Gardenwatch: July 2024

Gardenwatch: July 2024

Summer is here at last!

The year began wet. Spring arrived and the rain continued. It seemed never-ending.

Mid-May, the thunderstorms arrived, bringing flash flooding to the back garden one Sunday afternoon. The field behind us had been recently ploughed & seeded, and so the heavy rainwater poured down the hillside in channels and into the garden. So much water came in just a couple of hours that not only did the water stand inches deep in the back garden, but it also made its way around the side of the house and down the driveway. I’d never seen anything like it!

Thankfully, the water disappeared as quickly as it arrived, leaving behind mud, silt and seeds in its wake.

Purple Allium.
Allium.
A bee on Allium.
A bee on Allium.
Red Dahlias
Red Dahlias.
Bishop of Auckland Dahlia.
Bishop of Auckland Dahlia.

It’s now the end of July, the sun is shining and the garden is finally awakening properly. The dahlias are flowering (though they’re not in the best shape at the moment), the borage is spreading and the bees are buzzing.

Pink Dahlia.
Pink Dahlia.

Pink Dahlia.

Totally Tangerine Dahlia.
Totally Tangerine Dahlia.

Totally Tangerine Dahlia.

I was worried for a bit. During the early summer, there was a distinct lack of bees and butterflies in the garden. Social media told me we weren’t alone. Others around the country had noticed their absence.

Daisies.

Daisies.

White butterfly.
White butterfly.

White butterfly.

The past couple of weeks have seen the bees return, along with a pair of white butterflies. This past weekend, a Small Tortoiseshell butterfly joined them.

Small Tortoiseshell butterfly.
Small Tortoiseshell butterfly.

Small Tortoiseshell butterfly

Small Tortoiseshell butterfly

Small Tortoiseshell butterfly on Buddleia.
Small Tortoiseshell butterfly on Buddleia.

Every time I look in the garden, more dahlias appear. I’m looking forward to seeing the garden full of them, once again.

Dahlia.

Red Dahlia.

How is your garden doing?

60 comments

  1. Kelly says:

    Your photos are stunning, as always! I’ve enjoyed your videos on instagram and was looking forward to a post here. I’m not disappointed!! I’m so glad the flowers and insects finally arrived for you!

  2. Nancy says:

    Hello from the USA! The state of Pennsylvania to be exact.
    I enjoyed seeing all your lovely dahlias and other pretties. Drying out from the rain and endless sunshine helps.
    Your photos are gorgeous!
    I am so glad you commented on my blog post! How nice of you! Thank you and now you have a new follower! It’s ME!

    • Nikki says:

      Hello! I have a wonderful penfriend from Lancaster, PA. Thank you for your lovely comments. It’s always nice to find a new blog to follow. 🙂

  3. A ShutterBug Explores says:

    Wow ! Nikki ~ beautiful butterfly, bees and floral photography ~ very professional looking ~ thanks,

    Wishing you good health, laughter and love in your days,
    clm ~ A ShutterBug Explores,
    aka (A Creative Harbor)

  4. Astrid says:

    Nikki it is always a joy to see your pictures of the flowers and now with the bees and the butterflies, now it is “complete”. We also had a lot of rain and we thought that summer would be skipped this year. I can imagine the scare you got with that flash-flood in your so beloved garden. nature is stronger than we think and it survived. Thank you for sharing your wonderful pictures. We only have a small balcony with no sun. But maybe next year I might give it a try again to grow some flowers.
    Have a wonderful day and a great rest of the summer!

  5. Ginnie Hart says:

    In spite of all that rain, Nikki, your garden has survived the onslaught with flying colors! Your depictions of each flower and butterfly and bee make this time of year a treasure to behold, no matter how many times we see it, year after year. God have mercy that climate change will NOT triumph over this annual festival for our eyes…and cameras!

  6. Cathy says:

    You have some gorgeous Dahlias. That flooding must have been scary. It was ectremely wet here until a couole of weeks ago too. But thankfully we love on a hill! It was the same here with the bees and butterflies and we didn’t see many butterflies until the buddleia opened at the beginning of July. Thankfully there are more bees than ever again now. Happy Summer!

    • Nikki says:

      The flooding was scary, but thankfully it didn’t make it into the house. We live on the side of a hill too, but this year the farmer decided to plough the field above us and it meant the water flowed down the field in channels. Thankfully, the field is back to being grass and sheep are now grazing on it.

  7. Nancy says:

    Hello From the USA!
    I enjoyed seeing your Gardens. Your Dahlias are lovely. I have never planted them but may next year.
    I am also glad the pollinators have returned!
    I am going to look for you on Instagram as well.
    Thank you for visiting my Blog… Two Trails One Road.
    ~Nancy

  8. Velva says:

    These are gorgeous photos of the flowers in your garden. Thanks for sharing them with us.

    Sending you plenty of sunshine and only enough rain to help your garden grow.

    Velva

  9. Your garden is spectacular, as are the pictures, made especially significant by the number of insects pollinators. Anything we can do to provide habitat for these vital organisms is important.

  10. Tish Farrell says:

    It was certainly a long cold spring in our neck of the woods. It’s not been much better in July until these last few days. And yes, a shortage of insects. No hover flies spotted yet, but flocks of cabbage whites in my garden yesterday. Your photos are very lovely.

  11. Ann says:

    Oh my, that flood must have been scary!
    What a relief that your garden recovered splendidly from the ordeal.
    You’ve got the most amazing variety of flowers, and I’m glad to see the bees and butterflies enjoying them! xxx

  12. Flash flood can be so scary. I am glad that there was no damage and hopefully it deposited some good nutrients in the soil. The flowers are amazing as are your photos. I really like the ones of the Allium.
    It is great to see posts from you again.

    -Soma

  13. CherryPie says:

    Beautiful photos, your garden looks stunning.

    Our garden is in need of a little TLC but we have recently arranged our patio with pots of summer flowers.

    The dreary weather didn’t provide us much insentive until it recently perked up and stopped raining providing at least a few sunny days for us to enjoy.

  14. jeanie says:

    Oh Nikki, every time you post photos of your garden, I love them. So crisp and truly lovely. Allium is a favorite of mine. The butterflies and bees are just fantastic!

  15. Kim Carberry says:

    We’ve had so much rain too although things are looking better now, the sun is finally shining most days. We will forget about this morning when it chucked it down. hehehe
    Your flowers are beautiful! I noticed the lack of bees too but they seem to be appearing now! Phew! x

  16. Those allium shots are fabulous, and you just can’t keep a good dahlia down, Nikki. We just got home last night and I haven’t really had time to inspect my garden, but at a glimpse it looks fine. A lovely neighbour has been watering it for us.

  17. Catherine says:

    It’s been a difficult year for gardeners, plants haven’t been flowering when they should, some not at all – but you’ve managed to put together a gorgeous selection of blooms! What a lovely photo of Dahlia ‘Bishop of Aukland’. Here on the West Coast of Scotland, there’s still a shortage of butterflies & bees, dragonflies and ladybirds. On the plus side, I’ve not had aphids either. Maybe I better cross my fingers after that statement! I love your butterfly shots.

  18. Angie says:

    Nikki – thanks so much for visiting my blog!

    Your flower photos are so lovely! I have not attempted to grow dahlias in Montana, so I am appropriately jealous of your blooms!

  19. Beverley says:

    Your garden flowers are looking wonderful and bright. I’m glad the butterflies and bees returned to visit you. Unfortunately my flowers are looking a bit tired as they were neglected during late July and all of August with other family events. However the sweet peas and sunflowers are still looking good and a new climbing rose had flowered well. Everything will be fine and after a tidy up all will be well for some Autumn planting. Thank you for sharing your wonderful photos.

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