Friday 2 August 2013

Early August garden

You can tell it is August as, at the front of our house we have a Rose of Sharon [Hibiscus syriacus] bush, and it is now in full flower. Originally they hail from India and China and they do very well here -- you can see them in most gardens. One of their advantages is that, once established, they are very drought resistant so you don't have to include them in the evening pot/window box watering routine.

Rose of Sharon by the path leading round to the kitchen door
This year the bush has put on a particualrily spectacular display and its mauve flowers work well with the petunias in our window boxes in front of the bread oven and kitchen windows.
Petunias in the kitchen windowbox
Elsewhere in the garden the wind gusts we've been getting with the recent thunderstorms have meant that we've had to support our little Melrose apple tree, which is bearing its first fruit this year. With five apples ripening we might just manage a small crumble once they are ready! Sadly our cherry dropped its 1st fruit early on and the pear and greengage have yet to produce fruits--perhaps next year.
1st fruit on our Melrose apple tree
Our peche des vignes tree, after a bumper crop last year, has fewer fruits so we will have less peach jam, which is a shame. However, our walnut trees are doing very well, much better than last year when they suffered from frost damage. A couple of days ago we gave a host of green walnuts to Susan as she is making walnut liquer. With at least 4 mature walnut trees all bearing fuit we have far more than we know what to do with!

Emptied hazelnut shells
The red squirrels are in enthusiastic action as the hazel tree-bushes [they are enormous, more like coppiced trees] have produced a bumper crop this year. The squirrels are hard to spot dashing through the foliage, but we certainly hear them. Sitting outside we frequently are aware of a low-level but continuous "ying-ying-ying" like sound which means they are gnawing their way through yet another hazelnut.
Yet to be eaten....
Underneath the hazel tree-bushes the ground is heavily littered with empty shells, evidence of their appetite! There are still some to be found on the branches, but we doubt they'll last long!

12 comments:

ladybird said...

Please stay on the look-out! I would love to see some photos of those squirrels munching their way through your hazel nuts:)! Martine

the fly in the web said...

Our sqirrels eat the young coconuts...
I used to like eating the hazelnuts - or cobs as my mother calls them - when they were green with those delightful little ruffs.

Rhodesia said...

My hibiscus is in flower but does not look half as good as your does :-( Glad we have no squirrels the hazel tree is loaded and we have not finished all of last years yet!
Have a good weekend Diane

Niall & Antoinette said...

@Martine - No chance when they're up there scoffing - the folige is too thick.
We might get lucky later on when they run acrosss the grass and start burying the acorns, but they're very speedy!

Niall & Antoinette said...

@Fly - coconuts! LOL. I like them too but I doubt we'll get a look in!

Niall & Antoinette said...

@Diane - this is the first year since we came in 2010 that we've had a proper crop of hazel[cob] nuts.
Enjoy your harvest.

Craig said...

the hibiscus is marvelous - so many blooms! I loved them when we lived in France and I now have 3 small ones growing in pots next to a sunny wall. Lots of foliage but no flowers yet. I suspect that it's not hot enough for them. Pity, but I live in hope and check for buds each day!
How lovely - you're own hazel nuts!

Niall & Antoinette said...

@Craig - you never know you might get lucky and they will flower a bit later :-)

Aussie in France said...

Ah, so they're called Rose of Sharon. I call them altheas as in French. Now I'll know! We have three of them - one of each colour: mauve, pink and white. The mauve one flowers first.

We also have lots of hazel nuts so I hope the squirrels don't get to them this year ...

Niall & Antoinette said...

@Aussie - we don't mind the squirrels getting their paws on them.

Perpetua said...

I'd swap you cherries and apples for some of your surplus walnuts any time. :-) I love walnuts and envy anyone who has even one productive tree.

Your Rose of Sharon is gorgeous and yes, haven't so many flowers been wonderful this year. :-)

Niall & Antoinette said...

@Perpetua - if you want to email me your address we could send you a box when they're ready :-)