Light can play a major role in any garden, and recently the strong sun has been so glaring, making my photos all look rather surreal. So with our heatwave set to continue for the next few days I decided to take today’s shot early in the day.
At 8am the sun was already very bright, lighting up most of the rockery, but with some shade from the house still…
Just behind the silver birch trees at the back of the photo is steep woodland, where the elder trees grow.
The lavender is getting bluer by the day and the roses are opening: I love the lime green geranium foliage in the centre. I think it’s Geranium ‘Blue Sunrise’.
The Perovskia (Blue Spires) on the left of the photo below will be the highlight mid-summer, and is filling out nicely. The red rose shrub (unidentified as yet) seems bigger this year and has just begun to open.
Last week I mentioned I was going to make Lavender ice cream… well, here’s the link to the original recipe I posted a couple of years ago, and here’s a photo of this year’s first taste of summer! (Just to tempt you!) 😉
Have a great week!
😀
Words and Herbs 
The garden is looking bright and summery but I have the same problem trying to represent the bright light without having the colours washed out. When it is cloudy it looks much duller in the photographs than real life. I love my geraniums, especially the blue ones but some of mine are too vigorous and can swamp smaller things that I have forgotten about. Do you know any that are not so thug like? Amelia
I’ve got two very well- behaved blue geraniums… Rozanne and Blue Sunrise. They have upright and airy growth, but I wonder if that’s because they are in the rockery? They are certainly not thugs though, and the Blue Sunrise flowers later, and last year lasted until the first frost. Rozanne is the one just below the red rose bush in the third photo.
Thanks, that is good to know, perhaps I have been unlucky in the plants I chose.
The garden looks beautiful. Early morning light is so magical. I must try your lavender ice cream. I never know when to cut my lavender. I don’ t like to cut it too early because it spoils the display.
Thank you Chloris! I just cut some lavender back that was threatening to take over our pathway and it smells so good when caught early on. If I wait too long it gets burnt and loses its fragrance. You’ll have to plant one just for cutting! 😉
Pictures to open hearts and make smile 🙂 Seems to become a great week!
Only a little time rests until solstice. We should use it!
Thanks Uta! 😀 And you are so right about making the most of this time of year!
Your garden is beautiful. What is the pink stuff? I am seeing it a lot at the moment and would love some in my garden.
Hi there. It’s Centranthus ruber, and is a magnet for bees and butterflies. It needs no attention except deadheading if you don’t want it to spread….mine is allowed free run of the rockery as it is drought-friendly and looks good till November!
Thank you, will investigate!
Good idea to mix lavender ice cream with strawberries!
It’s an excellent combination! 😉
Lovely. Your drifts of lavender weaving through the pink flowers is lovely. I can almost taste that ice cream–still waiting for my lavender to open.
My lavender must be earlier than usual, due to the warmth we’ve had, but thank goodness it should be a little cooler this weekend… a deliciously cool 20°C has been forecast for Saturday!
Beautiful!
Thanks Cindy!
I had heard about your heat wave and the storms in the western part of your country…I hope your area of Bavaria has escaped the storms. Your garden is beautiful, no matter the light and your ice cream is a delicious way to cool off from the heat.
So far we have been lucky Karen, but it makes you realize how vulnerable we all are to the weather gods! The ice cream certainly is going down very well at the moment… 😉
Your garden is looking great and the Lavender ice cream and strawberries look delicious! 🙂 Did you know that the strawberry is the only fruit that has it’s seeds on the outside!
If I had the patience I would pick the wild strawberries too, but they are so small it takes a while to get a handful and then our dogs get most of them! Thanks Michael!
Wish I had a bit of your ice cream. It is very hot in Rome too! The garden is beautiful. I hope the heat doesn’t spoil the blooms.
I bet it was hot in the city – have enjoyed seeing the places you visited Marian! The Italians are famous for their ice cream, so hope you sampled plenty!
The early morning light is lovely although here by 8 in the morning the sun is very high and it is already hot. I’ve been getting up much earlier to work outside whilst its still not too hot (not this morning as you can see!). Your lavender is definately very much earlier than mine this year; I’m sure I must have pruned it late this year.
I have also done a few jobs early morning, or pop out to pick a weed here or there and then head for the cool of the house again! I pruned my lavender in autumn and then again in March I think, but I was too cowardly as usual and will give the bushes all a radical cut this autumn.
Do you leave it until autumn to cut back your lavender, then? The new recommendation is to prune immediately after flowering so that the foliage can grow and look good before winter. I wanted to make mine smaller so did a spring prune as well, obviously I’ve cut off lots of flowers but maybe it will be tidier this year.
I couldn’t bear to cut back too much in summer, although I do cut the flowers when they start to look burnt. Perhaps I’ll try though with just one bush. Thanks Christina!
I love the early morning light, its my favourite time, apart from late in the evening just before sunset. Its lovely to see your garden at a different time, I hope the heatwave is bearable. Lovely photo too of the strawberries and ice-cream!
Thank you Julie. At 8 am it was 20°C, so it looks like another hot day, but relief is on the way at the weekend we hope!
A lovely view. Your lavender looks very happy, the fragrance must be wonderful. Strong sunlight is great for plants but a challenge for photography, as Judy tells me. What is that pinky-red flower massed near the lavender?
The pink flowers are the Centranthus ruber, which have spread all round that side of the rockery. Their growth is a bit untidy, but the bees and butterflies love them so I let them dominate in summer. (They are also very tough and withstand any amount of heat and drought!)
What a calm and peaceful view! It´s a very special light so early in the morning – clear and bright and at the same time mild…Your strawberries with lavender ice cream look simply delicious.
Thank you Elisabeth. At the moment the mornings are the best time to be outside. Hope it cools down soon!
The view is looking beautiful Cathy. And when you think it was only a few months ago that the light was so dull, and the view was in shadow… now bright sunlight is the problem!
Thank you Sarah. I know I shouldn’t complain! The sunshine has been just a bit too strong this week, but I have been able to do a few jobs outside today at last, and by the weekend it will be a lot cooler and I can find a shady spot to relax!
Just stunning!! Very inspired design. 🙂 I love baking with lavender. That ice cream sounds delish. :o)
Thank you! 😀
Beautiful view with a yummy surprise!
😉 I wonder if your lavender is flowering yet too Donna.