I visited my friend, Yvonne's garden last week and many of hers are blooming nicely while ours seem to have gone dormant. She has many plants clustered together - as, for example, the two different lantanas and an hibiscus in the middle. I guess they're providing protection for the roots. The hibiscus here is the size of a small dinner plate.

I love this succulent, don't know its Latin name but it's known as Desert Rose....beautiful and I want one. Y. has promised me one of its babies and I will swap my incense plant with her.

Another Desert Rose set amongst rocks.

And this lethal-looking cactus type is beautiful, but dangerous. Click on to see the lovely red leaf edges and the very sharp tips. Other friends have something similar and bigger and found a use for all their wine corks by fixing them on the sharp tips. Must take a pic when I next visit and let you see. They call it "the cork tree"!

32c in the shade....how to keep cool. Just spread out on your back on the cool tiles and let the air get at your armpits and groins! Me, I'm taking Yolanda's advice and sitting with my feet in a bowl of cold water!

Titania in Australia here
has tagged me to write 6 random facts about myself. La Gringa in Honduras got me on this a couple of years ago, so this one will be different - simpler:

• I love Latin American dancing and I just wish my old knees would allow me to learn the salsa.
• My favourite occupation is flopping out with a good book
• I miss Springtime in England so visit English gardening blogs instead
• My little weakness is pastries, but they don't like me
• I still miss my dog, Sheba, who died 12 years ago.
  
• I keep a journal of memorable sayings, poems, extracts from books.

So, don't worry compadres, I'll not single anyone out for tagging....I'll leave that up to you.

On the garden front, we're harvesting our cherry tomatoes and damsons...delish. But all the apricots, nectarines and peaches have been got at by a little black beetle and I'm doing what I can to salvage edible bits.

It's been very hot for June and many of the plants are wilting, while others are revelling in it, unlike me as I feel like a beached whale!

ASPERGILLUS.

Many of you may know about the dangers of Aspergillus but I'm posting this to raise awareness.

I came across the condition in the West Country in the 1970s with a patient who had farmer's lung from mouldy hay. I understand that leaves saved in black plastic bags for later mulching could pose the same risks.

"Gardeners have been warned about a mould, called Aspergillus, that grows on compost and decaying wood following the death of a middle-aged man.

He developed severe breathing problems after working with rotting wood and plant mulch in his garden.

Medical journal The Lancet reported that the man, aged 47, died despite hospital anti-fungal treatment.

An expert said a dust-mask was a good idea when moving large quantities of mouldy bark chippings or compost.

This should not be a problem for your average small-scale gardener who is using small quantities of compost at one time Professor David Denning University of Manchester

The Aspergillus mould is very common in UK gardens and is better known as an allergy trigger, but serious illness linked to it remains relatively rare.

Lung inflammation

The case of the Buckinghamshire man dates from May 2007, when he arrived at hospital with worsening shortness of breath, a fever and muscle pain.

The results of the X-ray meant that doctors at first thought that pneumonia was the problem and gave him antibiotics.

These had no effect and tests suggested the inflammation in his lungs was getting more severe.

By now he had been transferred to the intensive care unit, but even this made no difference, and he was transferred to a bigger hospital for a last-ditch treatment to get oxygen into his body.

At this point, the laboratory found Aspergillus in two samples and talking to his partner revealed that the day before symptoms started he had been engulfed by clouds of dust while he shifted rotting tree and plant compost.

Unfortunately, although anti-fungal treatments were then given, he died a few days later.

The speed of his decline surprised doctors as, apart from smoking and a job as a welder, he seemed to be in good health.

Alerting doctors

David Denning, of the University of Manchester, said that while Aspergillus itself could be found in many gardens, it would generally be dangerous only if disturbed in large quantities and the resulting dust inhaled.

He said: "This should not be a problem for your average small-scale gardener who is using small quantities of compost at one time.

"However, if you are moving it in very large amounts, then perhaps wearing a face-mask would be advisable."

Prof Denning said that the key to recovery in severe cases was rapid identification of the problem, and prompt anti-fungal therapy, as many doctors would not see any cases of "aspillergosis" in their career, and try antibiotics first.

He said: "This article aims to alert doctors that this may be a possibility when patients present with these symptoms."

Story from BBC NEWS:

WATER CRISIS IN SPAIN.

After reading about the shortage in northern Spain, so much so that water had to be brought from France by container ship to Barcelona, and the crises on the Costas threatening the ban on water for swimming pools, we jumped at the chance for two more 1000 litre water containers.

We had to wrestle them off the back of a trailer and dismantle the metal cages so's we could manoevre these big tanks into position at the back of the green shed and the back of the house. The containers had to be rolled and lifted - what a lark for the two of us, who had to stop for frequent rests. The cats looked on in amusement.

We had to paint over the surfaces then so that the water didn't go mildewy and then lift the containers back into the metal cage mounted on pallets. Pheww. Some more guttering has to be erected at the back of the house now, and the tube modified at the back of the shed. We probably won't have any significant rainfall until October but it's a comforting feeling that we will eventually have 5000L of rainwater.