Hot! Hot! Hot!

Like all of Europe, we have an extreme weather 'incident' here ... no real rain since beginning of June and temperatures in the 30's, except this week it has been hitting 40 deg C.  The Head Gardener has been struggling to try to keep things alive, but even watering isn't the same as rain.

Even the Christo bed, with its Dahlias, Cannas, Pelargoniums, etc, is suffering and that gets watered every day.

To add to our misery, the Box Caterpillar is rampant here in the Lot.  Throughout the valleys the hillsides are lined with dead wild box.  We have lost our Box balls and the Box hedge which is actually in front of our neighbour's house and Nadine (who is older than we are!) says that it has always been there.

It is a shame but, 'hey-ho', it has given us a new opportunity to try something different.  We have plans for its replacement but first we have to cut it all down.  I've made a start already by beginning to lift the Irises in front of the hedge, but the whole project is definitely one for the Winter.

So now we wait for 'normal' weather to return (only another 4 days of 40!)