Californian Beach Garden

This little garden, that is so full of colour and texture, is quite literally at the edge of the sand where it meets the rest of the land.
Some very caring gardener has cleverly combined salt tolerant plants to create this dear little garden.

Lavender And Small Tortoiseshell Butterfly

With the sun shining and the lavender just about to burst into flower I cut some bunches and laid them in the collecting basket.
Then a small tortoiseshell butterfly landed on the flowers.

3 Sisters Beans and Corn

Even though I did as stated and planted the corn, then the squash and quite a while later the beans, it seems that the beans are just going to beat the corn in growth rate. I suspect that the Native Americans grew a different type of bean.

No idea where the beans climb next, we will have to see.

Backlit Nettles

The other day when a thunderstorm was approaching the sun was sinking and lit these nettles from behind.

I loved the way the sun caught the flowers and made them glow.

Wild Flowers

These wildflowers, have definitely been sown as seeds. They would not occur quite like this normally.
Aren't they spectacular?

Had To Stop

Both this morning and this afternoon I had to stop the car to take photos!

This morning of a potato field. 
Look, all the flowers are purple, made quite a sight.




The stop this afternoon was because of the thunderclouds and the sun.
Look how dark those clouds are and how lovely and green the crops look in the sunlight.
I thought the colours and the dramatic effect were fabulous. 
No idea who got all the rain though.

Home Grown Veggies

Had home grown broad beans, French beans, peas and potatoes today,
Not a huge quantity you understand, but so delicious, new and tender.



Had them with salmon

Referendum Vote

Today the people of Britain (and many expats too) voted in the referendum regarding staying or leaving the European Community.



Interesting times.

Northern California Laburnums

We found these not far from the beach, see how weathered the wood is.

Strawberry Moon

As the sun set yesterday, the moon arose. It was a full moon.
Apparently, having a full moon on the night of the summer solstice is a once in a lifetime event! 
Having few clouds so that I could take a photo, is also a pretty rare event!

This full moon is called the Strawberry Moon as it heralds the beginning of the strawberry season. 

And look what I picked today!

Perfect timing.

Summer Solstice

As the sun sets in a blaze of glory this evening, it will rise tomorrow on the longest day of the year.





There will be many people at Stonehenge watching the sun rise.





I wonder how many summer solstices these stones have been witness to.

Laburnum & Stone

Laburnum flowers just emerging along a stone pillared walkway.

Beignets

Beignets.

Home made.

Delicious, we added some berries to help make them a little healthy!

Roses On The Wall

Old chalk wall with red rambling roses.

Just A Couple Of Poppies

Such a bright splash of colour.
Love them while they are around.

This one has a hover fly visitor.

Poppies

Had to stop and take photos of an entire field completely covered in red poppies
Amazing.

Someone Is Getting Rain

Someone is getting rain.

California Redwoods

Such beautiful trees.

No Watering This Evening

We have finally had rain.
Not good for photos, but, wonderful for the plants and good for me as I do not have to go out and water this evening.

So, here is a photo from Fort Bragg California, from a wonderful holiday that I had there. 

Fabulous scenery and wonderful memories.

Flowers for Church Picnic

Many of us were asked to bring a jug of flowers to decorate the church ready for the village picnic that would celebrate the Queen's 90th Birthday. Cucumber sandwiches, Pimms, cake and tea! So British


Apparently I was the only one who had a red, white and blue theme! 
Ah well.

Elderflowers

I am sure that you have heard of elderberries, and elderberry wine.

Before the berries can form there have to be flowers, these are elder flowers.

They can be made into elderflower cordial, or dipped in a very light batter to make elderflower fritters elderflower-fritter- or search for your own recipe.

It is amazing what a wonderful flavour these little flowers create.
All picked from the hedgerow, fresh and free.

Farmers Crops

Spring has hastened into summer and the crops in the fields are growing fast.

This is the wheat sown in winter. There is a yellow tinge to this crop and the seed heads are beginning to bend over.



Here is some barley, sown in spring, it is definitely not turning golden yet.





Neat rows of potatoes, they will not be harvested for ages.

How Something So Frothy Becomes So Spikey

Chestnut spikes, as this collection of flowers are called, are not just white as I had thought, they have lots of white, but also pink and yellow in each little flower.
After the bees do their thing and pollinate the flowers they spend the rest of the summer becoming 'conkers' encased in the most prickly cases.

Fresh Flowers This Morning

They smell just a wonderful as they look.
Ah, summer!

Rosemary beetles

These pretty bugs are a recent immigrant. 

They look so pretty, but, are a blooming pest.

We took 22 off the lavender plants today!
And that is just from our few little plants.




Rosemary beetle

Blueberries and Raspberries

A little bit of summer heaven.
These were not home grown raspberries, however, we did eat 4 today that were home grown and sun ripened, delicious!

Rose Buds

Collected rosebuds today.
They are drying and can be added to tea along with lavender, all organic of course.

Barn Owl

While attempting to put net over the fruit bushes, (the birds ate our very first raspberry) to protect the ripening fruit; a barn owl flew by really close to me, I watched it fly down the edges of the field looking for mice or voles. 

Then I went and found my camera, this distant blob was the closest that the barn owl came once I had my camera, typical. 
However, you can, almost, see that it has managed to catch a mouse for its chicks.

Poor Paris

We have had some miserable June weather, but, nothing compared to parts of mainland Europe.
There has been a low pressure that has been caught in a circle and just dropped more and more rain over France, Germany, Belgium, Austria etc.

This photo shows how high the river Seine has become and there is more rain with that lightning.

and this was Germany.
Storm

Pink Tulips, Bluebells.

Some lovely spring flowers.

OilSeed Rape and Clouds

Much of Britain has been cloudy thus far this week.
Here is some bright yellow oilseed rape in full flower, at least this brightens the countryside.