August starts with sunny blue skies; the days are pleasantly warm, with a nice breeze, and I spend a lot of time in the garden.
I prune my lavender and dry the spent flowers to make scented sachets for the wardrobes. I also take cuttings, hoping to get some new plants for next year.
The nettle and comfrey liquid fertiliser my husband made is ready. It smells atrocious, but it's full of minerals and nutrients, so I pinch my nose and apply it to all my roses, which keep giving me gorgeous blooms.
Then a humid heatwave that makes air feel like soup, and breathing challenging, sets in.
Too hot to cook, we eat vast quantities of salads, with sweet cherry tomatoes, basil, cucumbers, kale, mixed leaves, and red bell peppers, all from the vegetable patch.
The stifling heat makes even sitting in the shade uncomfortable, so I yet again hide in the house, grateful for its thick stone walls and wooden shutters.
I read books, watch Netflix, and generally take it easy.
I dare going out only at dawn, for picking vegetables and roses, and for watering.
After a few days the weather luckily breaks, and we get a rainstorm and cooler temperatures.
I feel revived, just like the plants in my garden.
One morning, evanescent mist shrouds trees and shrubs, reminding me that autumn is not too far away.
Back to milder days, with plenty of deadheading roses, and pruning nepeta, salvias, and rosemary.
I take cuttings of these plants too, and sow some carrots and spring onions in the polytunnel. I haven't had much success with these crops yet, but I persevere.
I walk around the garden, observing all the plants to see what's thriving and what needs to be moved or replaced.
I write down a list of all the changes I plan to do in autumn and winter, to make the garden lusher and more beautiful.
The list is long, and I anticipate a lot of digging, but my efforts will be rewarded next year.
Creating a garden requires noticing, thinking ahead, and a good deal of physical labour and menial tasks.
Gardening is a creative activity that keeps me fit, clears my head, calms my mind, and fills me with anticipation for the final prize: soothing, soul-nourishing beauty.
And so I remind myself to appreciate all this beauty, and to stop and smell the roses - literally.
Beside my beloved roses, this summer I cherish the delphiniums, and the pond.
All the plants around the pond are thriving, and attract many bees, butterflies, hummingbird hawk-moths, and even some dragonflies and damselflies.
It's my first time growing grasses and I was unsure about adding stipa to the border, but I'm happy I did: watching it sway in the breeze is pure poetry.
I manage to film a few butterflies, bees, and even the resident frog, but the other insects are too shy and elusive. Maybe next time.
I'll leave you with a link to my third YouTube video - click the image below to see my French garden in August, I hope you enjoy it.
Your garden is lovely and inviting. Your words paint a beautiful picture.
Such a beautiful post, Cristina. I love seeing your world. 😍🌿🌸