This is supposed to be the last day of the current heatwave. It is difficult to believe that we had some rain on July 23. But there has been none since then. At least we had that rain. I am rationing the water in the butt so I have some for lime-hating plants that need rainwater. We are lucky it has not been as hot here as the UK and certainly not as bad as France or Spain. And nights have been cool. It was 8c yesterday morning which, as I let the cat out at 6am, actually felt, to my scantily clad form, like a frost! It is strange how we seem to get used to the heat gradually. If only we could store this heat and release it in January. I am only watering what really needs irrigation although this has now meant a few trees and shrubs planted in spring. Flowers planted in May/June don’t stand a chance.

But some plants are doing well in the heat and are blooming well despite the lack of water.

Gaura is a classic ‘prairie’ plant that will survive drought so it makes sense that it is doing well.

And there are definitely flower buds on the albizia. I know I will jinx it by showing this image but this is the closest it has ever got to blooming, and I have had it more than ten years. I admit that the first six were tough years, in a pot, but this is exciting!

It is almost as exciting as the first flowers starting to open on my Jasminum sambac ‘Grand Duke of Tuscany’. This cultivar has very large, double flowers, though they are not as fragrant as some. But even so, the partly open buds are starting to fill the sweltering greenhouse with their distinctive perfume. This is is the plant used to perfume jasmine tea so you can tell what it smells like.

Even the pond is a worry at this time of year because of evaporation, but at least the waterlilies do not actually need watering!

Unlike the pots, which need watering two or three times a day.

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