Weird Weather

or as Paco, the gardener, puts it "tiempo loco".   And I'm aware I'm being typically English to write a blog about the climate.    But it has been so strange.   Last month, we had temperatures in the high 30sC and chilly at night.   The Levante appeared for a week and sucked the life out of everything the high temperatures didn't threaten.   This week we have rain, at a time when the house exterior was to be painted.   Two days is all that could be managed before the rains came.  Temperatures plummeted and woollies had to be dug out.    Fingers crossed, today is supposed to be the last day so the walls get a chance to dry out and we'll be spic and span in a few days.

We are losing the terracotta colour and substituting cream for the walls and green for the top edges.  In the autumn, we plan to have the whole house fitted with guttering, instead of one corner.  

Lilies which have lain dormant for a couple of years have decided to flower.   And we now have a new hibiscus bed near the fountain.....they really like it there.  

It's that time of year for soft fruit and, once again, we are drowning in plums.   I'll have to get blanching and freezing for the winter crumbles.