Sunday 27 June 2021

In the Summertime, when the weather is hot

The weather has made a complete U-turn at the time of writing, back to April-ish tempestuousness and lukewarm temperatures, complete with showers and the odd warm and humid day mixed in to throw us off guard.

But all that was still in the future on Tuesday the 15th of June. After a scorcher of a Monday, when the mercury gleefully climbed to 29°C, the office's aircon offering some welcome coolness, we'd woken up to a moody, overcast day. 



The clouds did not prevent the temperature in making its ascent towards the mid-twenties and the accompanying humidity made me reach for one of my cotton frocks. This delightful 1950s navy blue, red and white cap-sleeved frock was yet another Think Twice sales bargain, snaffled at the same time as last post's curtain couture skirt in June 2019.



My flower necklace is vintage Murano glass and was a flea market find back in the mists of time, while the ceramic heart brooch was picked up in a craft shop in Cardigan during a memorable and particularly wet holiday in June 2017.

The red vinyl belt with its rectangular buckle, as well as the bangles, in Bakelite and wood respectively, were charity shopped.



In spite of having stocked up on insect repellent in order to avoid sustaining more itchy bites, we weren't really in the mood for a walk that day.

Instead I treated the garden to some TLC, involving a thorough deadheading and cutting back session.

I was delighted to see that the first of the deep blue flowers had opened in Geranium 'Rozanne' (top right), while our Verbena rigida - a compact variety lacking Verbena bonariensis's lofty heights - had managed to worm its way through the jungle of plants (bottom left).  

There were the first of the wild strawberries to feast on, while the repeat fruiting variety in the hanging bucket we acquired last year was simply dripping with berries, still green at the time, but slowly but surely starting to ripen.



Seed-heads were all that remained of Allium 'Purple Sensation' (bottom left), but Allium sphaerocephalon, better known as Drumstick Allium (top right), is following closely in its tracks, springing up all over the garden, some of them ready to shed their skins.



The sun only managed to get a look in by mid-afternoon. Raring to escape Dove Cottage's confines, we drove down to the Oxfam shop in the nearby town of Wilrijk for a rummage.

The clothing aisles were a bit uninspiring, but I still managed to find not one but two King Louie dresses, a short-sleeved one infused with red and yellow Summer flowers in their best-selling faux-wrap style, and a long-sleeved royal blue one with an Art Deco style print.



This woven sisal tote bag was winking at me from across the shop, so it was almost a given that it came home with me. Not that I haven't got enough of these bags already, but I'm sure I'll find a use for it.



By then, the eternal mask wearing had made Jos feel a bit dizzy so, never minding its diminutive size, he plonked himself down on a conveniently placed chair while I did a quick perusal of the bookshelves.



These three made it into my basket. I'm currently reading The Valley at the Centre of the World by Malachy Tallack. In a nutshell, it deals with the emotional journey of a man who returns home to remote Shetland and the viewpoints of the people who live there. I'm only about halfway in, so I'm not sure yet if it's a keeper. 


We're skipping Wednesday's office day, which was another sweltering one at 30°C and with full-on sunshine all day. Needless to say, the aircon had to work overtime to keep brain melt at bay and concentration levels up.

This was followed by a suffocatingly hot and sweaty night. We'd exchanged the Summer weight duvet for an empty duvet cover used as a sheet. This resulted in the odd ouchy moment whenever Bess did her usual tail-chasing across the bed. In spite of all this, I did sleep OK-ish, but unfortunately Jos did not. He had to get up really early again to take the car to the garage to have its windscreen replaced. If this sounds familiar, please don't worry: I'm not suffering from memory-loss and repeating myself. The first attempt of a couple of weeks ago came to nothing as the replacement windscreen hadn't been delivered to the garage.



With another day of +30°C ahead of us, I dressed in cool cottons again, this time combining a vintage skirt with a charity shopped H&M skirt in a pattern mix of polka dots and gingham.

Pops of red were added with my accessories: a charity shopped red vinyl belt and a vintage necklace and brooch, both of which were flea market finds.

My feet were happy in my most comfortable sandals, a pair of Clarks bought in the sales during our 2018 UK holiday.



Bees are buzzing in our garden, relishing the variety of flowers on offer. Judging from the amount of pollen collected on its hind legs, the bumblebee on the bottom left seemed to be ready to fly home and deliver its precious cargo.

And look at those strawberries! This is what happened in just two days time!



With the heat trapped between our garden walls, the only times we venture out there on hot days is in the early morning or late at night. 

That morning, I picked a posy of Sweat Peas, Dianthus, Red Valerian and curry plant (Helichrysum italicum) for the kissing Dutch boy and girl on our kitchen shelves to enjoy! 



Watering time is between 8.30 and 9 pm, when the heat of the sun has become bearable. We've got the watering process down to a tee, with Jos pumping up well water by way of the hand-pump in our bathroom, and me making several journeys into the garden with the watering can.

The hanging basket with its cream, lilac and purple colour scheme is a huge success and as long as the sun is shining, the Gazanias on the kitchen window sill are showing their fiery yellow, orange and brown faces, which remain stubbornly closed on cloudy days.



Apparently, it rained heavily overnight. Not that I noticed, as I slept like a log right through it.

The rain had brought some initial and relative coolness but once more we were in for a very hot day on Friday, with highs of 30°C. Work was quite hectic, but thankfully the office's aircon kept me going and helped me get through my workload.

Then, finally, on Saturday the day went off with a cloudy start and temperatures nose-dived to the low twenties. I even had to wear a lightweight cardigan on top of the King Louie dress I'd picked out that morning.



A charity shop find back in October, I was drawn to the dress's green based checks dotted with yellow, pink and orange flowers. At the time, I mentioned I would probably have forgotten all about by Summer, which indeed I had until I came across it again when rummaging through a bag of what Sheila would call "jammy dresses".

Apart from the sugar pink cardigan to which I pinned a yellow flower corsage, I accessorized the dress with a yellow beaded necklace from a long gone vintage shop and a bangle and bracelet which were both charity shop finds.  On my feet, a pair of orange and cream slingbacks which have been in my wardrobe forever.

We were greeted by the cheerful face of the first of undoubtedly many Nasturtium flowers when we stepped into the garden. Apart from those I sowed back in April, more and more self-seeded ones from last year's climbing variety keep popping up all over the place. In order to keep them from once more engulfing that part of the garden, I had no choice but to pull up some of the seedlings.



This Red Admiral butterfly was kind enough to pose for me while breakfasting on our Red Valerian, which is flowering almost as exuberantly as Erigeron 'karvinskianus'  (Mexican fleabane, bottom right).

Meanwhile, the Persicaria bistorta we planted next to the log path has produced one or two fluffy flower spikes, which seem to be another magnet for the resident population of bees. 

More rain, accompanied by a thunderstorm, was forecasted for later that day, leaving the garden saturated and bedraggled on Sunday, and sorely in need of a helping hand.  But that will be for another post!



In the meantime, guess who hasn't got a care in the world?

Bess says to stay safe, sane and, of course, fabulous, wherever you are!


38 comments:

  1. It is so hard to sleep when it's hot - the only reason we can survive the warm nights when it doesn't get under 30 is a good dose of aircon, haha! You manage to look stylish and colourful despite the heat though - I love the jammy dress outfit! :)

    Hope that you had a good weekend :) We had a nice relaxing one to kick off the winter school holidays :)

    Away From The Blue

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    1. Thank you Mica! It would indeed be a whole lot better with a dose of aircon, but houses here aren't really equipped with aircon. We did have a mobile unit at one time, but there was no sleeping with it, as it was making too much noise! xxx

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  2. The heat is just awful for sleeping, isn't it? A misting bottle of water kept cold in the fridge can help, but only so much. You've still put together beautiful outfits though.

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    1. Thank you Goody, I'll keep that in mind for when the next heatwave rolls along! xxx

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  3. Oh dear, Jon & I must be freaks of nature, neither of us have trouble sleeping when it's hot (even in pre-monsoon India!)Not that we've been bothered by heat for a few weeks.
    Love your summery dresses and perfect accesorising! Those red sandals are brilliant with the first frock.
    I'm watching our alliums like a hawk, they are at the same stage as yoursand have just burst from their skins this morning.
    Bess looks adorable all snuggled up on your bed and I had to giggle at Jos on that tiny stool, he looks like a giant. I can sympathise though, it's easy to get overwhelmed with a mask, glasses and all that social distancing malarkey! xxx

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    1. You and Jon are both lizards, I suppose :-) Our drumstick alliums are getting more colour by the day! Jos sitting on that children's chair reminded me of Goldilocks and the three bears, for some reason. And yes, the mask thing can be quite bothersome, although the thing I hate the most are the misted up glasses! xxx

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  4. sweet bess really is at ease now at yours - sleeping in a belly-up position.....
    lat week the rain finally arrived here - very needed as the reservoirs were empty. and it has made your garden very lush and pretty.
    horray for airy cotton frocks in fresh colors - and colourful accessories!
    hugsies! xxxx

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    1. The garden's becoming a bit too lush now with all the rain we've had. I usually do not bother much with weeding but it seems to be a particularly bad - or should that be good? - year for them! Will have to get cracking soon! xxx

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  5. Whenever it turns to hot in the flat lands, why not go up into the mountains? I'm just enjyoing the fresher air of the Alps. :-) Life is good. Stay strong!

    Regula

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    1. Ha, that's the catch, no mountains in a flat country :-) xxx

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  6. Oh you found wonderful dresses! Can‘t wait to see you wearing them.
    how cute is this murano glas necklace?!! I hope for temps about under 28 degrees.
    with a very huge hug Tina

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    1. Thank you Tina, and yes, I could live with 28°C, I guess, with some overnight rain to cool things down by morning! xxx

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  7. What a pretty dress. It's hot here, too. The whole world seems to be heating up this year.

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    1. Thank you Ally, and yes, you're right, and compared with the 40+ temperatures in Canada recently, we can't really complain! xxx

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  8. I love how you always accessorize so well. I used to be better with this, but now I often forget to accessorize- that's a shame, really because I used to make jewellery and I still make brooches (I was meaning to send you one of my recent DIY ones but I forgot to ask you for your address. Could you mail it to me to my gmail address- ivana.kardua some time?). I was just planning on publishing a post with my creations to remind myself to actually wear them.

    I love the first dress you wore and the necklace is so beautiful. Those flowers look so delicate. Vintage Murano glass you say? How lovely....and was a flea market find? Even better. I also really like the ceramic heart brooch and red belt...and red bracelets. So many fantastic things!

    I love your dotted skirt paired with a striped t-shirt---and the red belt looks great with it as well. I also love your green pink combo. Lovely cardi and dress.

    The last photo of Bess is so adorable! I fed a stray dog yesterday but she didn't come back to our house since. I think she has puppies so I cannot make her stay, I have to wait to see if she comes back on her own.

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    1. Thank you Ivana! I love accessorizing, it's such a big part of putting an outfit together for me. The finishing touches often take the longest to decide on, though, as I want it to be just perfect! I hope you got my email, so nice of you to think of me! xxx

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  9. It is so sweet to see that Bess feels totally at home now! I think I love al of your outfits, and the new dresses, especially the one with the long sleeves. And al of your accessories are gorgeous! I have to dat that I quote like the heat, not at night though. And the garden vrouw do gaat with the sun and the rain. You can almost see the plants growing. Have a great week!

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    1. Thank you Nancy, and you're right, Bess is feeling very much at home here. I wouldn't mind the heat so much if it cooled down a bit overnight. xxx

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  10. Oh boy. I meant: and the garden grows so fast!

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    1. Oh dear, I almost thought you had a glass too many :-)) xxx

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  11. Less and less people are wearing masks here now.. which I'm sure most are happy about because you have been having record breaking heat here.
    Love you outfits.. especially the first and the black and white one. Cool accessories as well.

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    1. Wearing masks isn't much fun in the heat, that's true. I'm still wearing one wherever it's a bit too crowded for my liking, and they're still mandatory in shops and public spaces! xxx

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  12. Wonderful plants and I just love your cut flowers.

    Did Jos manage to get off that chair OK?!

    Bess is so cute! :D

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    1. Thank you Niki, and he did manage to get off that chair with a helping hand from yours truly :-) xxx

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  13. Goodness me that was some hot weather! Poor you...

    Loving the outfits and what great finds you found in Oxfam. I absolutely love the long dress with the art deco print and the sisal bag looks fab.

    I like the sound of the book you're reading and interestingly in the book I've just finished this evening 'Modern Nature' by Derek Jarman; he planted curry plants with lavender for colour contrast, in his shingle garden in Dungeness. I had no idea what a curry plant looked like but now I know - thanks to the photo of yours. I really like the strawberries growing in the hanging baskets but don't the birds get at them?

    The garden is looking wonderful and how cute Bess looks asleep on the bed.
    xxx

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    1. Not as hot as where Sheila is, thankfully!
      I still haven't finished the book, as I've only managed to read in bed for the last week or so, dropping off after only a page or two. I love the sound of the Derek Jarman book too. Funnily enough, the birds haven't been at the strawberries at all. We have wood pigeons eating our white currants though! xxx

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  14. 30 sounds positively balmy! It was over 40 in our condo last night, Ann. I slept with a wet facecloth on my chest, while hugging a chilled hot water bottle filled with cold water. Needless to say, we both slept poorly! This heat is just too much!

    Thank you so much for the shout-out - you are wearing wonderful jammy dresses in this post! The two red/black/white dresses that bookend your post are both marvelous. I often think that if I ever have to limit my wardrobe that I could easily go red/black/white.

    Your new finds are lovely - I have never seen a King Louie dress here. Considering how many European brands I do find, I'm kind of surprised!

    Bess looks utterly blissful, doesn't she?

    Love that you have those little wild strawberries to eat! And I chuckled at Jos peeking out the window.

    Stay safe, my friend!

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    1. Oh, that definitely puts things into perspective!
      Jammy dresses are just the perfect attire when it's hot, aren't they? Strange that you've never seen any King Louie over there ... Their dresses are the ultimate jammy dresses, I think! xxx

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  15. That tote is a beautiful find! I can't wait t see you styling them. The flowers and strawberries are looking beautiful!
    xoxo
    Lovely
    www.mynameislovely.com

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    1. Thank you Lovely, I simply couldn't resist that tote although I've got quite enough of them already! xxx

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  16. Whatever the weather, your outfits look fabulous and make me feel inspired!. Lots of colour and delightful accessories and so lovely cotton dresses and sandals!.
    I'm loving your navy blue and red dress, and the heart brooch, so fab!, loving your polka dots and gingham combo (a favourite black&white classic!) and loving your 'jammy dress' with the pink cardi and yellow touches!
    Sorry that you're not managing heat well, it can be so exhausting when you can't sleep. We've had only a few hot days, and spring has been really bearable, which I feel grateful for!
    besos

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    1. Thank you Monica, and I'm so pleased to have made you feel inspired! I actually woke up thinking of the polka dots and gingham combo, and I'm glad it worked out, as so often these things do not :-) xxx

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  17. I'm not good in the heat either!
    Poor Jos!
    Your garden is just so del8ghtful. I'm gutted that the Nasturtiums I so lovingly planted have been decimated by caterpillars or black fly. I did plant some at school though.
    Such lovely outfits, esp that first one!

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    1. Oh what a shame about the Nasturtiums, I do hope some will have survived. Fingers crossed I haven't seen any caterpillars yet, but plenty of black fly! xxx

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  18. I'm just stopping by to wish you a lovely day.

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  19. Seriously in love with the beautiful red, white, and blue colour ensemble that kicks off this terrific post, dear Ann. If there is a more summertime perfect (not to mention timelessly elegant) colour palette, I've yet to hit upon it.

    I hope that the temps haven't been too unbearably brutal for you this month. We had some absurdly (record breaking) high temps at the start of the month, but thankfully from about the 7th or 8th onward, they've been more in line with the usual low to mid-30s that are the norm for this area in July.

    Autumn Zenith 🧡 Witchcrafted Life

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    1. Thank you Autumn! To be honest, low to mid-30s is already too hot for me, but then again the low twenties we're having now is a tiny bit too cold :-) xxx

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