and summer have been great for its recovery.

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    1. The mild winter was such a great help in the recovery of our garden Anna! Back to doing loads of watering again though.

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  20. It looks so great. Green and lush and recovered from the fire and construction. Such a happy place!

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