Lots Of Dead And Dying Plants.

 Today has been slightly cooler with the odd spot of rain that did no good at all.

For the past two weeks I've been banned from entering 75% of the gardens on account of Lady Gaga staying. I wasn't allowed to mention it at the time but I think it's okay to do so now. So first thing this morning I took a walk round the bits I'd been excluded from to check out how things were doing and it wasn't good, in fact it was heartbreaking. The geraniums in the wall always get watered twice a week if there is no rain and so with the heatwave we've been enjoying and no water for over two weeks they have suffered a lot, I think they are smaller now than when I planted them. There looks to be a colourful show from a distance but when you look close the plants are stunted and shriveled, the flowers being their last attempt to make offsprings before they die and not those of a healthy display.

Below you can see what I mean, four big flowers on a tiny shrivelled up plant. If this plant is to survive it needs all these flowers removing before a good watering. The dead plants are pansies.

Below is one of the two new trees that we spent several hundred pounds on this past spring and that too is showing signs of drought stress simply because I wasn't allowed to do my job. I will be able to bring that back okay.

This next plant was actually in a corner by the backdoor to the hall which I hadn't got round to visiting when I got a phone call saying it needed some attention. I got great pleasure telling the caller that this is what happens when you stop the gardener from doing their job. I think they got the impression that it wasn't a good day to hang around talking to me on the phone. I'm not sure this plant can be revived.

So today I've had another busy day watering but at the moment it's like fighting a fire with a water pistol. Of course another thing that comes to mind is that after the last drought a few years ago I bust a gut day after day is sweltering heat only to be told by several people afterwards that I must have had it easy with having no lawns to cut all summer! So this time I'm thinking that maybe I should just take it easy and not bother trying to keep things alive, at least if I get accused of taking it easy this time I will actually have had the pleasure if you know what I mean. Trouble is though I'm a proper gardener therefore I don't like to see the plants suffering.

Also this morning I found out that John, one of the guys I work with, came off his motorbike on his way home last Friday and is laid up at home with a punctured lung. I sent a message to wish him a speedy recovery.